Healthy “Caramel” & Banana Pancakes (gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free)
HEALTHY PANCAKES ARE LEGIT
Is there anything that can leaves us feeling as content as a giant stack of pancakes?
I’ve always LOVED pancakes – ever since I was a little girl. And I love a big stack of pancakes more than almost anything.
I remember waking up on Saturday morning’s when I was little and making pancakes with my mom and my sister – we smothered them with caramel, drizzled them with syrup and topped them with banana, cinnamon and anything else that we had in the cupboards. My sister and I went crazy with toppings!
While I always loved eating these pancakes (in the moment), I always hated the way that I felt after eating them… I would always have a huge sugar crash after eating pancakes (and any other unhealthy treat) and be left with headaches, nausea, sore throats, sinus and fatigue. To put it simply, I did not feel good after eating sugary “junk food”.
As I got older and I started to experiment with creating healthy recipes in the kitchen, I realised that I could create healthy alternatives to absolutely any unhealthy food – taking the idea of that food and making a healthy, nutritious alternative.
This easy recipe is 100% refined sugar-free, dairy-free, gluten-free and grain-free. It also contains healthy fats, good protein and good whole carbs!
PANCAKES FOR DAYS
I love these healthy “caramel” and banana pancakes (my “go to” pancake recipe) because they taste amazing, are super easy to make and they are full of nutrients.
I’ve made this recipe so many times I can hardly count – I’ve made them for friends and family, for breakfast and at brunch – and they are always a hit.
♥
I hope that you love making and eating them as much I do. Be sure to smother them in some of my healthy “caramel”, it’s the perfect pancake topping! xo
TOPPINGS FOR DAYS
Serving suggestions:
-drizzle with my healthy “caramel” recipe (recipe below)
-smother with unsweetened nut butter (any nut butter is yummy)
-serve with fresh berries (blueberries, raspberries or strawberries)
-drizzle with 100% pure maple syrup or raw honey
-serve with extra banana slices (double banana pancakes – why not?)
-sprinkle with cinnamon (always good)
-serve with raw chopped nuts (pecan nuts, almonds and pistachio nuts are my favorite)
-sprinkle with desiccated coconut or coconut flakes
THE RECIPE
Ingredients (pancakes):
-1 banana (the riper the better)
-2 free-ranged eggs
-2 tablespoons unsweetened nut butter (almond and macadamia are the best)
-1/2 teaspoon ground vanilla powder/ pure vanilla extract
-1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
-tiny pinch sea salt
-cold-pressed coconut oil to fry
Ingredients (caramel):
-1 tablespoon 100% pure maple syrup (raw honey or pure agave syrup will work too)
-2 teaspoons unsweetened nut butter (almond, macadamia or cashew are best)
(serves 1 or 2 – simply double or triple the ingredients to make more)
THE METHOD
Instructions (pancakes):
-smash the banana with the back of a fork until a smooth batter forms
-whisk the eggs
-mix the smashed banana with the whisked eggs, nut butter, vanilla, cinnamon and sea salt together or place them in a blender to get the batter really smooth (this is what I do)
-blend or mix really well, getting rid of any lumps
-grease the pan with coconut oil (or another good cooking oil) and fry the pancakes 1 or 2 at a time over a medium-high heat
-when the pancake batter starts to bubble, you’ll know they are ready to be flipped (wait for a few bubbles)
-grease the pan with a little bit of coconut oil again before adding the next pancakes to the pan OR when necessary (I usually do it every time or every second time)
-build a giant pancake stack (totally option – but amazingly fun, I recommend it)
-serve fresh & hot and drizzle with my healthy “caramel” & fresh berries… or whatever you like (see my serving suggestions above for ideas)
Instructions (caramel):
-mix the nut butter and pure maple syrup together in a small bowl
-drizzle “caramel” over pancakes
-serve with fresh berries or see my other suggestions above!
-eat, share (or don’t share – they’re so yummy you might not want to) & enjoy every bite!
Made with love by Liezl Jayne xo
Photos by Liezl Jayne Strydom for liezljayne.com
