Healthy Option Pancakes

After realising that you have somehow managed to eat triple your body weight in Christmas goodies, one must vow to eat healthily and possibly to restrain from indulging in any desserts or treats for the entire month of January. As you prepare to return to the office, you find yourself thinking of the boring, chocolate-free breakfasts and lunches you're going to have to prepare for the coming weeks. But, hold on, what if you could somehow manage to eat healthily without sacrificing too much flavour at all? This month, I am going to share a series of recipes for healthy alternatives to meals and treats that will leave you wondering how you ever found eating healthily that difficult at all.

First up is the 'New Year, New Me' Pancake, something that my gym-crazed brothers eat on a regular basis. I once turned my nose up at the thought of these three-ingredient-oddities, but, after working up the courage to try one, will never go back.

For one portion of these tasty pancakes, you will need...

1 medium sized ripe Banana

4 tbsp Porridge Oats

2 tbsp dessicated coconut

1 tsp Cinnamon

1 Egg

1 tbsp Raw Cocoa Nibs (optional)

What to do...

Simply break your banana in three, throw it into a cup and mash using the back of a fork. Add the egg to the cup and combine the ingredients. Stir in the cinnamon, oats, coconut and nibs and you're ready to start cooking.  

Melt a teaspoon of coconut oil in your pan over a low heat. Using a ladle, spoon your mix into the hot pan. My brothers go for one whopper pancake whereas I like to make three separate smaller ones. The mix should cook off like regular pancake batter, so, once you see that one side is done, flip them over to cook evenly.

How I like to serve them....

The banana can make these pancakes quite sweet so I like to pair them up with something a little tart. First, I stack them, then I plonk a dollop of home-made grapefruit curd on top followed by another dollop of Glenisk natural, organic, Greek-style yoghurt. I then throw on some segmented orange and top it all off with a few dried cranberries and dessicated coconut. 

Delicious.

Take my word for it.

To make these pancakes gluten-free, simply leave out the porridge oats when making your pancake batter.

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If you don't trust me and find the thought of banana and egg together totally revolting, why not try this second recipe for gluten-free pancakes. These will work out a little more expensive but they're worth it.

For one portion, you will need...

1 Egg 

2 tbsp coconut flour

4 tbsp semi skimmed milk

1 tsp maple syrup

Pinch of baking powder

What to do...

Whisk the egg, milk and syrup until combined. You can do this by hand - it only needs a little whisking,

Sift the flour and baking powder into the wet mixture and whisk again. 

Once combined, melt a teaspoon of coconut oil in your pan and spoon the mixture in allowing it to cook evenly on both sides.

Stack your pancakes up along with toppings of your choice and enjoy!