Tips for Fluffy Pancakes

I've been getting a lot of questions about how I get my pancakes so thick and fluffy :) So here are some ingredients and tips to make your own!

Ingredients:

Baking Powder

Psyllium husk

Coconut flour 

Cauliflower 

You can order psyllium husk and coconut flour from Vitacost. It's an online health/grocery store where I order the majority of my ingredients from. Use this link for a discount off your first order:

Baking powder is a mix of baking soda and an acid. It is a leavening agent, which means its added to recipes in order to produce carbon dioxide to give rise to the finished product. Make sure your baking powder is fresh- old baking powder will make your product flat. No one wants flat pancakes! 

Psyllium husk helps to bind your pancakes and gives them extra texture and fluff! I use about 1/2 tablespoon to 1 tablespoon in my recipes. It's also a great source of fiber.

Coconut flour makes light, fluffy pancakes. It absorbs more liquid than other flours, so you'll need to add extra water, milk, etc. when cooking with this. It can be used alone or mixed with another type of flour to make delicious pancakes, breads, cakes, bars- anything!

Cauliflower in pancakes?! Yes, and I swear you don't taste it! Cauliflower makes your pancakes dense and cake-like. To incorporate cauliflower for that cake-like look and texture, simply process raw cauliflower in a food processor or blender, then place in a bowl and microwave for 40 seconds (I usually use about 1/3-1/2 cup for my recipes). Blend it with your other pancake ingredients until smooth.

Pancake Techniques:

While preparing your pancake ingredients, make sure you pre-heat your pan. I usually preheat my non-stick pan over medium high heat and spray with no n-stick spray (you can also use coconut oil or other oil). Make sure it's hot before you add your batter. Do not use high heat. Keep it on medium and be patient :)

DO NOT over mix. This will lead to flat, sad looking pancakes. 

Make sure your batter is thick. Thick batter= thick pancakes.

Hope this helps! More questions? Ask away!

Almond Joy Protein Pancakes

When I was little, my sisters and I would trade candy on Halloween. I always traded in my Almond Joy candy bars- I was more of a Butterfingers or Reese's girl (love my peanut butter!!). I never liked the taste of coconut flakes, and the bar always seemed sticky and chewy. However, I now LOVE coconut flakes once I started using them in my pancakes, overnight oats, bars, muffins, etc. And these pancakes? I'd choose them over an Almond Joy bar any day, or any candy bar for that matter ;) So freaking fluffy and delicious. Make these!!

Almond Joy Protein Pancakes

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons almond flour
1 tablespoon coconut flour
2 tablespoons Rocky Road whey protein (or chocolate)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon reduced-fat, unsweetened coconut flakes
1/2 banana
3 tablespoons egg whites
1 tablespoon almond milk
8 drops liquid stevia (or powdered stevia to taste)

Filling:

2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
1/2 tablespoon Walden Farms Sugar-free Chocolate Syrup (optional)
Stevia to taste

Directions:

1. Blend all ingredients together in a food processor/blender. Batter will be thick.
2. Heat a non-stick pan coated with cooking spray over medium high heat. Add your batter. At this point, I like to place a cover on and reduce the heat to medium. Cook the pancakes until they start to set and form bubbles. Flip and cook the other side for about 2-3 more minutes.
3. Make your filling. Layer the filling between your pancakes.
4. Devour

Fluffy Peanut Butter Protein Pancakes

I know I've posted an abundance of protein pancake recipes with peanut butter, but:

1. I have an obsession with peanut butter
2. These came out with such an amazing fluffy texture that it would be mean not to share
3. This recipe does not HAVE to be peanut butter flavored. You can customize it by using different flavored proteins and different toppings

Getting right to the recipe because its crunch time during my last two weeks of the clinical rotation and I need to be working on my projects!

