The Best Healthy Pancakes Ever! (Gluten Free & Dairy-Free option)

Some of my most cherished childhood memories revolve around the kitchen table. As a family we always had a tradition to sit down together for our meals; we'd laugh, argue, share stories, and indulge in my mom's home cooked delights. Breakfast, in particular was and still is my most favourite mealtime.

Back then, I sprung from bed looking forward to eating a big bowl full of cereal or err-sugar and reading the back of the box. And now I spring from bed to MAKE breakfast for my very ravenous toddler.  But NO amount of a high pitched repetitive and endless "Mommyyyy..... breakfast timeeee!" will take away the joy of waking up to a new day to  prepare and enjoy breakfast!

Elaborate breakfasts particularly come to fruition on the weekends when Daddy is also around to help... which means Mommy can make pancakes from scratch! It's a weekly tradition I hope one day my son can look back to, when perhaps his own kids are yelling for breakfast! Oh! How fun it would be to watch life come back full circle!


My pancake making has gone through an evolutionary process; from packaged boxed mixes, to white flour to whole wheat to finally gluten-free almond and oat flour pancakes. I even tried 3 ingredient banana 'pancakes'. NEVER AGAIN! I wouldn't even call them pancakes.

This pancake recipe is inspired by Gemma Stafford from Bigger Bolder Baking; one of my favourite baking channels to binge-watch on YouTube. You can find the original recipe here. I replaced the white flour with gluten-free oats and used a smaller amount of coconut sugar in place of sugar. These pancakes really don't need any sweetness of their own; the maple syrup on top takes care of that part beautifully!

Now, this recipe is indeed much healthier than say the boxed stuff or even the wheat-versioned ones BUT they are still heavy on the carbohydrates and so you MUST add some healthy fats to keep your blood sugar levels from spiking (and later crashing) otherwise you'd be hungry 2 hours later and yawning the entire day! And guys yawning is not a good look for anyone, except babies or baby animals! <3

Oats are higher in fiber and have something called beta glucans which improve blood sugar regulation. Oats are also high in manganese and molybdenum. Choose rolled oats since they are less processed and have a lower glycemic index than 'instant' oats.

One ingredient that I love to add to carb rich meals is cinnamon. The components of cinnamon have a mediating effect on blood glucose levels and increases insulin sensitivity which means our cells become much happier to welcome all that glucose inside the cell.  You can choose ceylon cinnamon which is gentler on the liver but one source suggests ceylon cinnamon doesn't have the same blood sugar lowering capabilities (although has some amazing anti-oxidant effects). So I like to switch it up! Avoid if you are allergic or prone to oxalate based kidney stones.

Adding nuts (particularly pecans for their blood sugar lowering qualities) and seeds to add some omega 3's and fiber both of which keep the blood sugar levels in check.

If you're trying to lose some serious weight, combatting diabetes or any other condition where you must keep blood sugar levels low or have to avoid grains altogether..then perhaps you can bookmark this recipe and come back to it once your goals are met (stay tuned for my coconut and almond flour pancake recipe for all you folks)
In any other case, I don't see why pancakes need to be shunned from your life completly.

Without further ado...here's the recipe...



Ingredients:
2 cups oat flour (grind gluten free oats in a blender)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda (aluminum free)
1 tsp coconut sugar (optional)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp unrefined sea salt
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg (optional)
2 free-range/ pasture-raised eggs
2 cups buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
  1. Make buttermilk by adding 2 tbls of lemon juice to 2 cups of full-fat organic or grass-fed milk. Replace with almond or coconut milk if you're dairy intolerant. Set aside.
  2. Grind 2 cups of rolled gluten free oats in a blender.
  3. Add all the dry ingredients to the oat flour.
  4. In a separate jug mix the buttermilk, eggs and vanilla.
  5. Combine the wet ingredients to the dry. 
  6. Now let the mixture sit in the fridge for atleast 10 minutes. You can also make the batter ahead of time and store in the fridge overnight. The batter will thicken overtime so adjust the liquid accordingly.
  7. Heat a safe (avoid teflon coated pans) non-stick pan on medium heat with a little bit of butter or coconut oil. Ladle 3 large tablespoons or 1/4 cup of batter in the center and then level the pan.
  8. Flip over once you notice bubbles on top and the edges turning slightly golden brown.
  9. Let the otherside cook for a couple minutes. Serve warm with a drizzle of 100% pure maple syrup!
Toppings:
It is highly important to pair these pancakes with healthy fats to lower the blood sugar response in the body. My top picks are as follows:
  • A hunk of grass-fed or organic butter or coconut cream
  • A dallop of fresh organic or grass fed cream or coconut cream if dairy-free
  • A teaspoon of freshly ground flaxseeds
  • A handful of walnuts or peacans
  • A sprinkle of raw cacao powder for added anti-oxidants and a chocolate-y hint
  • Low glycemic fruits like strawberries or blueberries

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  2. My Children eat a lot of pancakes, so I prefer to make them in a healthy way. I have tried several healthy pancake recipes with fruits and vegetables. Now I want to try something new and want to give a better taste to my children. The recipe you shared of gluten-free and dairy-free pancakes is amazing. I made this one for my children and they loved it. Thank you so much for sharing such a healthy pancake recipe with us.

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