If you follow me on Instagram, you may recall these pancakes I posted a few weeks ago. 
So what’s so special about a damn picture of pancakes with awkward irregular shaped edges and a few walnuts and banana slices on top as a despite attempt on food styling? Oh, that’s right. They’re Rosa Park’s pancakes.
Well, not Rosa Park’s pancakes per se; I didn’t go back in time, steal them from her table, freeze and then defrost them decades later for the sake of an Instagram photo. No, I merely made them from a recipe she had written on the back of an envelope, a photo of which was featured in this article for NPR (side note: I <3 NPR).
They’re endearingly called “Featherlighte Pancakes,” and the recipe is written in handwriting that looks charmingly like my Oma’s. As soon as I set my eyes on the recipe, I knew I had to make them.
And you know what? They were darn delicious. I was hesitant to add a full two tablespoons of baking powder, but then decided since Rosa Parks was right about so many things, she was probably right about this too. I put my trust in her and was not let down. The pancakes truly were, featherlight.
The pancakes were fluffy and delicate, yet substantial and hearty, with a bold peanut butter flavor that could stand on its own, and also tasted great with maple syrup. Just a few would fill you up, which according to the article, means the pancakes achieved their purpose of offering a form of delicious, extended substance from inexpensive ingredients. They were delicious, and I do plan to make them again.
And while I was eating them, yes, I did think of Rosa Parks. How humbling is it to remind ourselves that we all must eat? No matter the time period, our religion, our views of the world, our level of education, or our environments. All humans eat, and it is something that connects us and equalizes at a primal level. 
I slightly adapted the recipe to make it plant-based, but the original recipe can be found here.
Recipe adapted from Rosa Parks.
Rosa Park’s Featherlight Pancake Recipe (Veganized)
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Servings: about 2
Ingredients:
- 1 cup flour (I subbed 1/2 whole wheat flour)
- 2 “T” baking powder
- 1/2 “t” salt
- 2 “T” sugar
- 1 flax or chia egg (1 tablespoon chia/flax + 3 tablespoons water) –> original recipe calls for 1 egg
- 1 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk –> original recipe calls for milk
- 1/3 cup peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon oil
Method:
- Combine flax or chia and water in a small dish and allow to thicken, at least 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine all ingredients in a bowl. Add flax/chia egg. Mix until just combined.
- Cook on a griddle at 275F (I cooked each side roughly 3 minutes before flipping)
