Clean and Healthy Saturday Morning Pancakes

Weekends are the perfect time for a pancake breakfast, though honestly any day is a great day for pancakes if you ask me. There’s just something about a syrup-soaked stack of fluffy, griddle-cooked pancakes that screams comfort food. Growing up, pancakes were a Saturday morning tradition for me that I still hold near and dear to this day and it’s one I’d love to share with you.

Now, full disclosure, these pancakes have been adapted from Tasha over at Ketogasm and it was actually one of the first recipes I tried out when I started using almond flour! Over time, I’ve modified it slightly to be clean eating and I can promise you that these are just as good as the original and they will not disappoint you, just be sure to follow my tips and tricks and that stack of fluffy goodness is within reach!

💕 Here’s why you’re going to love this recipe:

• It’s a fun recipe to make on a lazy Saturday morning.
• It’s clean eating and gluten free.
• It’s keto and paleo friendly.
• They come together in under 30-minutes
• You can pair them with anything sweet (such as syrup, fruit, chocolate) or salty (such as bacon and eggs) for a wholesome and delicious treat
• They’re arguably healthy! Packed with protein (8.5G per pancake!) and low-carb compared to traditional buttermilk pancakes (approx 16g vs 33g per pancake).

To make this recipe, we’re going to need the following:

• Almond flour: You can use blanched or natural aka almond meal (which is almond flour without the skins removed)
• Eggs: You want to use room temperature eggs with the yolks and whites separated. Be sure that nothing gets into the egg whites or else the whites will not whip into peaks. 
• Coconut milk: Use a full fat coconut milk or even coconut cream. When shopping for coconut be sure to get one that has little to no additives. The one I use contains only filtered water and coconut cream. Similarly, you can make your own coconut milk using dried coconut.
• Coconut sugar: This is a low-GI sweetener that has wonderful caramel undertones that really give an extra layer of flavor to your pancakes.
• Salt: I’m using a Pink Himalayan salt but you can also use a sea salt if you prefer.
• Vanilla extract: Use a good quality vanilla for the best results.
• Baking powder: You can also use baking soda however the fluff and texture won’t be as pronounced.

To start making your pancakes we’ll begin by combine the almond flour, salt, and baking powder in one bowl. In another, mix together the egg yolks, coconut sugar, coconut milk, and vanilla until smooth. I used an immersion blender to make short work of this step but you can just as easily use a whisk or fork.

Combine the wet and dry ingredients and allow them to sit for 2 minutes while you complete the next step.

This step is arguably the most important so here’s a few tips to make sure you get it just right.

1. Use room temperature eggs.
2. Use a clean, dry bowl that is either glazed ceramic, glass or stainless steel.
3. You want to be sure you’re using egg whites that have nothing in them. A single drop of egg yolk can keep and entire bowl from whipping up (I’ve had it happen to be before)
4. Using a hand mixer, this is clean and dry, begin on a low speed and as the eggs begin to froth up gradually increase the speed and whip the egg whites until they’re stiff enough to form peaks.

This next part is the most critical. You need to gently fold the whipped egg whites into the rested batter.
Ensure that the whites do no go flat or start to liquefy (trust me I’ve had it happen) because this is what makes your pancakes light and fluffy!

Once your batter is made, pour out a pancake-sized amount into a hot skillet or pan that’s been lightly greased and is on a medium heat. You want your pan hot but not smoking.

Unlike regular pancakes, the tops will remain wet until flipped. Do not wait for the top to “dry” because the bottom will end up burning. Gently lift all around the edges when you’ve noticed that the sides have puffed, have a skin and the underside is nicely browned…see the brown rim around the pancake in the above image? Keep an eye out for that. When you notice it, work your spatula around all sides and towards the middle. When the pancake is completely lifted, flip it and allow to cook.

Now about the texture, these pancakes do not have the same texture as regular buttermilk pancakes that are made using wheat flour. Those pancakes have a bit of a chew to them thanks to the gluten in the wheat flour. These pancakes are a bit more…fragile with an almost cake-like texture but don’t let that scare you off in the least! They are very delicious and absorb syrup beautifully.

How do you like to enjoy your stack of pancakes? Do you like to top them with fruit and nuts? Dark chocolate chips? Or with some syrup? Let us know in the comments below!

* This recipe has been adapted from Tasha over at Ketogasm.