Pancake day has been a loved tradition in my family for years. That being said, the over-commercial junk food market has somewhat diminished the excitement and pancakes are an every day breakfast food easily available in many restaurants and hotels around the world.

The American’s have super-sized them, made them bigger, more processed, more sugar topped with heaps of cream and more sugar. In one buttermilk pancake at the International House of Pancakes (IHOP), there are 163 calories and 6 grams of fat.

With Shrove Tuesday around the corner (February 28), it might be helpful to point out that pancakes don’t have to be unhealthy. In fact, the ones I make for my family are heaps more nutritious than the ones we used to eat once a year. There are some great recipes for gluten-free pancakes out there but this is by far my favourite, as it is super simple, quick and has just a few ingredients, which I usually have at home.

The oats in this recipe are quite important as they provide the substance of the pancake; other versions I’ve made without oats have ended up looking like scrambled eggs!

Experiment with various fruits, superfoods, nut butters and protein powders while keeping the base recipe the same. Make them with your children and give them the freedom to have some fun at the same time.

If you don’t fancy making pancakes at home then head to Bouchon, where they have organic pancakes on the menu that are served with traditional maple syrup.

Blueberry Protein Pancakes

Serves 2

2 eggs
2 ripe bananas
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp vanilla powder
1/2 cup oats
1 tbsp coconut oil, to cook
1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Naomi’s TIP: Replace oats with almond flour for a paleo-friendly version! 

Directions

Add all the ingredients to a bowl, apart from the coconut oil and blueberries.

Use a stick blender or blender to combine everything until thick and creamy batter forms.

Once the batter is mixed, stir through the blueberries.

Heat a large non-stick heavy pan on a high heat and add 1 teaspoon of coconut oil to grease the pan.

When the oil has melted, use a tablespoon to add the batter carefully onto the hot pan to form the pancake shapes.

Cook for a few minutes until the pancakes start to bubble, then with a spatula carefully flip them over and cook for a further few minutes on the other side – remove from the heat and set aside.

Repeat process until all the pancake mixture has been used and you have a pile of gorgeously delicious pancakes.

Top with almond butter or maple syrup.