Fluffy Peanut Butter Protein Pancakes

Ingredient:

1/4 cup egg beaters or egg whites
2 tablespoons cottage cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons Cellucor Peanut Butter Marshmellow (or other flavored whey protein powder)
1 tablespoon coconut flour
1 teaspoon sugar-free vanilla pudding mix
1 packet Truvia
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Directions:

1. Blend together the egg beaters, cottage cheese and vanilla (I used my Ninja).
2. Add remaining ingredients.
3. Cook your pancakes.
4. DEVOUR

 

Love this quote- it's so true. Once you practice something for a while, it becomes easier. Nothing comes without a little hard work!! Have a healthy day :)

Peanut Butter Pumpkin Protein Pancakes Versions II and III

I have a serious problem. I CAN NOT stop making protein pancakes!! I know there are worse things I could be addicted to. Especially when my pancakes are super clean and healthy. My issue lies in the fact that I can't stop experimenting with the same idea over and over - and making them totally different every time!! How am I supposed to stick to a recipe if I just keep experimenting and never going back to the original?? This is my perfectionism FULL FORCE. I always think I'm going to make something better. However, this philosophy has really hindered me from posting some really wonderful recipes that I've made the past week and a half. So, I've decided to stop thinking so much and just put them out there. You guys can try them and let me know what you think. Then, I can work on "perfecting" them (if there's any perfecting to do) based on your feedback :) Here we go:

The two recipes I'll post today are different versions of my Peanut Butter Pumpkin Protein Pancakes. I'll post my other new pancake experiments separately in order to prevent recipe overload. They all deserve their own chance to be in the spotlight anyway :)

Peanut Butter, Pumpkin, and Oatbran Protein Pancakes

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Cellucor Peanut Butter Marshmallow 
1/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup egg beaters
2 teaspoons oat bran (or ground oats)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla
Cinnamon and Truvia to taste

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients in a blender (I used my Ninja).
2. Cook your pancakes!

Note: The stack was bigger but I ate one :) Oopsie.

Peanut Butter, Pumpkin, and Psyllium Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 scoop Cellucor Peanut Butter Marshmallow
1/4 cup egg whites
1/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 tablespoon psyllium
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
Cinnamon and Truvia to taste

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients in a blender (I used my Ninja).
2. Cook your pancakes!

Nutrition Info: 198 calories, 2 g Fat, 12 g CHO (6 g Fiber), 33 g Protein 

 Psyllium husks just make EVERY pancake better. They swell up and make your pancakes FLUFF like WHOA. They are a pantry STAPLE. The one I use is from Swanson, but Trader Joe's carries their own brand as well. BUY IT.

Whew. I feel better. I really wanted to share these, and I'm not totally sure why because they are so similar. At least you have options if you don't the ingredients for one, you can make the other? More experiments to be posted soon :).

 

Better-Than-Confetti-Cake Pancakes

Seriously- this was the BEST protein pancake EVER!! No Joke, I had CAKE for breakfast. You know Pillsbury's Confetti Cake? Yea- this was better (Quadruple bonus for being WAY healthier!). Before I get into this- I have to thank Lauren for the inspiration. These pancakes were moist, fluffy, thick, beautiful, birthday-party-in-your-mouth-amazingness. I think the secret here was the sugar-free pudding powder. I'm going to experiment more with different flavors, powders, and measures just for fun....But honestly, I don't think I need to mess with this. If you haven't tried a protein pancake yet, THIS is the one to try.

Better -Than- Confetti- Cake Pancakes

     4 tablespoons egg whites
     1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla coconut almond milk (or whichever milk you like)
     1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder
     2 tablespoons coconut flour
     1 1/2 tablespoons sugar free vanilla pudding mix
     1Truvia Packet
     1 teaspoon vanilla extract
     1/4 teaspoon baking powder
   
Topping:

     2 tablespoons plain Greek Yogurt
     1/2- 1 tablespoon vanilla protein powder
     Truvia to taste 

1. Add egg whites, milk and vanilla extract in small bowl and whisk.
2. Combine dry ingredients in a separate small bowl.
3. Add the wet ingredients to dry and mix well.
4. Heat a non-stick pan to med-high heat and cook pancakes about 3 min on each side.
5. Combine your topping ingredients and spread on top of your pancakes.
6. Brace yourself for AMAZINGNESS.