It’s a wet and dreary morning out here in paradise…

We’ve been having a dry winter – it hadn’t really rained since December – so the clouds that made their way in on Sunday afternoon have been a nice change for us islanders.  Rain brings life to everything! 

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Tuesdays are typically my errands + schoolwork days, but since I actually did a ton of work last week, I’ve got a pretty chill day ahead of me.   

Since I’ve got a bit more time than usual, and because having a large, filling breakfast is part of my new fueling experiment to keep me fuller for longer, I decided to treat myself to some yummy pancakes this morning! 

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I recently came across Lauren’s recipe for coconut buckwheat pancakes and knew immediately that I needed to try them myself.  Of course, I can’t stick to a recipe – I used the last of my buckwheat groats making Ben a batch of Dream Bars last week and I wanted to add a bit more nutritional umph with the addition of chia seeds – so I made a few adaptations.

These came out to be incredible!  Of all the gluten-free pancakes I’ve made, these are closest to the ‘real’ thing.  I was in love with how simple they were to make, how fluffy and delicious they turned out…

And then I entered the ingredients to check the nutritional profile, and I realized I just may have found my favorite new breakfast. 

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Protein Packed Pancakes

[gluten-free]

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[ingredients]

• 1 Tbsp chia seeds
• ~3/4 c almond milk – divided
• 2 large egg whites
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

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• 3 Tbsp coconut flour
• 1 Tbsp oat flour [I ground steel cut oats in a blender until flour-like]
• dash of salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder

Heat a skillet to medium high heat. 

Mix together chia seeds, 1/3 c almond milk, vanilla + 2 egg whites and set aside to thicken. 

In the meantime, whisk all the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. 

Mix the chia seed mixture again – it should be thicker now – and stir the chia seed mixture into the dry ingredients. 

Add 1/4 to 1/2c more almond milk, thinning out the batter to your liking [I used closer to 1/2c]. 

Heat coconut oil on the skillet [opt] and pour batter onto skillet to make ~4’’ pancakes. 

Wait until bubbles rise to the surface before flipping [these are delicate, so be careful when flipping]. 

Enjoy!  Makes about 6 pancakes. 

Check out the stats!

Nutrition Facts [6 pancakes sans toppings/oil]:

Calories 232 • Fat 9g • Sodium 290mg • Carbs 24g • Fiber 14g • Sugar 1.5g • Protein 16g

16 grams of protein??!  If I would have known that before I dug in, I wouldn’t have topped it with peanut butter protein goop [I know, appetizing, right?  I need someone to name my recipes for me…].  Nowadays, though, It’s second-nature for me to top my pancakes  [or oat bakes] with protein goop. 

[goop ingredients: 1 Tbsp peanut butter + 1 scoop of protein powder + 2 Tbsp almond milk]

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Altogether, my breakfast this morning – including the goop + half a banana – was 450 calories, with 41 [!!] grams of protein. Now that I know just how much protein is in these bad boys, I’ll be slathering that Tbsp of peanut butter straight onto the pancakes.

I have a feeling I’ll be satisfied off these pancakes until at least lunch time, which is just what I need!  I’m feeling energized for my short to-do list today: a great workout – weights + a little yoga podcast – and then busting out another research paper. 

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Happy Tuesday!  Make today count! 

What’d you have for breakfast this morning? 

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Aloha Pumehana. Whether you’re here to find balance, wholesome recipes or inspiration, I hope you enjoy the posts.  Please subscribe to Green Plate Dinners to receive automatic updates and be the first to read new posts for free!