Pancake Day Inspiration
- Amanda Nyeke, Nutritionist, Fons Vitae Nutrition
- Feb 27, 2017
- 8 min read
It's almost pancake day! I thought I would hunt for a range of nutritious, delicious and easy pancake recipes to help you mix things up and maximise on the day whilst keeping things as healthy as possible. Remember, these recipes are to inspire you, so you can adapt them to your liking, even substituting some of the ingredients to make them even healthier and exciting according to you preferences. Enjoy!
To see some of our previous recipes, click here
SWEET PANCAKES
Lemon-Ricotta Pancakes
Makes: Appoximatey 8 pancakes; 4 servings
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs, separated
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
1/3 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
Salad oil
Method
In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk buttermilk, egg yolks, and lemon peel to blend. Stir buttermilk mixture into flour mixture just until evenly moistened. Gently stir in ricotta cheese.
In a bowl, with a mixer on high speed, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. With a flexible spatula, gently fold the whites into the batter just until they are incorporated.
Place a non-stick griddle or a 12-inch non-stick frying pan over medium heat (350°); when hot, coat lightly with oil and adjust heat to maintain temperature. Drop batter in 1/2-cup portions onto the griddle and cook until pancakes are browned on the bottom and edges begin to look dry, about 2 minutes; turn cakes with a wide spatula and brown other sides, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes longer. Coat pan with more oil as necessary to cook remaining pancakes.
Serve pancakes as cooked, or keep warm in a single layer on baking sheets in a 200° oven for up to 15 minutes.
Served with fresh strawberries and bananas, with a sprinkling of grated lemon peel. Offer warm maple syrup to drizzle over the fruit and pancakes.
From: My Recipes
Easy and healthy Banana Oat Pancakes
Prep time - 5 mins Cook time - 15 mins
Easy, flourless and sugar free banana oat pancakes are a healthy, filling breakfast served with fresh fruit and can be made in minutes.
Serves: 2
Ingredients
2 bananas
2 eggs
½ cup rolled oats
½ teaspoon baking pwoder
pinch of salt
maple syrup, to serve (optional)
fresh fruit of your choice, to serve
Method
In a blender, combine the peeled banana, eggs, oats, baking powder and salt.
Allow to blend until the mixture is as smooth as you want it and blended well. Allow the batter to stand for 10-20 minutes until thickened slightly.
Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat.
Fry spoonfuls of the batter until golden brown on both sides.
Serve with a drizzle of maple syrup and fresh fruit of your choice.
From: Simply Delicious Food
Oatmeal-Almond Protein Pancakes
Depending on the type of protein powder you pick, you might need to reduce the amount of liquid in this protein pancake recipe. Whey-protein pancakes need less liquid than those made with soy, hemp or pea protein. Serve with yogurt and a DIY fruit sauce (warmed frozen berries with a pinch of sugar).
Serves: 4
Ingredients
½ cup unflavoured protein powder
½ cup almond meal
½ cup oat flour (see Tip)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
¾ cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Method
Preparation and cooking time: 45 mins
Combine protein powder, almond meal, oat flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a blender; pulse until fully mixed. Add eggs, buttermilk (reduce to ½ cup if using whey protein), oil and vanilla; pulse, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed, until combined. Let stand for 15 minutes.
Coat a large nonstick skillet or griddle with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat.
Make about 3 pancakes at a time, using ¼ cup batter per pancake; reduce the heat to medium. Cook until the edges are dry, 1 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook until golden brown on the other side, 1 to 3 minutes more. Repeat with the remaining batter, using more cooking spray and reducing the heat as needed. Serve warm.
Oat flour is made from finely milled whole oats. It's a good source of dietary fiber and whole grains. Try it in place of a portion of other flour in recipes like pancakes, quick breads and muffins. Look for it with other whole-grain flours or near gluten-free flours. Or make your own, grind old-fashioned rolled oats in a blender or food processor until they are the texture of flour.
From: EatingWell Magazine
Delicious Healthy Pancakes
Before you start, whip up Jamie’s awesome granola dust from his latest book, Everyday Super Food. It’s an incredible concoction of nuts, seeds, oats and fruit galore, and brilliant to make in a big batch – you can add it to these pancakes, serve it simply with yoghurt and fresh fruit, whiz it into smoothies or add it to porridge for a nutritious kick-start to your day. It’ll keep for at least a couple of weeks in an airtight container and the kids will love it too. Used in these healthy pancakes, it adds a nutty twist to the naturally sweet and fluffy batter – a great way to get more of the good stuff into your diet.
Ingredients
1 banana
1 large free-range egg
1 heaped tablespoon of wholemeal self-raising flour
2 heaped tablespoons of granola dust
Drizzle of olive oil
Nut butter to serve
Fresh fruit to serve
Method
Peel 1 banana, then mash it in a bowl with a fork. Crack in 1 large free-range egg and beat well.
Mix in 1 heaped tablespoon of wholemeal self-raising flour and 2 heaped tablespoons of granola dust until you get a smooth batter.
Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat, and add a drizzle of olive oil.
Swirl the oil around the pan, then add heaped tablespoons of the batter to the pan, spacing them out evenly.
Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until golden underneath.
Flip the pancakes over, and fry for a further minute or so until cooked through.
Serve with your favourite nut butter and fresh fruit, if you like.
From: Jamie Oliver
SAVOURY PANCAKES
Shredded Root Vegetable Pancakes
Red beets and golden carrots look especially festive in these zesty horseradish-and-bacon-flecked cakes. Avoid parsnips, which need to be cored, in this recipe, as trying to shred the smaller cored pieces might result in nicked knuckles. Try the pancakes with seared steaks or make them bite-size for a beautiful appetizer.
Serves: 6
Ingredients
1 large egg, lightly beaten
¼ cup whole-wheat flour
3 tablespoons chopped scallions
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill, or 1 teaspoon dried
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 cups assorted root vegetables, peeled (about 1½ pounds; see Tip) and shredded
2 slices cooked bacon, crumbled (optional)
6 teaspoons canola oil, divided
Reduced-fat sour cream, for garnish
Method
Prep time - 30 m Ready In - 45 m
Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
Whisk egg, flour, scallions, dill, horseradish, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Stir in vegetables and bacon (if using).
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook 4 pancakes per batch: place about ¼ cup vegetable mixture in a little of the oil and press with the back of a spatula to flatten into a 2- to 3-inch pancake. Cook until crispy and golden, 1½ to 3 minutes per side.
Transfer the pancakes to the prepared baking sheet. Continue with 2 more batches, using the remaining 4 teaspoons oil and vegetable mixture.
Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Serve garnished with sour cream, if desired.
Tip: Beets, carrots and parsnips are easily peeled with a vegetable peeler, but for tougher-skinned roots like celeriac, rutabaga and turnips, removing the peel with a knife can be easier. Cut off one end of the root to create a flat surface to keep it steady on the cutting board. Follow the contour of the vegetable with your knife. If you use a vegetable peeler on the tougher roots, peel around each vegetable at least three times to ensure all the fibrous skin has been removed.
Easy cleanup: Recipes that require cooking spray can leave behind a sticky residue that can be hard to clean. To save time and keep your baking sheet looking fresh, line it with a layer of foil before you apply the cooking spray.
Nutrition information
Serving size: 2 pancakes
Per serving: 106 calories; 6 g fat (1 g sat); 3 g fibre; 12 g carbohydrates; 3 g protein; 5 g sugars; 0 g added sugars;
Leftover squash pancakes
Makes: 12 pancakes
Cooks In: 15 minutes
Difficulty: Not too tricky
Ingredients
250 g leftover roasted squash
1 fresh red chilli
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
30 g Parmesan cheese , plus extra to serve
1 large free-range egg
280 ml semi-skimmed milk
150 g self-raising flour
1 whole nutmeg , for grating
olive oil
rocket
Method
Remove the skin from the roasted squash, then deseed and finely chop the chilli. Pick and finely chop the rosemary leaves, discarding the stalks, and finely grate the Parmesan.
In a large bowl, mash the squash with a fork, then whisk in the egg, milk and flour. Add the chilli, rosemary, Parmesan and a grating of nutmeg.
Heat a little oil in a frying pan and, once hot, add half a ladle of mixture per pancake into the pan. Cook for 1 to 2 mins on each side, until golden and crisp.
Keep warm in a low oven until ready, then serve with and extra grating of Parmesan and some rocket.
From: Jamie Oliver
Red Onion & Goat Cheese Pancake
The technique for this pancake is similar to that for a Dutch baby or German pancake, but the savory onion and goat cheese combination is a surprise for those who think of pancakes as breakfast food only. Serve with a mixed green salad for a light supper or as a side dish with grilled or roasted meat.
Serves: 1
Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 large red onions, sliced (see Kitchen Tip)
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup low-fat milk
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
¼ cup crumbled goat cheese
1 cup balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons honey
Preparation
Active - 30 mins Ready In- 40 mins
Heat olive oil in a large cast-iron or ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are tender and light golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
Stir in water and thyme, scraping up any browned bits.
Meanwhile, position rack in middle of oven; preheat to 450°F.
Blend flour, milk, eggs, egg whites, canola oil, sugar, salt and pepper in a blender until smooth. Pour the batter over the onions. Sprinkle with cheese.
Bake the pancake until puffed and golden, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine vinegar and honey in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until syrupy and reduced to ⅓ cup, 12 to 15 minutes. (Watch carefully during the last few minutes to prevent burning.) Cut the pancake into wedges and serve immediately with the balsamic syrup.
Kitchen Tip: Onions contain a volatile compound called lachrymator that reacts with the fluid in your eyes and makes them water. To chop them without crying, try wearing goggles, burning a candle nearby or cutting them under cold water. To mellow the bite of a raw onion, soak it for an hour in 1 cup cold water, ¼ cup vinegar and ½ teaspoon salt and then rinse thoroughly.
Nutrition information
Serving size: 1 slice ( ¼ of pancake for main-dish serving)
Per serving: 308 calories; 12 g fat(3 g sat); 2 g fiber; 38 g carbohydrates; 10 g protein; 20 g sugars; 6 g added sugars
From: Eating Well
