Strawberry Shortcake Vegan Pancakes (Mine!)

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It was Sunday morning and my son came in, grabbing the full container of fresh strawberries from the fridge, clearly ready to eat every last one — until I yelled out, “NO! Those are mine!” Before it turned into a full strawberry standoff, I blurted out an idea about making strawberry milk … and somehow that one sentence turned into an entire morning in the kitchen making these Strawberry Shortcake Vegan Pancakes — because once he heard it, he had an idea too.

What I Almost Missed

Kitchen moments like this one stay fresh in my memory — just like those strawberries.

Because sometimes we want our kids to be flexible, but we don’t always model that flexibility ourselves. My initial reaction when he grabbed the container of strawberries — “NO! Those are mine!” — left no room for discussion or new ideas.

If I had stayed there, I would have missed:

• Time in the kitchen with my son
• Watching his idea come to fruition
• The creation of this blog post
• And the best part — eating strawberry shortcake pancakes together

Practicing Flexibility in the Kitchen

Flexibility in the kitchen doesn’t mean giving up structure. It means leaving just enough room for ideas to grow. Here are a few simple ways to create that space:

1. Start With a Plan — But Hold It Lightly
Having an idea of what you’re making is helpful — like strawberry milk —but treat it as a starting point instead of a fixed rule. When kids suggest a small change, look for ways to explore it together.

2. Pause Before Saying No
Our first reaction is often to protect the plan. Take a moment before responding — sometimes a child’s idea can fit in a way you didn’t expect.

3. Turn Ideas Into Experiments
If your child suggests something different, treat it like a kitchen experiment. Ask, “What do you think will happen if we try that?” This keeps curiosity at the center.

4. Focus on the Process, Not Just the Outcome
The goal isn’t always a perfect dish. It’s helping kids feel comfortable exploring food, trying ideas, and seeing how ingredients can change.

5. Celebrate the Unexpected
Some of the best recipes begin with a small shift. When kids see their ideas are welcome, the kitchen becomes a place where creativity and confidence grow.

Food for Thought

This recipe is a simple place to practice flexibility together. As you make these Strawberry Shortcake Vegan Pancakes, look for small moments where your child can take the lead.

They might:

• Want to add more strawberries to the blender than you planned
• Ask to mash them instead of slicing — which is way more fun
• Decide the strawberries should go on top instead of mixed in

Instead of correcting right away:

• Pause and see what happens
• You don’t have to say yes to everything
• But leave a little room for their ideas to feel like they matter

Even small choices — like where the strawberries go or how they’re prepared — can make a big difference in how comfortable kids feel around food.

And sometimes, those small shifts are what turn a regular morning into something both you and your child remember. That’s the Messy Plate Method — using small moments like this to practice flexibility in a real, everyday way.

Messy Little Readers Library

The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt

The Story & Recipe Pairing

The Day the Crayons Quit tells the story of crayons who are tired of doing things the same way — each one with its own idea of how things could be different.

The same can happen in the kitchen.

This Strawberry Shortcake Vegan Pancakes recipe is a simple way to practice flexibility — leaving room for small changes, new ideas, and a different way of doing things.

Just like Duncan learns to listen to his crayons, sometimes the best thing we can do is pause, listen, and be open to where those ideas lead.

Best For:

All ages are welcome, but it’s typically best suited for ages 3–8, especially children who enjoy humorous stories and seeing things from different perspectives

Read Along Focus:

• Encourage kids to notice how everyone can have their own ideas
• Talk about how being flexible and listening can lead to new solutions

Things to Point Out While Reading:

• Everyone can have a different idea
• Listening helps us understand others
• Sometimes the plan needs to change
• Creativity grows when many ideas come together

Simple Lessons (No Lecturing):

• New ideas deserve to be heard
• Flexibility helps us work together
• Creativity often happens when we try something different

Kitchen Tie-In:

While making the pancakes:

• Blend the strawberries — should they be smooth or a little chunky?
• Pour the batter — do we keep them plain or add strawberries in?
• Serve them — should the strawberries go on top or be mixed in?

As you go, let your child make small decisions and see how those choices change the recipe. Sometimes the best recipes come from being willing to adjust and try a new idea along the way.

The Moment You’re Creating

Strawberries might get blended, sliced, or mashed — maybe turned into strawberry milk, and hopefully into strawberry shortcake pancakes. That’s what happens when we don’t “quit” on an idea with a hard “NO!” — and instead give it a chance to grow into something they can call “Mine!”

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