HEALTHY EATING
By Fabiola Zefi
Nothing screams homemade weekend brunch like a stack of pancakes!
Pancakes have a bad rep and that is simply because people tend to think of them as these doughy, dessert like wannabe breakfast food that is loaded with sugary syrup. Well you don’t hear the French complain about croissant, which is basically the same, and worse. All that butter! They just enjoy it. Every day. And these pancakes are so healthy that you can actually have them every day, not only on the weekend.
Pancakes can be a nutritious, filling meal that can satisfy the palate of any age, from your 3 year old, to an 83 year old. Think outside the box and get creative. The toppings are endless and there is no need for any added sugar to make them tasty. You heard that right! No. Sugar. Needed! Gasp! Make these and bethca you won’t have just one! But that’s ok, they are healthy!
Ingredients:
Sugar Free Buckwheat Banana Pancakes:
- 3 cups buckwheat flour
- 3 overripe bananas
- 5-7 tablespoons water (until you reach desired consistency)
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
Cashew Cream:
- 1 cup cashews
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla bean
- 3 tablespoons water
Coconut Bacon:
- 1 ½ cup unsweetened large coconut flakes
- 1 tbsp tamari
- 1 tbsp liquid smoke
- 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
Directions:
- Mix Sugar Free Buckwheat Banana Pancakes ingredients together until almost smooth. It’s ok if some parts are chunky, bananas will do that. In a frying pan place a tablespoon of coconut oil and have it on high for the first 2-3 minutes, lower heat to low/medium and pour batter in the pan. Flip pancakes until light/medium brown on both sides. It might seem like the pancakes aren’t cooked but that’s just the mushy banana chunks.
- Place all Cashew Cream ingredients in high speed blender. Blend until smooth, add more water or maple syrup if you prefer it less thick or sweeter.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees, line a baking rack with parchment paper. Mix together all Coconut Bacon ingredients and place it flat and bake for 20/25 minutes. Check every five minutes or so and stir.
- Top pancakes with cashew cream blueberries and coconut bacon. Serve with whatever fruit of choice. I love persimmons and blood orange, but whatever fancies your taste buds that morning, will do!
- Double bonus! If you sprinkle some chia seeds or hemp hearts, they`ll be even more filling. And, this coconut bacon makes for a mean CBLT sandwich!
Makes about 6-10 pancakes depending on size.
