Gut-Friendly Blueberry Pancakes:
About this Recipe:
Prep Time
10 mins
Total Time
15-20 mins
Servings:
4 pancakes
Equipment: bowl, fork or whisk, frying pan
If you want to enjoy some healthy pancakes at breakfast time you should try these gut-friendly blueberry pancakes.
These pancakes are richer in fibre than most pancakes, have no added sugar, are low in lactose and are full of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. And, if you use heirloom flour like I do they will likely be lower in gluten too.
Let us delve into the ingredients a little more and find out what makes these blueberry pancakes gut-friendly.
What Makes These Blueberry Pancakes Gut Friendly?
Wholegrain flour
Most pancakes use refined flour which loses them big points on the healthy meter. Instead, these blueberry pancakes use wholewheat flour which increases the fibre significantly. Fibre aids digestion making them much more gut-friendly.
Whole grains also help by making you feel fuller for longer and are better for managing blood glucose levels as they tend to have a lower glycaemic index (GI).
Heirloom grains
I like to use heirloom wheat as these ancient grains have remained mostly unchanged for thousands of years. This means they tend to be less processed and contain more vitamins, minerals, and fibre than modern grains. Many are also low in gluten or naturally gluten-free so are more suitable for people with gluten or wheat sensitivities. In this recipe, I used organic Khorasan flour, an ancient variety of durum wheat from Northern Iran.
Nutrient-rich blueberries
These little purple berries are absolute powerhouses when it comes to nutrition. They hit the spotlight when they got ranked in the ‘superfoods’ category due to their nutritional benefits, and have thankfully become readily available and more affordable.
Blueberries are highly nutritious and are most commonly known for their rich antioxidant properties. Antioxidants fight free radicals, unstable molecules that can damage your cells and contribute to ageing and diseases, such as cancer. Blueberries are believed to have one of the highest antioxidant levels in fruits and vegetables.
Blueberries are rich in other nutrients particularly vitamin C, vitamin K and manganese.
These tiny fruits are linked to improved heart health, brain function, memory improvement and much more.
Use milk kefir or yogurt instead of regular milk
Milk kefir and yogurt are naturally low in lactose because the milk sugar is eaten by probiotic bacteria. You will lose the benefit of the live probiotics as the cooking process will destroy them but you will still benefit from eating a fermented product as the fermentation process helps make the nutrients more bioavailable.
Sweeten naturally
Everyone likes a little sweetness in their pancakes, right? These blueberry pancakes use bananas as a natural sweetener. Use ripe bananas as the riper they are, the sweeter they will be. In fact, pancakes are a great way to use up overripe bananas.
If you prefer a little extra sweetness you can add some maple syrup, just don’t overdo it.
Gut-Friendly Blueberry Pancake Recipe:
Low in lactose
High fibre
No added sugar
Recipe Ingredients:
1 Banana
1 Egg
200ml (nearly a cup) milk kefir or yogurt
90g (1/2 cup) wholewheat flour
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp salt
75g (½ cup) blueberries
A little butter for frying
Maple syrup (optional)
Method:
Step 1:
Mash the banana and whisk with egg and kefir or yogurt
Step 2:
Add the flour, salt and cinnamon and whisk well to combine. You are aiming for a thick consistency
Step 3:
Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat and brush with a little melted butter
Step 4:
Add a third of a cup of batter for each pancake and spread into a circle (see recipe tip 1)
Step 5:
When the edges look dry, and bubbles start to appear on the top flip the pancakes (about 2 mins). Cook for a further 1-2 mins and transfer to a warm plate
Step 6:
Cook the remaining pancakes
Step 7:
Serve, if preferred with a little maple syrup
Recipe Tips:
1. I use crumpet rings to get perfectly round pancakes.
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