When you’re trying to reduce your flour intake and eat better for your gut, it’s common to start thinking all flour recipes are a no-go. This includes pancakes, and we all love pancakes every now and then, right? Well what if you could have pancakes on a regular basis?
It’s time to make a switch to coconut flour. This is much better for you and you can enjoy pancakes without damaging your health or affecting your waistline.
And there are just so many recipe ideas when it comes to coconut flour. Here are five recipes that you need to try right now to kick start your recipes repertoire at home.
Wait, Why Coconut Flour?
Why opt for coconut flour for your pancakes? Well, there are many health benefits, including being gluten free!
It’s also perfect for those on the Paleo diet. And of course, the flour is vegan-friendly. Being paleo and gluten friendly is great news for those who have digestive problems, such as leaky gut or celiac disease. You may feel like you have lost out on so much because of your dietary requirements. The benefit with coconut flour is that it’s not actually flour. It’s ground coconut that has the look of flour for use in recipes.
Coconut flour is also much higher in protein and fibre than normal flour. These two food groups break down in the body slower than others, so you feel fuller for longer. You end up eating less, so you don’t consume as many calories throughout the day. You’ll not feel as hungry, so you don’t feel like you’re missing out on anything by consuming fewer calories! That’s great news if you’re on a diet, right?
The protein will also help with the building of muscle and tissue. When you’re losing weight, your body will get calories from the easiest source, which is usually your muscle. If you’re building muscle while losing weight, it makes it harder for the body, so the body takes the calories from the fat instead. You tone up and lose weight, changing your body shape while dropping dress sizes.
Coconut flour also has higher levels of healthy fats compared to normal all-purpose flour. Yes, the body needs fat but the right types. These healthy fats will help to support the metabolism, so you burn more calories daily.
You’ll also find that the sugar levels are better balanced. Remember that coconut flour is just ground coconut, which has natural sugars but also great levels of fibre. If you’re diabetic, this is the type of flour that you want to add to your recipes. You won’t see spikes in the sugar levels.
While coconut flour is paleo and gluten friendly, not all ingredients are. The same applies to diabetic and vegan-friendly. It’s important to look at all the recipes and determine if you need to make some substitutions. I’ve selected recipes that will suit various diets, including a recipe specifically for those following a vegan lifestyle.
So, let’s dive into five delicious must try coconut flour pancake recipes.
#1. Vegan Coconut Flour Pancakes
Let’s start with a fully vegan-friendly recipe for your pancake needs. I know as a vegan you must be fed up of trying to work out the substitutes or decide on the best options for your recipe needs! After all, do you choose soy or almond milk? And which is the best butter substitute?
Try this recipe instead.
Ingredients
- 2tbsp egg replacer mixed with 8tbsp water
- ¼ cup of coconut flour, plus a tsp for the side
- ½ cup of almond milk
- 1tsp vanilla
- 1/2tsp baking powder
- 1/8tsp salt
- 1/8tsp cinnamon
- 1-2 packets of stevia (or to taste)
Method
- 1. Combine everything except the tsp of coconut flour; stir until thoroughly combined
- 2. Stir in the last bit of coconut flour
- 3. Heat a greased skillet over a medium-low heat
- 4. Pour in your mixture in batches to make pancakes of your preferred size; cook until golden
- 5. Flip carefully to cook on the other side for a few minutes
- 6. Once cooked through, transfer to a plate and repeat
You may need to keep greasing the pan to avoid the mixture sticking. This tends to be worse than making normal pancakes for sticking to the pan!
#2. Coconut Flour and Milk Recipe
What if you want to combine both coconut flour and coconut milk together? After all, the two tastes should go hand in hand, right? Well, here’s a quick recipe to get you started.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup of coconut flour
- 1/8tsp baking soda
- 1/3-1/4 cup of coconut milk
- 2tbsp coconut oil
- 3 eggs
- 2tbsp honey
- ½ tsp vanilla
- Butter for cooking
- Maple syrup and salt to taste
Method
- 1. Mix your eggs, oil, and honey together thoroughly
- 2. Add in your vanilla and coconut milk
- 3. Mix in the flour, baking soda, and your salt, but don’t mix too much!
- 4. Melt your butter in a heated skillet to avoid sticking
- 5. Pour in some of your pancake batter to make pancakes of your desired size
- 6. Allow bubbles to form on the top of the pancake before flipping, as this means the bottom is ready; flip carefully to keep the pancake shape
Serve your pancakes with the maple syrup. If you want something healthier, you can serve with fruit. Blueberries and bananas are delicious with pancakes!
#3. Fluffy and Sweeter Coconut Flour Pancakes
What about opting for something a little sweeter? When your pancakes are naturally a little sweeter, you won’t need as many toppings to compensate. After all, pancakes without something sweet can sometimes be a little bland.
So, here’s a recipe that you need to try. You won’t need a lot of sugar, so don’t worry too much about the waistline or issues with your health! You can always switch to a natural sweetener if you want.
