Perfect Paleo Pancakes (+ my NO syrup hack!)

This recipe yields: fluffy, chewy and light pancakes which can be tough to accomplish in a grain-free ingredient list. The marriage of tigernut flour + almond meal and beaten egg whites are to thank! Topped with only nut or seed butter and fresh or frozen berries which means no added sugar or syrup at all, A.K.A: you win breakfast.

Recipe Stars:

Tigernut Flour is a prebiotic starch. Prebiotic fiber, in comparison to probiotics, actually feeds the bacteria in your microbiome which is very important to keep the good bacteria fed and happy. It’s super light, tastes great – slightly nutty, though not a nut at all, it’s actually a tuber and is tolerated very well by many. I love baking with this flour! Please see optional substitutes below if you don’t have this on hand.

This recipe can also be made to include protein powder! See my recommendation below.

Beating your egg whites makes for a FLUFFY and LIGHT pancake. I always do this and am never disappointed. When you flip your pancakes, you should see them bounce up – good sign that you’ve got some air in those babies! This means they’ll be light on the stomach and not too dense.

THE SYRUP, well the lack of syrup that is. I haven’t used maple syrup on pancakes since I started mixing coconut oil with nut or seed butters. It has it’s own “sweetness” and means I won’t be crashing later.

Fresh or Frozen Berries are low in fructose and pack a ton of antioxidants, plus they look and taste amazing on a short stack. This is all the sweetness your pretty pancakes will need. Pick frozen when not in season.

Speaking of antioxidants, Sunflower Seeds contain lots of vitamins and minerals, like: Vitamin E, Copper, B Vitamins, Selenium and more. They’re a healthy fat which helps keep you full and full of energy and keeps blood sugar balanced among other amazing benefits you can read about here.

Ingredients

serves 2

• 1/4 cup tigernut flour*
• 1/4 cup almond meal*
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 2 large pastured eggs, whites and yolk divided
• 1/4 cup coconut cream or pumpkin puree
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp almond milk
• coconut oil for pan
• Toppings: Frozen raspberries, sunflower seed “syrup” and raw sunflower seeds sprinkled over top.

Seed/Nut butter “syrup”

• 2 Tbsp nut or seed butter (I used sunflower seed butter)
• 2 tsp coconut oil (or more depending on how thick the nut/seed butter is)

Directions

1. Set your oven to the lowest heat or “keep warm” setting and lay a cookie sheet inside so you can store pancakes as you make them.
2. Prep 3 mixing bowls, one for dry ingredients, one for wet and one to beat the egg whites (for extra fluffy pancakes!)
3. Add all dry ingredients (first 4 above) to the first bowl and mix with a whisk.
4. Next, divide the egg whites in one bowl on it’s own and add the yolks to another bowl.
5. In the bowl with the yolks, add the well mixed coconut cream or pumpkin puree, vanilla extract and milk. Mix well and then pour the wet into the dry mix and incorporate until you have a thick batter.
6. Lastly, beat your egg whites with a clean whisk as fast as you can (ARM DAY!) – you want some nice peaks. Work for those pancakes 😉 When you’re done, with a silicon spatula fold the whites into the thick batter in a circular motion without deflating the egg whites too much.
7. Heat a cast iron skillet on medium-high and add coconut oil (enough to cover skillet). When the pan is very hot, spoon your pancake batter into small size rounds and flip after bubbles form towards the center of the pancake. When the other side is stiff and cooked, place cooked pancakes on a plate and add to the oven to keep warm while you repeat until all finished.
8. When pancakes are done and keeping warm, add your favorite seed or nut butter to a bowl with coconut oil and zap in the microwave for 30 seconds. Mix well with a spoon and use in place of syrup when plating your pancakes! Top with fresh or frozen berries and anything else you’d like. ENJOY.

SUBSTITUTES

*To make these protein pancakes, sub your favorite protein powder in place of either the almond or tigernut flour. I love PaleoPro brand which has no whey.

*Another option in place of tigernut flour is: 2 Tbsp arrowroot flour + 1 Tbsp coconut flour. If there are tree nut allergies, and almond flour isn’t possible – I love substituting with seed meal/flour instead. As a reminder, tigernut is NOT a nut, and a tuber instead so nut allergies should not apply there.

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Hope you enjoy!
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Use #foodbymars to tag your FBM inspired creations! I’d love to see!

**Alison

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