Five Flip-Worthy Healthy Pancake Recipes!

By Charlene Bazarian

Pancakes are a breakfast favorite, but with the word “cake” in the name, is it any wonder they aren’t typically considered as a nutritional powerhouse?  Pancakes don’t have to be a splurge though, and they don’t have to be boring either!  We compiled some fabulous and nutritious ideas that will let you have your cake and eat it too!  These recipes put a healthy (and delicious!) spin on pancakes your tastebuds will flip for! 

Delicious Apple Pie Pancakes         

Recipe Courtesy of Marathons and Motivation @marathonsandmotivation

Ingredients

Batter:

• 2 cups oat flour, gluten-free
• 2 cups soy milk
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Apple Pie Topping:

• 2 apples diced
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 coconut oil or vegan butter substitute
• ½ tablespoon cinnamon
• 10 almonds chopped

Instructions:

1. Mix soy milk, maple syrup, oil, and vanilla together and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, add flour, cinnamon, ginger, and baking powder until well combined.
3. Pour milk mixture in a large bowl. Mix with a wooden spoon until you get a smooth oat batter.
4. Preheat a pancake machine or a non-stick pan greased with a bit of coconut oil or oil spray.
5. Pour 1/4 cup of the batter to make 1 pancake. Cook until bubbles form and edges are starting to dry then flip and cook the other side. You will get 12 pancakes with the batter.
6. Heat a non-stick pot on medium heat. Melt coconut oil, then add cinnamon, apples and chopped almonds. Stir and cook for about 2 minutes. If you want apples to be softer, cook longer.
7. Serve warm pancakes with apple pie topping.

Nutrition

Calories: 475kcal | Carbohydrates: 72g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 99mg | Potassium: 599mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 600IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 269 mg | Iron: 3mg

Fluffy Gluten-Free Matcha Pancakes              

Recipe courtesy of Caroline Green, RDN, LD   @carolinegreennutrition

Ingredients

Batter:

• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup vanilla almond milk
• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil or vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup almond flour
• 1/2 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
• 1 TBSP baking powder
• dash of salt
• 2 heaping TBSP matcha green tea powder

Topping:

• blueberries
• The Coconut Cult coconut probiotic yogurt
• Pearlbutter Matcha Coconut Butter

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, mix or whisk together the eggs, milk, oil, sugar, and vanilla extract.
2. Once mixed well, add in the flour, matcha powder, baking powder, and salt and continue to stir until a smooth batter forms.
3. Spray a sauté pan with oil spray or coconut oil and heat to medium heat.
4. Measure small amounts of pancake batter onto pan and flip once bubbles start to pop up through the batter.
5. Repeat until all batter is used.
6. Let pancakes cool, then top with desired toppings. Yum!

Ricotta Pancakes with Wild Blueberry Reduction        

Recipe Courtesy of Amy Gorin, MS, RDN, an inclusive plant-based registered dietitian nutritionist and owner of Master the Media in Stamford, CT @AmyGorin

 Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ cup + 1 ½ Tablespoons sugar, divided
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 1 cup part-skim ricotta
• ½ cup low-fat milk
• 2 lemons, juiced
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 Tablespoon butter, melted
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups frozen wild blueberries, divided
• Spray oil
• ¼ cup + 2 Tablespoons water
• 2 teaspoons corn starch

Instructions:

Pancakes

1. In a small mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, 1 ½ tablespoons sugar, and salt.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, mix together ricotta, milk, lemon juice, eggs, butter, and vanilla. Add the flour mixture to the ricotta mixture, stirring gently until just combined. Fold in 1 cup of frozen wild blueberries.
3. Heat a griddle or non-stick pan over medium-high heat; coat lightly with spray oil. Using a ¼ cup measure, pour batter onto the hot griddle. Cook the berry pancakes until the undersides are golden; flip and cook until the other side is golden. Repeat with the remaining pancakes.

Sauce

1. .In a medium saucepan, combine remaining frozen wild blueberries with water and remaining sugar.
2. Heat over medium-high heat and bring to a low boil.
3. Stir in cornstarch; turn heat down to medium and simmer for 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens to desired consistency. If the blueberry reduction sauce gets too thick, one tablespoon of water at a time.
4. Serve sauce over pancakes.

Nutrition:

Calories:  270  |Fat: (grams) 7  |Sat. Fat: 4 (grams) | Carbs (grams): 43| Fiber (grams): 3 |Sugar (grams): 18|Protein (grams): 10  | Sodium (milligrams): 180  |Cholesterol (grams): 0

Easy Vegan Pancakes      

Recipe courtesy of Amanda Liptak, RDN, CA Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Certified Aromatherapist, Nutrient Rich Life   @liptakrdnldn     

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 ½  tablespoons baking powder
• 3 tablespoons organic sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1/4 cup orange juice, no sugar added
• 1/4 cup organic, unsweetened applesauce
• 2 cup almond, hemp or coconut milk

Instructions:

1. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl, set aside.
2. Whisk together wet ingredients. Once mixed, slowly add dry ingredients.
3. Immediately pour onto a hot, greased pan. Once the top bubbles, flip, serve, and enjoy!
4. Top with cinnamon, nutmeg, or pumpkin spice. You may also choose to top with fresh fruit or spread 1 tablespoon unsweetened almond, cashew, or sunflower butter on the top, roll, and take on the go!

Nutritional Information:

Based on 1 pancake, slightly smaller than a standard salad plate. Nutrient analysis is only an approximation. Nutrition components vary based on the type of products used and the exact size of the finished product.

Calories:  168|Dietary Fiber: 2 grams|Protein: 3 grams|Total fat: 9 gram|Total sugar: 5 grams

Chocolate Banana Peanut Butter Pancakes with Peanut Butter Ricotta

Recipe courtesy of Mandy Enright, MS RDN RYT, The Food + Movement® Dietician and author of 30-Minute Weight Loss Cookbook: 100+ Quick and Easy Recipes for Sustainable Weight Loss @mandyenrightrd

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup raw cacao powder
• 3 ripe bananas mashed
• 1 egg
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup nonfat milk divided
• 1 tablespoon dark chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter chips

Optional Ricotta Topping

• 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1 Tablespoon peanut butter powder

Instructions

1. Combine the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cacao powder in a large bowl and whisk together.
2. Add bananas, eggs, vanilla extract, 1 cup milk, chocolate, and peanut butter chips. Stir until well combined. Slowly add additional 1/2 cup milk to desired consistency (more thick batter will make fluffier pancakes)
3. Spoon 1/4 cup servings of batter on a lightly greased electric griddle (or stovetop griddle). Allow cooking 3-5 minutes, until bubbles begin to form and pop on top. Flip and cook for another 3-5 minutes to the desired level of brownness.
4. If making ricotta topping, mix together ricotta and peanut butter batter and spread on top of pancakes.

Nutrition

Serving 2 pancakes| Calories: 195| 4g fat (2g sat fat) | 34g carbs| 21g fiber| 3g protein| 308mg sodium|2 tablespoons ricotta topping: Calories: 45|3 fat (2g sat fat) |2g carbs| 0g fiber| 4g protein| 44mg sodium