When the days get busy, it can be tempting to skip breakfast in favor of diving right into a long to-do list. But, like starting a cross-country road trip with a half-empty tank of gas, tackling your workday without a balanced breakfast is setting yourself up for a crash.
We make an effort to prioritize breakfast not only because it offers another occasion to enjoy seed butter, but because research suggests that it truly is the most important meal of the day [1,2,3]. A consistent breakfast habit is associated with better appetite control, weight stabilization and healthier overall lifestyle habits, and we know from experience that we get more done after fueling up with a satisfying, nutrient-dense breakfast like oat pancakes.
These pancakes feel like a treat, but thanks to the oats, they are full of gut-strengthening fiber that has also been shown to help reduce blood cholesterol [4]. Soluble fibers like those found in oats slow down digestion, which is key for keeping us fuller for longer and sustaining our energy levels. Look for soluble fibers in all your daily meals.
Oat flour sounds fancy, but it’s just rolled oats that have been finely ground. If you don’t have oat flour at home, add 1 1/2 cups of rolled oats to a food processor or high powered blender and process for 30 seconds to a minute, or until the oats are finely ground into flour.
To adapt this recipe for a vegan diet, swap the egg with a chia or flax egg. Mix 1 tablespoon of chia or flax seeds (whole or ground) with 2 1/2 tablespoons of water and let sit for 15 minutes before continuing with the rest of the recipe.
Feel free to use any milk you like in this recipe. Some options are hemp, flax, rice, coconut, dairy, or our favorite, pumpkin seed milk.
Recipe makes 4 servings, or 8 pancakes.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups oat flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1 cup milk of choice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Directions
In a large bowl, mix oat flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and cinnamon together until evenly combined. Add the milk of your choice, lightly beaten egg, and vanilla to the bowl and stir well. Let stand 5 minutes to let the oat flour absorb the wet ingredients.
Meanwhile, heat a large skillet or griddle to medium heat and grease with a small amount of butter, vegan butter or sunflower oil.
Pour 1/4 cup of pancake mix onto the pan and allow to cook 2-3 minutes, or until you can see small bubbles in the center of the pancake. Flip using a spatula and cook for another 1-2 minutes until edges look dry and bottom is lightly browned. Serve with your favorite pancake toppings like real maple syrup, Seed Butter, jam or fruit.
1. Dubois, L., Girard, M., Potvin Kent, M., Farmer, A., & Tatone-Tokuda, F. (2009). Breakfast skipping is associated with differences in meal patterns, macronutrient intakes and overweight among pre-school children. Public Health Nutrition, 12(1), 19-28. doi:10.1017/S1368980008001894
2. Wang J.B., Patterson R.E., Ang A., Emond J.A., Shetty N. & Arab L (2014) Timing of energy intake during the day is associated with risk of obesity in adults. J Hum Nutr Diet. 27, (suppl. 2) 255–262. doi: 10.1111/jhn.12141
3. Vereecken, C., Dupuy, M., Rasmussen, M. et al. Int J Public Health (2009) 54(Suppl 2): 180. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-009-5409-5
4. Brown, L., Rosner, B., Willett, W. W., & Sacks, F. M. (1999). Cholesterol-lowering effects of dietary fiber : a meta-analysis 1 , 2, 30–42.