Cinnamon Apple Pancakes

– Vegan – gluten free – grain free –

For this recipe I made my favorite almond flour pancakes and turned them into a fall-inspired breakfast by infusing them with sweet cinnamon apples. Don’t worry — there’s enough apple mixture to top off your pancakes as well!

For the pancakes, you will need:

• Almond flour: a healthy, gluten-free and grain-free alternative to grain-based flours. It is void of refined carbs and lower calories. Therefore, it is also a great alternative for those trying to lose weight.
• Potato starch: devoid of many vitamins and minerals, potato starch is a good alternative to corn starch and is primarily used as a thickener in recipes. Potato starch functions like soluble fiber, meaning it slows digestion and feeds the gut bacteria in the colon, promoting a healthier gut biome.
• Bananas: I recommend buying baby bananas if they are available at your grocery store as they are in their natural state. Standard bananas are actually a hybrid that contain more starches. However, standard bananas are still a great option since one medium banana contains 16% of your daily potassium intake, 33% of your vitamin B6, 18% of your manganese, 14% of your daily vitamin C and 3 grams of fiber. It is a good rule of thumb to use 2 baby bananas in place of 1 standard banana. It is also important that the banana is ripe not only for taste, but for quality. The more a banana ripens, the more resistant starches change to simple sugars that are easily digested and more antioxidants are present.
• Agave nectar: a low-glycemic natural sweetener. While honey, maple syrup and table sugar have a glycemic index of 50 or higher, agave is closer to 20. Although high glycemic foods aren’t necessarily bad for you (pineapple has a GI of 70), they will cause a larger insulin spike, leading to temporarily higher blood glucose levels. People with high blood sugar may want to limit high glycemic foods. Agave should still be used sparingly, since it is high in natural sugar (fructose).
• Almond milk, unsweetened: a great dairy-free alternative to cow’s milk since it has less calories and less sugar. Additionally, one 8 oz. glass of almond milk has half your daily calcium intake and a quarter of your vitamin D. Be sure to buy unsweetened almond milk to prevent added sugars.
• Sea salt: a natural alternative to table salt, which is more heavily processed and contains additives.
• Baking powder
• Coconut oil: for this recipe, coconut oil is used to grease the pan. I like to use coconut oil because it has a high smoke point, but you can also use other oils like avocado or extra virgin olive oil. Coconut oil is a good alternative to vegetable/soy oil as it is loaded with healthy fats that form a unique combination of fatty acids that help improve brain function. The fatty acids in coconut oil will help to increase HDL cholesterol levels and lower LDL cholesterol levels when compared to other oils. Beneficial for hair, skin and nails.
• Cinnamon: has great anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidants. Adding spices to your meals is a simple way to prevent the risk of heart disease and lower blood sugar levels.

For the cinnamon apple mixture, you will need:

• Apples: though lacking in many vitamins and minerals, apples are amazing for cleansing the colon. As apples move through your gut, the pectin from the apples will “pick up” bacteria, viruses, yeast, mold and other debris that has built up and will move it out of the body. In other words, apples can help prevent acne, inflammation, weight gain and many other signs of underlying disease.
• Pure maple syrup: although high in sugar, is loaded with 24 antioxidants that help protect against free radical damage. It also contains anti-inflammatory properties that help to protect against chronic diseases, brain inflammation, intestinal inflammation, and nerve inflammation. Therefore, pure maple syrup is a great natural sweetener when used in moderation. Fake maple syrup is made with high fructose corn syrup and provides zero health benefits.
• Almond milk
• Cinnamon & nutmeg

You will also need:

A frying pan or skillet

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