When I was a child, I absolutely loved pancakes and I thought my mom made the best pancakes in the world. Turns out it was Aunt Jemima, and so was the syrup we used. In my adolescent years I’d make them myself because I still loved them and it’s all I really knew how to make. Now as an adult, while I still love an awesome pancake breakfast, I realize that making the best pancakes in the world from scratch is really easy, and can be done in a much healthier way than buying a mix.

I’m no longer satisfied with plain-old flapjacks. So the following recipe is my preference and my kids absolutely go NUTS for these pancakes. Feel free to modify the recipe to your liking.

Here is My Banana Blueberry Flax and Coconut Healthy Pancake Recipe

Ingredients:

1 ripe banana
3/4 cup blueberries
2 tbsp flax seed (ground)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 egg (preferably free range organic)
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 heaping tsp ground cinnamon
4 tbsp shredded coconut
1 cup whole flour
1 cup whole milk

Here’s how I make them:

Start by mashing up the banana in your mixing bowl. A fork works great to accomplish this task. Then add in all other ingredients and whisk until smooth. This should only take one minute at most. Heat up a frying pan on medium heat. Use a tablespoon of coconut oil in the pan to prevent sticking. Cook your pancakes evenly on both sides and serve warm.

Some points about why I’m using this recipe:

There are lots of natural healthy ingredients in these pancakes, yet they still taste unbelievably good.

Banana and Blueberry are fantastic healthy fruits to eat and most kids love them. When seasonally available I’ll use fresh blueberries, but when they are not I just use frozen berries. Defrost them first otherwise they’ll prevent the batter from cooking close to the berry. Frozen blueberries also turn the whole batter purple, which my kids love. They call them “purple pancakes”.

Flax seed contains a good balance of Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids. I always use whole flax seeds and simply grind them up in a coffee grinder. This way I know my flax is fresh ground. This is important because flax oils will oxidize easily. This is also why we want to use medium heat rather than high heat for cooking.

Cinnamon is an amazing spice that has been connected to healthier insulin balance in the body. Considering that pancakes are carb-heavy, it’s good to have the cinnamon to help counteract the unhealthy insulin spike.

Coconut is an incredibly healthy source of saturated fats, and we love the taste. This is why we put a good amount of coconut in these pancakes.

Whole flower should be used. And this doesn’t mean you have to use wheat flour. You can try spelt, kamut, or a mixture of wheat with these alternative flours. I prefer to avoid the over-processed and genetically engineered wheat flours.

Notice that there is NO ADDED SUGAR in these pancakes? When I first started making this recipe I used honey rather than table sugar. And sometimes I still do (one tablespoon). But it’s not necessary when you have an entire banana in there. There is already natural sugar in the banana.

Always use Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) instead of Canola or plainly labeled “Vegetable Oil”. Canola and Soy oils are simply not healthy for you at all, whereas EVOO straight from the olive is much more natural and healthy. If you want to dive deeper to understand why Canola oil is unhealthy read this article.

You may also be wondering why I advise using coconut oil in the pan, but olive oil in the batter. Good question – and there is a good answer. First, coconut oil will remain solid in the batter, so you can’t use it. Second, EVOO will oxidize at a lower temperature so I avoid using it in a frying pan. I’ll add it to batter (which doesn’t get nearly as hot compared to the oil in the pan). When cooking I will almost always use coconut oil in the pan.

Send Me Your Feedback

I’m in the process of putting together a “healthy ideas” recipe book for parents. The goal is to share healthy and easy-to-make recipes for snacks, meals, desserts, etc. The intention is to reduce the use of processed foods, save money, and use more natural ingredients.

If you have ideas, please share them in the comments section below. If you have a problem you’d like to see me address in my recipe book, please comment also.

Enjoy the pancakes!

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