The pancake dilemma.

Oh pancakes. The quintessential breakfast comfort food. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like pancakes, and for good reason. They’re delicious. But pancakes are definitely not the healthiest of breakfast choices. They’re usually made from refined white flour, added sugar, vegetable oil and then topped with highly processed fake maple syrup. There is literally nothing healthy about that sentence. But what if you could turn a usually unhealthy breakfast into something so much better for you! Well now you can. My coconut flour pancakes are packed with high quality protein, healthy fats, and then topped with your favorite fruit and honey for some natural sweetness! They are delicious, easy to make, and best of all they’re healthy. Let’s take a look at the nutrition components of these tasty flapjacks:

[1] high quality protein from organic eggs, coconut flour + almond butter

Starting your day with a protein packed breakfast is a great way to keep you satisfied and curb unwanted cravings later in the day. In just one of my coconut flour pancakes with almond butter-honey sauce you’re getting 20 grams of high quality protein. Breaking it down this is what you’re getting: 12 grams protein in 2 eggs + 4 grams protein in 2 Tbsp coconut flour + about 4 grams protein in almond butter = 20 grams protein per pancake. Nice!

[2] healthy fats – coconut milk, almond butter

Including healthy fats with your meals is also an important part of a healthy diet. Healthy fats are important for hormone production, vitamin D absorption, energy, and satiety [fullness] to name a few. The benefits of healthy fats are numerous! And far too many people aren’t eating enough fat, or at least the right types of fat.

[3] natural sweetness – banana, honey

Overconsumption of added sugar is a contributing factor to the obesity epidemic we’re currently experiencing. Added sugar can lead to inflammation, sugar cravings, energy crashes, etc. So instead of loading up on added + processed sugar to get you through the day, opt for some natural sweeteners like fruit, honey and real maple syrup. Just don’t go overboard.

[4] added goodness – cinnamon

Cinnamon has been shown to have a positive effect on blood sugar balance. Having balanced blood sugar is important for overall health for a variety of reasons including: managing/preventing diabetes, decreasing sugar cravings and stabilizing energy + mood.

[5] coconut flour – low carb, high fiber, moderate protein

Coconut flour is a great low-carbohydrate flour that is also high in fiber and moderate in protein. As a society, we lack adequate fiber intake. Fiber is important for digestive health, weight management, and overall well-being. Women should be consuming about 25 grams of fiber daily and men should shoot for 38 grams according to the Institute of Medicine. Most Americans are only getting around 15 grams per day. The good news about coconut flour is that just 2 Tablespoons has 8 grams of fiber!

[the perfect pancake.]

Since eating gluten-free, which I’ve been doing for years now, I haven’t had one pancake. Not one. My breakfast choices have been my Super Green Smoothie, Super Green Overnight Oats, eggs or a breakfast hash, and then if we were going out for breakfast I always opt for the veggie + egg scramble or omelet [which is still delicious by the way]. But now that I can make healthy, gluten-free pancakes at home my breakfast options have expanded and that makes me happy.

[coconut flour.]

These pancakes are one of the easiest recipes to make. You can get breakfast on the table in a matter of minutes. And most of the ingredients I have on hand which makes whipping up a batch super simple. My advice to you if you’re not familiar with coconut flour yet is to purchase a package of it [I got mine from Costco – pictured above – Nutiva® brand] and then store it in the freezer. Coconut flour will probably last you a long time because you don’t need much of it in many recipes; so to keep it fresher longer, the freezer is the way to go.

And another great thing about pancakes is that they are super versatile. You can whip up a standard batch [recipe below] and then let others top them with their favorite ingredients. My favorite topping is by far my Almond Butter-Honey Sauce [recipe also below], but you could also try some other versions:

[1] organic butter + pure maple syrup for a more standard version

[2] muddled berries + homemade coconut whipped cream if you want to get fancy

[3] shredded coconut + sliced banana

[4] or add some extras into your batter like blueberries for a blueberry pancake or chocolate chips for a chocolate chip pancake

 

With a recipe like this I could eat pancakes for breakfast, lunch and dinner…but for now I think I’ll just stick to one meal of the day. 🙂 I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do!

Coconut Flour Pancakes

servings: 1 medium-sized pancake

Ingredients

• ½ Tbsp organic butter
• 2 Tbsp coconut flour
• 2 Tbsp full-fat, unsweetened canned coconut milk
• 2 organic eggs, whisked
• ½ tsp cinnamon, optional

Toppings

• Almond Butter-Honey Sauce [recipe below]
• ½ banana, sliced
• cinnamon
• fresh berries [optional]

Directions

Whisk eggs in a small bowl. Add coconut milk to eggs and whisk to combine well. Add coconut flour and cinnamon [if using]. Whisk all ingredients well until there are no lumps of flour. The batter should be easily pourable. If it’s too thick, add more coconut milk. Add butter to a large pan on medium heat. Once melted, add pancake batter to pan. Let cook for 2-3 minutes until the underside of the pancake has browned and the edges are crispy. Flip and cook for additional 2 minutes. To serve, top with Almond Butter Honey Sauce, sliced banana + cinnamon.

 

Almond Butter-Honey Sauce

servings: 1

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1 Tbsp almond butter
• 1 Tbsp water

Directions

Mix all ingredients well. The sauce should be pourable but still slightly thick. Add more or less water to reach desired consistency. Pour on top of coconut flour pancake.

Did you try this for breakfast? Or even dinner? Let me know what you thought in the comments below 🙂