Clean Strawberries and Cream Pancakes (gluten and sugar free)

When I first started eating cleaner one of the hardest things was Saturday morning breakfast. Our family was in the habit of making a big breakfast every Saturday that included- eggs, bacon, sausage, and of course pancakes. For years, my standby pancakes were a box mix and then tons of syrup. On extra special occasions I would make them from scratch using this recipe (I was also known to pull out the waffle iron and make Mickey waffles every so often- usually reserved for birthdays). Since my love for pancakes runs deep, making regular pancakes for my family while I ate eggs and fruit was just not an option. I've learned that eating clean isn't about depriving myself of the things I enjoy it's about finding a healthier version of the thing that I enjoy that is just as good, but isn't going to leave me feeling like I need a three hour nap after breakfast. Which let's be honest- as delicious as traditional pancakes and syrup are (I still think so!), I know I'm going to be feeling tired and groggy after eating them. So the hunt began for the perfect clean pancakes...which was much easier said than done.

I tried several pancake recipes from Krystal Nielson's TBG programs, some were decent, some were terrible. I tried a few versions I found online- I tried sweet potato pancakes, lemon pancakes, I used almond flour, coconut flour, etc. I also tried this pancake and waffle mix I found at Costco, which I had really high hopes for, considering I love that brand's granola, but the pancakes were disappointing. I then stumbled upon Dr. Hymen's blueberry and walnut pancakes and this was the first clean pancake I had tried that actually resembled a real pancake. I had hope! From here I started playing around making my own pancakes- at first I had no idea what I was doing, but after awhile I was getting somewhere good...most gluten free and sugar free pancakes are flat and don't texturally resemble a pancake- these are NOT like that...they are thick and fluffy! The texture is the same as a real pancake just slightly denser.

Why gluten free? Why sugar free?

So a big question you might be asking is why are you eating this way if you don't have to? I don't have any health issues that require a diet like this, so for me it was about eating what makes me feel good. When I first started this it was about losing a bit of the weight I had gained during quarantine, but after eating clean for a few weeks I noticed how much better I felt- how much more energy I had, not to mention my skin cleared up, and a host of other benefits. So for me it's about eating what makes me feel good. And when I eat this way I just feel GOOD. It doesn't mean I can't have a regular cookie (or five) when I want to...it just means that the more consistently I eat like this the better I know I'll be feeling. Let me know if you make them- I want to know what you think!

Ingredients:

- 1/2 cup almond milk

- 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

- 2 eggs

- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

- 1 cup all purpose gluten free flour

- 1/4 cup arrowroot powder (cornstarch can be subbed in here, but arrowroot would be the healthier option)

- 3 tablespoons monkfruit sweetener (I prefer the lakanto brand, sugar can also be used here if you don't want them to be sugar free)

- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

- pinch of salt

- coconut oil cooking spray

Directions:

1. First, we are going to sour the milk and turn it into buttermilk! And yes, you can turn almond milk into buttermilk! This really helps the pancakes get fluffy. In a medium bowl, stir the lemon juice into the almond milk and let it sit for 10 minutes.

2. Go ahead and get a pan or griddle on medium heat.

3. While you wait for the milk to sour, you can get your dry ingredients together. In a separate medium bowl, whisk flour, arrowroot powder, monkfruit sweetener, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together.

4. Once you've waiting the 10 minutes for the milk to sour, whisk 2 eggs into the milk mixture. Add the vanilla.

5. Now you can slowly add your dry ingredients into the milk and egg mixture. Whisk until combined.

6. On your medium heat griddle pan spray the coconut oil cooking spray onto your surface so the pancakes don't stick. Ladle pancake onto the griddle- I like to use a 1/4 or 1/3 measuring cup (depending on how large you want your pancakes) to pour so my pancakes are consistent in size.

7. Flip each pancake once it starts to bubble all over.

Strawberries and Cream Topping:

1. Combine Greek yogurt and honey in a small bowl.

2. Cut off stems of strawberries and cut into quarters.

Assemble:

1. Spoon yogurt honey mixture onto pancakes and top with strawberries- enjoy!!