Health food is a multi-billion dollar industry that continues to grow every year. Products with tag lines like “vegan”, “gluten-free”, “low carb”, “natural”, “smarter”, “better-for-you” and “organic” can make a company massive profits. While some of these companies are devoted to making products that live up to the claims on their boxes, there are many that will take any shortcut and cost-cutting method available. For us, the consumers, this means that we cannot assume that a processed food product is all that it lives up to be. In the quest to eat healthier it is easy to start defining our diet with labels, when I was a hardcore vegan a box of waffles pretty much always made its way into my grocery cart and I ignored the list of preservatives and additives because what it didn’t contain was more important to me. When we go on restrictive eating regimes we can get very excited when we find a product that holds nostalgia for us and fits into our new eating parameters. If pancakes or waffles are one of those items for you, making a homemade version like this with nontraditional ingredients can be a way to indulge but still feed your body with lots of health supporting nutrients.
These do not have the same dense fluffiness of regular pancakes made from white flour but they do have the side benefit of being easier on your body, so you won’t feel like you need a nap and their nutrients will give you energy. This recipe could be enough for two people, unless you start taking partially eaten photos and accidentally eat them all. The eggs and almond flour provide lots of protein and healthy fats and every single ingredient is a good source of several different vitamins and minerals. Regular pancakes are mostly refined carbohydrates (white flour and white sugar), but their subtraction and the addition of protein means that even though these are sweet they have a less extreme effect on your body and will not throw off your blood sugar levels and hormones (which control feelings of hunger and satiety)- just be careful with the maple syrup, it’s easy to over pour without realizing. I made the pancakes mini just because I always ruin the larger ones when I try to flip them but they can be made either way depending on your flipping skill level.
- 2 eggs
- 1 large banana
- ½ cup blueberries
- ¼ cup almond flour (or any other nut flour)
- 1-2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1-2 tablespoons coconut oil
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- Blend the eggs, banana and vanilla in a blender until the bananas are broken down then add in the almond flour and blend until combined. Set a large skillet up on the stove over medium heat and melt one tablespoon of the coconut oil. Test to make sure it is hot enough by flicking a few drops of water in- if the oil bubbles up it is hot enough. Spoon two tablespoons of batter in at a time, evenly spaced out (you will probably fit 4-5 in the pan at a time) and drop a few blueberries onto each pancake. Once little bubbles come to the top of the pancakes, after around 2 minutes use a spatula to flip over for another minute or two until firmed up and golden brown. Add more coconut oil in for the second batch if needed. Serve with the maple syrup or some fresh fruit.
