Easy Peasy Healthy Pancake Recipe
In general, our family’s never done a lot of baked goods or sweets (much to my dismay). Occasionally we would make gluten-free pancakes and everyone loved them!!! And who doesn’t love the excuse to soak up some maple syrup – Yum!
When we started the Full GAPS Diet it meant removing all grains and starches. Some things have been easy to give up and others not so much (I really miss the biscuits). Thankfully, we found this recipe and it’s been a huge hit with the kids!
It’s a somewhat untraditional ingredient list, but they turn out so sweet you don’t really need anything else with them! So, what’s needed? Pureed Squash, Eggs, Vanilla, Salt
Most of the prep work is getting the squash pureed, but it’s simple. We’ve only used pumpkin so far; however, butternut or acorn squash would be other good options. To puree: cut the pumpkin in half, scoop out seeds (preserve for making pumpkin seeds) bake in the oven at 350 degrees until soft, scrape out with a fork and puree! Freeze in 1 cup in batches.
The rest is easy peasy! Gather all ingredients and mix to form the pancake batter.
Important Note: The pancakes turn out way better when puree and eggs are brought to room temperature first!!!
Preheat the pan (we love our cast iron! and this one was my Grandma’s!) before you mix the ingredients to save time. If a few drops of water sizzle as they hit the pan, you’re good to go.
It took me a while to figure out the right amount of oil/butter to melt in the pan. You want just enough to coat the bottom. Originally, we started with more, but the pancakes got way too soggy. Before we cut out dairy, we used butter more often, but the coconut oil does a very nice job too and adds a little sweetness!
The squash is a little denser than a traditional batter, so they will take longer to cook. I’ve found about 2 minutes is a good time for each side. Just as a normal pancake, you’ll see little bubbles in the batter that indicate it needs to be flipped.
Once the pancakes are done, I transfer them to a paper towel to soak up any extra oil/butter. It certainly won’t hurt to eat the extra, but the greasier texture throws the kids off!
No extra toppings needed my friend! Seriously, these are very sweet on their own. But you could use raw honey or quality maple syrup if you wanted. My kids have never asked for anything with them, just that they want more…and more…and more! Thankfully I don’t feel guilty making them often!!!
Easy Peasy Healthy Pancake Recipe
Serving Size: 12-15 pancakes
Ingredients:
1 cup squash puree
3 eggs
1/2 to 1 teaspoon vanilla
Pinch of salt
Coconut oil/Butter/Ghee to coat bottom of pan
Optional (dash of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg)
Instructions:
1. Preheat pan over medium/low heat for a couple minutes.
2. Mix ingredients together in a bowl to create the pancake batter.
3. Melt oil of choice in the pan. It should lightly cover the bottom of the pan.
4. Pour 1/4 cup batter into the pan.
5. Wait almost 2 minutes before flipping.
6. Flip pancake and cook another 2 minutes.
6. Slightly cool and enjoy!
