I am a very particular pancake eater.
In America, eating cake for breakfast is totally cool as long as it’s made in a pan or in the shape of an “O”. Young Autumn was also perfectly happy when a box of Dunkin Doughnuts (I grew up in Massachusetts, so no Tim Horton’s for me) appeared on our kitchen counter Saturday morning or I found my mom mixing up Bisquick for a huge stack of syrupy pancakes.
I was perfectly happy until I was expected to actually do things after eating such a meal.
It’s why dessert naturally comes after dinner. That’s when you’ve finished everything that needs to be done for the day and you never have to fully realize how awful you feel after eating such sugary foods. You just go to sleep and dream of happy things.
For me, the whole day after eating sweets for breakfast is spent in a sugary haze. I feel sluggish and my run sucks, which in turn makes me cranky and no fun to be around. So for the well-being of those who have to deal with me on a daily basis, I avoid sweet, sugary breakfasts. I will save my absurd sugar intake for after dinner, thank you very much.
But here’s another thing about pancakes, they don’t have to be evil. If you treat them well and see them for their true potential, they can be the perfect start to your day. They don’t have to lead to a sugar crash or a hollowness in your stomach and soul an hour after eating them. Pancakes can fuel, fill, and inspire! All you need is a few healthy ingredients, love, and pixie dust. If you don’t have the last two items, the first one should be enough.
Now when I made these pancakes, I had some serious eating to catch up on. I had run a marathon the day before and since I frustratingly felt more like puking than eating for the remainder of the day, I hadn’t been able to eat any of the things I had dreamed about. So I made these pancakes with a righteous, hungry fury and after eating about half of the stack, I felt like I would survive until lunch.
The point I’m trying to make is that these pancakes will fill you up without weighing you down. That’s where the love and pixie dust come in. Along with the peanut butter, whole wheat flour, and oats. Oh, and did I mention they are also VEGAN?! They are, I’m not lying. You can even check the ingredient list.
So enjoy, friends! Enjoy and go about your day satisfied and full of wholesome pancake energy.
Apple chia pancakes with peanut butter spread
Ingredients
For the pancakes
- 1 apple, chopped
- 3 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp flax
- 1/2 cup oats
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 1/4 cup almond milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp coconut oil
For peanut butter spread
- 1/4 cup peanut butter
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
Instructions
For the Pancakes
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Heat a skillet to a low heat and add apples, chia seeds, cinnamon, nutmeg, and maple syrup and cook until the apples are soft and the mixture is fragrant. Set mixture aside.
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Mix flax with three tablespoons of water to create a flax egg. Set aside for a few minutes while you prepare the rest of the batter.
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Mix oats, baking powder, and flour together in a mixing bowl. Whisk in the almond milk, vanilla, and flax egg until completely combined.
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Fold in apple mixture and heat skillet and 1/2 tsp of coconut oil to a low heat. Using a 1/4 measuring cup, scoop batter onto the skillet and let cook until bubbles form in the batter. Flip and continue to cook for an additional two minutes. Repeat until all batter is used up.
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Smear pancakes with peanut butter spread and top with additional chia seeds and chopped apples if you prefer.
For the Peanut Butter Spread
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Mix together the peanut butter and maple syrup in a small bowl until smooth. Spread on pancakes or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
