While many say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day (and I totally agree), I think that needs a bit of clarification. I believe that it’s not just breakfast that’s crucial, it’s a protein-filled breakfast. After all, your brain needs fuel to enhance concentration and focus for the school or work day. Would you put water or oil in your gas tank if you were about to take a road trip? No. Well, sugar and processed carbohydrates certainly aren’t your premium gas.

We are all rushing around on weekday mornings, so breakfast needs to be quick and easy as well as full of protein. These Big Ole Powerhouse Pancakes check all three boxes! This is an easy-to-throw-together meal. If you really want to save time, cook them ahead of time and refrigerate them for the next day or make the batter ahead of time, put it in a sealed container, and cook it the next morning so it’s warm and fresh.

With 20 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber, this gluten-free, low-glycemic (so you’ll have consistent energy levels) breakfast is very filling. The full list of ingredients and instructions is at the bottom of the post. Here’s how it’s done…

After you’ve mixed the ingredients together but before you cook the pancake, make sure the butter covers the pan.

Pour the batter and let it cook for about three to four minutes on each side.

Then, carefully flip it, like so… darn it!

Okay, so the only problem with the Big Ole Powerhouse Pancake is that you really need to get under it with the spatula. On my second, third, and even fourth tries, it was no problem. (I made this several times to make sure the recipe was just right.) It’s that first flip you’ve got to watch out for.

Ah-ha! See? Beautiful!

These pancakes are also delicious with some dark chocolate chips and whip. It doesn’t add that much sugar but makes them even more fun. This was our Saturday morning breakfast.

They are also great with almond butters, strawberries, blueberries, bananas, eggs and bacon (make a sandwich!), you name it.

If you use a syrup, just be sure to use a quality maple syrup instead of the bottle of high-fructose corn syrup they call “pancake syrup”. Oh, and instead of pouring it all over, put a little on the side so the kids (or you) can dip it. It can save you about 20-30 grams of sugar.

If you don’t have protein powder, you can skip that part and the pancake will still be fine. We have made them both ways, although to be honest, I did like the taste of it a little better with the Jay Robb Vanilla protein powder. The protein powder itself smells like cake batter. Yummmmm.

Big Ole (Powerhouse) Pancake Ingredients 2 organic eggs

2 tbsp coconut flour

2 tbsp canned coconut milk (we used light)

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp vanilla protein powder (you can skip this if you don’t have any)

1 tbsp coconut palm sugar

1 pinch baking soda

2 tsp grass fed butter or ghee (for cooking) Instructions Mix dry ingredients together in a small bowl. Mix the eggs and vanilla (you can skip the vanilla if you use vanilla-flavored protein powder) together. Mix all of the ingredients together. Turn a large pan on high heat, add butter, and pour in the batter. Allow to cook 3-4 minutes on each side. Don’t flip until the edges are brown. Then really get all the way under it with your spatula, flip it, and allow it to cook another 3-4 minutes.

Landria Voigt, C.H.H.C., is the Nutritional Consultant and Public Speaker at Dr. Taz’s Atlanta Center for Holistic & Integrative Medicine office. She is a graduate of The University of Georgia and the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. She is author of the popular family and nutritional blog Stir It Up! where she shares her healthy recipes aimed at pleasing even the most finicky of palates, as well as forward-thinking ideas about nutrition. And she is author of the book Super Paleo Snacks coming out in December 2014.