Barlean’s was kind enough to send me two complimentary nutritious products for sample use in this week’s #RecipeMakeover. I am not being compensated monetarily for this post and all opinions contained within are solely my own.
Perhaps pancakes aren’t the first thing to come to mind when you think about eating healthier, however, I’m here to show you that any indulgent food can be made a wee bit healthier with a few simple tips. First, start out by adding something a little bit different to your pancakes; it’s up to you how far you want to go with this. You can switch out some or all of the all-purpose flour in pancake batter with whole wheat, rye, almond, or even rice flour. Or like me, you may choose to add an ingredient such as Barlean’s Digestive Blend, which is a blend of ground flaxseed, chia seed, quinoa, unsweetened shredded coconut, and pumpkin. It is Certified Organic, Vegan, Kosher, Non-GMO and Gluten-Free. This unique blend also contains naturally occurring prebiotics to support a healthy digestive tract as well as being packed with a ton of extra flavor.
Next, ditch the butter because it’s totally unnecessary. Instead, melt coconut oil and then use a small folded up paper towel to lightly coat a non-stick skillet before making each pancake. For this recipe, I used Barlean’s Butter Flavored Organic Coconut Oil, which can be substituted 1 to 1 in recipes that call for butter under the cooking or frying temperature of 375 degrees. It is Certified Organic, Vegan, Non-GMO, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free, Cholesterol Free, and contains No Trans Fats or Hydrogenated Fats. It also gives these pancakes a hint of butter without loading them down with extra fat. Let’s be honest here folks, if you’re using a non-stick skillet the use of butter to make pancakes truly isn’t needed.
Now comes the biggest hint to make pancakes healthier, so that you can enjoy them each and every weekend without fear of gaining a gazillion pounds or being able to move for the rest of the day; eat less of them. That’s right y’all, you don’t need a big ol’ stack of pancakes on your breakfast plate. The average person should only need two or three pancakes at most, and if the pancakes have as much flavor as these do then you won’t need a literal pool of maple syrup to drown them in. Even I, the girl who has never really been a pancake person, was surprised at just how wonderful these golden cakes turned out. I don’t think I’ve ever had a pancake with so much flavor that didn’t make me feel like a big ol’ bloated tick for hours after eating it.
Ingredients:
- 1 Cup Milk
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 Cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1/4 Cup Barlean’s Digestive Blend
- 1/4 Cup Sugar
- 1 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 Egg
- 1 to 2 Tablespoons Barlean’s Butter Flavored Organic Coconut Oil, Melted
Directions:
- Mix the milk, lemon juice, and vanilla extract together in a glass measuring cup; set aside for 10 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, digestive blend, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
- Whisk the egg and the milk mixture into the flour just until there are no large streaks of flour or gigantic lumps.
- Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat.
- Dip a small folded paper towel into the melted coconut oil and then use the paper towel to lightly coat the hot pan with the coconut oil.
- Pour the batter into the hot skillet using a 1/4-cup measuring cup.
- When bubbles begin to burst in the middle of the pancake, flip it, and then cook on the other side until golden brown and cooked through.
- Repeat steps 5 through 7 until you have used all of the pancake batter.
Suggestions:
- Use the bottom of the measuring cup to even out the pancake batter and form it into a round shape.
- Do not over-flip or press down on the pancakes or they will deflate. Fluffy pancakes are so much better than flattened smooshy ones.
- This recipe will make six regular-sized pancakes.
Improvements:
- Serve with pure maple syrup, preserves, or fresh fruit.
- Add a few tablespoons of cacao nibs or dried blueberries to the pancake batter.
- Purchase Barlean’s Digestive Blend and Barlean’s Butter Flavored Organic Coconut Oil to make these fantastically flavorful and healthier pancakes.
Ingredients:
- 1 Cup Milk
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 Cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1/4 Cup Barlean's Digestive Blend
- 1/4 Cup Sugar
- 1 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 Egg
- 1 to 2 Tablespoons Barlean's Butter Flavored Organic Coconut Oil, Melted
Directions:
- Mix the milk, lemon juice, and vanilla extract together in a glass measuring cup; set aside for 10 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, digestive blend, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
- Whisk the egg and the milk mixture into the flour just until there are no large streaks of flour or gigantic lumps.
- Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat.
- Dip a small folded paper towel into the melted coconut oil and then use the paper towel to lightly coat the hot pan with the coconut oil.
- Pour the batter into the hot skillet using a 1/4-cup measuring cup.
- When bubbles begin to burst in the middle of the pancake, flip it, and then cook on the other side until golden brown and cooked through.
- Repeat steps 5 through 7 until you have used all of the pancake batter.
Don’t let this recipe slip away. How often do you find a recipe intriguing, yet forget where to find it when you finally get the hankering to make it? Instead of digging through old posts or wandering aimlessly around on the internet, why not Pin this recipe to Pinterest where you can find it when you eventually need it? Simply Pin the image above and you’ll have it when that time comes. You can follow us HERE on Pinterest or simply click HERE to find all of our pin-worthy recipes.
Don’t forget to enter the #RecipeMakeover giveaway this week for your chance to win the Barlean’s products featured above, as well as other many other great prizes. Click HERE to find out more information.