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- ½ cup of milk
- 3tbsp coconut oil melted
- ¼ cup of coconut flour
- 1tbsp sugar
- 1/4tsp baking powder
- 1/4tsp salt
Method
- 1. Heat a skillet over a medium-low heat
- 2. Whisk the eggs, oil, and milk until completely combined
- 3. In a separate bowl whisk the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt together
- 4. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and combine well
- 5. Grease your skillet and drop some of your pancake mix into the skillet; enough to make a pancake of your desired size
- 6. Cook until bubbling on the top and then flip carefully
It’s up to you how you serve. Because of the sugar, you won’t usually need any syrup. Fruit is the best option!
#4. Coconut Flour and Chocolate Pancakes
What about adding a little bit of chocolate to your pancake recipes? Here’s a quick option to help you get your chocolate fix on a morning without too many extra calories. This recipe will also give you some extra protein through the whey protein mix.
Ingredients
- ½ cup of coconut flour
- 1/3 cup of cocoa powder
- 1/3 cup of whey protein powder, a flavour of your choice
- ¼ cup of sweetener of your choice
- 1tsp baking powder
- 1tsp salt
- 6 eggs, beaten lightly
- 1/3 cup of coconut oil, melted
- 1 cup of almond or coconut milk
- 2 ounces of chocolate, chopped (high % works better)
- Coconut oil for greasing the pan
Method
- 1. Preheat the oven to 200F
- 2. Mix the flour, cocoa powder, whey protein, sweetener, baking powder, and the salt together in a large bowl
- 3. Stir in your coconut oil, eggs, and milk until combined
- 4. Stir in the chocolate (don’t melt it)
- 5. Allow to sit for 10 minutes
- 6. Heat your skillet over a medium-high heat and grease with the coconut oil
- 7. Scoop in enough pancake mix to make a pancake of your desired size
- 8. Cook until the top bubbles a little and then flip carefully
- 9. Remove and place on a plate; repeat the cooking instructions until the batter is done
- 10. Keep the pancakes in the oven to remain warm until you’re ready to serve them
This is delicious when served with chocolate sauce. You can even make your own by melting some chocolate while making your pancakes! You can also serve with strawberries for a sweet and seemingly naughty start to the day without all the extra calories.
If you don’t want to buy chocolate to chop you, you can opt for chocolate chips. They don’t end up being as big chucks of the deliciously sweet stuff, but you can get away with a lower percentage of chocolate this way. You can also try out white chocolate chips to have “double chocolate pancakes.”
#5. Delicious Dutch Style Pancakes
What if you could do something a little different with your pancakes? Well, how about trying Dutch pancakes for something different on your Sunday morning? The kids will love it, and you get to mix it up for a change.
Here’s the recipe that you need to follow.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup of butter
- 4 eggs
- 2/3 cup of milk (you can use almond or coconut if you want)
- ½ cup of coconut flour
- ¼ cup of sugar
- 1/2tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 1tbsp icing sugar
- 1/2tsp cinnamon
- Handful of berries
Method
- 1. Preheat the oven to 475F
- 2. Melt your butter in an oven-friendly frying pan on a medium heat
- 3. Whisk your eggs and milk in a bowl
- 4. Whisk in the flour, vanilla, salt, and sugar
- 5. Pour the batter into the pan; add all of it to make one big pancake
- 6. Place in the centre of the oven and cook for 10 minutes; ensure it doesn’t burn!
- 7. Dust with the icing sugar and cinnamon; serve with the berries
This is a big pancake to share. No, it’s not going to be the best option for the diet, but you’re allowed one day off now and then, right? After all, everything is fine in moderation.
Topping Ideas for Your Coconut Flour Pancakes
You’ll barely tell the difference with coconut flour and normal flour pancakes. That is great news for toppings, as you’ll be able to use all the ones that you have used in the past. Whether you love jelly, maple syrup, or prefer a side of bacon, there are many options available.
If you’re looking to opt for a healthy lifestyle, why not try some fruit for your toppings? Some of the best options include berries, bananas, strawberries, and even grated apple. You could also try some of the fruits in the pancakes, such as replacing your chocolate for chopped strawberries or adding some blueberries to your vegan-friendly recipe.
When you want something sweeter, maple syrup or honey are your best options. They’re natural forms of sugar and don’t create the same blood sugar spikes as refined sugars. However, you can sprinkle a little bit of icing sugar or even ground nutmeg to get some similar tastes without major issues. Granulated sugar is okay, but it’s not the best option in large amounts! It just depends on a number of times you’re going to make coconut flour pancakes in the week.
Which Coconut Flour Pancake Will You Try First?
There are various ways to use coconut flour in your pancakes. If you want to try your original recipes and substitute the normal flour for coconut flour, that’s fine. But it’s worth trying something differently. This is the perfect way to spice up your cooking life and give the kids something different now and then. You’ll avoid getting bored.
Get the kids involved with making pancakes. They’ll love creating their own, and they’re more likely to eat them up. You can also let them decorate their pancakes with their toppings anyway they want to create a fun morning or brunch with them.
