How about some fried cake for breakfast covered in syrup? Sounds delicious but not too healthy, right?

Don’t despair. These oatmeal chia pancakes offer a healthier version of our favorite breakfast indulgence.

How Are These Pancakes Healthier?

Chia seeds are packed with fiber, high quality protein and healthy fats. They are also rich in nutrients. AuthorityNutrition.com shares 11 proven health benefits of chia seeds, including:

Weight management

Lowering the risk of diabetes and heart disease

Bone health

The extra fiber and protein in these oatmeal chia pancakes will likely prevent the typical “sugar crash” some folks experience after eating a high carb breakfast. These pancakes will stick with you through the morning.

Oatmeal Chia Pancakes

While I do love my morning raw oatmeal, every once in a while you need to mix things up a bit. I had a hankering for pancakes. Being a thoughtful mom, I opted for gluten-free so my daughter could have some too.

Rather than use a pre-made mix, I decide to make them from scratch in my Vitamix. (I’ve noticed a lot of gluten-free pancake mixes tend to have a gritty texture.)

These oatmeal chia pancakes are moist and nutty. The chia seeds add a hint of crispy texture.

The blueberry walnut syrup adds just the right amount of protein/fiber-balanced sweetness and warm, gooey goodness.

Print Pin Oatmeal Chia Pancakes with Blueberry Walnut Syrup Prep Time 5 minutes Cook Time 15 minutes Total Time 20 minutes Servings 2 -3 Ingredients Pancakes 2 cups unsweetened almond milk

1 cup gluten free all purpose flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill)

1/2 tsp. xanthan gum

1 cup old fashioned oats - dry

1 Tbsp. date sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

2 Tbsp. chia seeds

1 Tbsp. unsweetened applesauce

1/2 tsp. fine sea salt

grape seed oil Syrup 1/4 cup maple syrup

1 cup frozen wild blueberries

1/4 cup chopped walnuts Instructions Pancakes Preheat griddle pan to 375 degrees.

Add pancake ingredients (except grape seed oil) to a blender in the order listed.

Mix at medium speed until blended. (About 30 seconds.)

Lightly drizzle about 1 tbs of grape seed oil on griddle and spread with a spatula or paper towel.

Pour pancake batter on griddle – forming pancakes about 4 inches in diameter. (You may need to use a spatula to push the batter from the blender container.)

Flip pancakes when bubbles form on top and edges begin to set.

Cook pancakes for another 30 seconds or until underside is lightly browned.

Place cooked pancakes in a warming dish and repeat until all of the batter has been used. Add more grape seed oil to the griddle if necessary. Syrup Combine maple syrup and frozen blueberries in a microwave safe cup and microwave on high for 30 seconds.

Stir and microwave for an additional 30 seconds.

Add walnuts, stir and spoon over pancakes. (I like to add syrup between each layer of stacked pancakes.) Notes Batter makes about 9 four-inch pancakes. If you do not care for the crispy texture of the chia seeds, you could try blending the chia seeds on high speed with the almond milk prior to adding the other pancake ingredients to the blender.

Note: I do not include nutrition information with my recipes because I subscribe to the theories presented in the book Whole and believe we should focus on eating a variety of whole foods instead of counting calories or keeping track of individual nutrients.



