Healthy superfood pancakes - a delicious, indulgent breakfast that is packed full of healthy, nutritious ingredients and will keep you full for longer.
I have porridge for breakfast most weekdays (I am half Scottish after all, though I don't go as far as making it the way my dad insists is traditional, with just oats, water and salt). But at the weekends I like to have a bit more of an indulgent breakfast. I love pancakes and waffles with all the toppings, but they don't lend themselves particularly well to a healthy eating plan.
I am a big believer in balance, so I think that an indulgent breakfast every now and again is perfectly alright, as well as regular slices of cake; but I wanted to come up with something that fit both bills - decadent but good for you.
These superfood pancakes are exactly that - they allow you to have a gratifying, delicious breakfast that is packed full of nourishing, healthy ingredients. The pancakes themselves are made with a mixture of white spelt flour and ground oats, both of which are much better for you than the usual plain white flour, and will keep you full for longer.
They are sweetened with ripe banana (the riper the better), a bit of manuka honey and a scattering of blueberries, all of which are so incredibly good for you. The pancakes are a little more dense than regular ones due to the oats, but are still fluffy and delicious, and are much more filling so you don't need to eat as many of them to feel satisfied.
My favourite bit of any pancakes is the selection of toppings, and these are no exception. I topped mine with a selection of superfoods including goji berries, toasted flaked almonds, skyr yogurt (a thick Icelandic yogurt that is high in protein and low fat), seeds, extra blueberries and sliced banana, a drizzle of manuka honey and a dusting of cacao and matcha powder.
Feel free to use whatever you like (or have in the cupboard) for yours however. I like to just provide a selection so everyone can pick and choose what they want on theirs.
I originally made these superfood pancakes for DIYs, check them out for some awesome craft and recipe ideas.
Healthy Superfood Pancakes
Ingredients
Pancakes:
- 60 g (⅔ cup) porridge oats
- 1 large ripe banana chopped
- 1 large egg
- 150 ml (½ + ⅛ cup) milk of your choice (regular cows milk or oat/almond/rice/soy milk)
- 2 tbsp manuka honey
- 120 g (1 cup) white spelt flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 150 g (1 cup) fresh blueberries
- coconut oil for frying
Suggested Toppings:
- goji berries
- pumpkin seeds
- manuka honey
- skyr or coconut yoghurt
- blueberries
- banana slices
- sunflower seeds
- chia seeds
- toasted flaked almonds
- cacao powder
- matcha powder
Instructions
- Place the oats in a blender and blend until finely ground. Add the banana, egg, milk and honey and blend until smooth.
- Add the flour and baking powder to the blender and blend again until smooth, it should form a thickish batter, if it is too thick you can add a splash of milk to thin it a little.
- Place a frying pan over a low heat and lightly grease with coconut oil. Use a ¼ cup measure or a small ladle to pour some of the batter into the pan; scatter a few blueberries over the top and cook until the surface is bubbly and no longer looks wet.
- Flip the pancake over and cook for a couple of minutes on the other side until golden; transfer to a plate and keep warm while you cook the rest of the pancakes (you can cook a few at a time).
- Serve straightaway with your selection of superfood toppings.
Claire @foodiequine
My kids LOVE pancakes at the weekend. I'm going to try and sneak in a few of your substitutions to our family recipe and see if I can make them a wee bit healthier. Going to check out skyr first hand on holiday in Iceland next month.
hannahhossack
Ooooh exciting! I've been to Iceland once when I was about 15, it was beautiful and I'd love to go back as an adult!
Angela - Patisserie Makes Perfect
Hannah these pancakes look amazing. I would love these! I never make pancakes as even on the weekends our breakfasts are frantic.
I need to slow down and try these!
hannahhossack
I don't make pancakes nearly as often as I would like, mostly because I am lazy and don't like cooking anything more strenuous than porridge in the mornings...
Michelle @ Greedy Gourmet
This is not only healthy but I'm kinda drooling with this amazing looking Pancake. I want it RIGHT NOW.
hannahhossack
Thanks Michelle 🙂
Kate @ Veggie Desserts
Ooooh, these are the most lovely looking pancakes! I could just tuck right in, and feel virtuous doing so!
hannahhossack
Thanks Kate 🙂 I ate a double portion and still felt pretty virtuous 😛
Mary
These look SO amazing! love the superfood toppings!
hannahhossack
Thanks Mary! Can't have pancakes without toppings! 🙂
Zoe Pickburn
I love pancakes and these look amazing 🙂 I've never cooked with spelt flour.
hannahhossack
Thanks Zoe! Spelt flour is lovely, the white one can be used in place of plain white flour in most recipes 🙂