Here’s a yummy gluten free, dairy free, sugar free pancake recipe after my own heart (and healing). This breakfast will keep your blood sugar balanced, provide protein and good fat, and set you up with a great start to your morning.
Add a side of bacon, sausage and/or eggs to up the protein factor for yourself. I like to make my breakfast protein goal around 30-40 grams to keep my blood sugar stable.
Why I Gave up Gluten
I was diagnosed with an autoimmune condition, while I was going through a long infertility journey. It was wreaking havoc on my body. And I was really struggling with joint pain, muscle pain and exhaustion. Above all, I wanted to feel better, and my intuition was telling me I could. But the conventional medicine world was saying otherwise. The message was essentially I had to put up with my symptoms.
Thankfully I had a great holistic partner in my chiropractor. And she helped me heal in a variety of holistic ways. One of her suggestions to me, was that I remove gluten from my diet. It had been something I was thinking about doing for a while, and her suggestion was the additional nudge I needed to do so.
It wasn’t as hard as I had imagined. The most important steps were to focus on eating whole foods… meaning, meats vegetables, and fruits. I minimized grains, and shopped the perimeter of the grocery store. I minimized processed foods, and cooked my own food as much as possible.
Back then the gluten free food options were fairly limited. But, they have come along way in the last 5-10 years, and so there are some really great options out there now. Even with all the options though… they are still processed foods. So… I still focus on whole foods as much as possible. But when I do need a packaged food variety, I have so many more options.
Removing Gluten Changed My Life
When I removed gluten from diet, it changed my life dramatically for the better. I had no idea how much removing gluten could change my life and how I felt.
- My energy came back.
- My brain fog went away. I didn’t even realize how bad my brain fog was until I had taken gluten out of my diet.
- My digestive issues began to heal.
- I no longer had to nap every day.
- My thyroid medication worked better.
- My dizziness also went away.
- My eyebrows also grew back, I had lost the outer third them.
- And most importantly the majority of my joint pain went away.
It was Ahhhh-mazing! Who knew food could make such a big difference in my life.
Why Giving Up Gluten Can Make a Difference
Plain and simply the wheat products in the US cause an inflammatory response in the body. Some of us are more sensitive than others and so can be more reactionary. But many people may have normalized the reactions that gluten can cause, because they don’t realize that a food can do this.
In the 50’s and 60’s wheat in the US was hybridized so that it would grow quicker, sturdier and produce larger yields. And although on the surface this might sound helpful, it created a plant that was not as digestible as it’s previous entity. This is the wheat that is used widely today in the US food markets.
Because this variation is less digestible, it is then harder on the gut, it can be very difficult for people to digest. And unfortunately causes gut inflammation for many people. But our modern medicine does not often link the issues caused by gluten to food sensitivity, so this goes undiagnosed in many people.
The best way to find out if gluten is affecting you, is to take it out for about 6 weeks, and see how you feel. Literally everyone that I have worked with has seen a difference when they have done this.
Cooking With Gluten Free Flour is Different
Gluten free flours can be challenging to work with at first. The flours do not have the same body and stickiness that wheat flour or all purpose flour has. It took me some trial and error in the beginning, and I practiced a lot. When I came up with a recipe that really worked, I tried to document it carefully.
Patience is key with gluten free flours, and I think the knowledge to know they will not work the same way as all purpose flours is helpful as well. In other words, with most recipes that call for flour, you can’t just sub a GF flour, it’s typically not that simple. The measurements can be different when using things like an almond flour or coconut flour.
I have made this recipe many many times, and everyone in my family loves these pancakes. Even the dog, as the dog always gets the first pancake in our house! I hope you enjoy!
Yummy Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Sugar Free Pancake Recipe
Pancake Ingredients
- 3 1/2 C. almond flour
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 C. Swerve sugar substitute
- 1/2 C. coconut oil (melted and cooled to warm)
- 1 1/2 C. almond milk other milk alternative
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
Topping Ingredients
- 1 bag of frozen berries of your choice
- 3-4 Tablespoons of water
Instructions
- Combine eggs, milk and Swerve in a blender, and process for about 1 minute.
- Combine almond flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl, and slowly add to the blender.
Since almond flour is so dense, when measuring it, I find it best to scoop a few scoops into a bowl and then use a spoon to scoop it into the measuring cup, this keeps it from packing in too densely. - Add coconut oil and blend once more for about 1 minute.
- Combine frozen berries and water in a small sauce pan and cover. Warm them over medium heat until melted and bubbly. Set aside for pancake topping.
- Heat a large cast iron skillet (my non-stick pan of choice) and brush with coconut oil. Once hot (after 5-10 minutes or so) pour a few tablespoons of pancake batter on the skillet for each pancake.
- Cook until small bubbles form and the edges get firm and flip.
- Almond flour is less stable then white flour, so use a metal spatula to flip them. It takes a bit of quick movement and skill to get the process down and keep the shape of the pancake. they are not quite as stable as wheat flour, but with practice you will get it.
- Remove when both sides are fully cooked, and enjoy with warm berry topping!
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