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I’ve been really really loving these Cinnamon Chia-Flax Protein Pancakes lately. I say lately because I’ve made them about 6 times in the last month! They are moist, flavorful, healthy and SO filling.
These chia-seed and flax-seed-full pancakes are packed with antioxidants, fiber, Omega-3s, and about 17 grams of protein! Pancakes for breakfast, anyone?
These bad boys came to life after an email from my friend.
She told me about these pancakes that she loved from The Skinny Confidential.
The idea of using banana in the place of my usual almond or coconut flours was intriguing, so I tried it. Then I tweaked it, and I tweaked it a little more.
What’s great about these Cinnamon Chia-Flax Protein Pancakes is that you throw everything into a blender.
Eggs
Banana
Chia Seeds
Flax seeds
Cinnamon
Lemon juice
Baking soda
Lemon juice
Into the blender, one and done.
Easy- peasy.
Then you throw spoonfuls of that batter onto a pan for a few minutes.
And then you have 17 grams of protein, omega-3s, fiber, and antioxidants in a delicious pancake form.
I usually eat about half of this recipe, but my fiance can eat the whole recipe in seconds flat.
Once you play around with it, you’ll see how much you need and also how big/little you want to make these guys.
Or if there are any extra flavors you want to add, chocolate chips anyone? Maybe even berries?
One thing that is worth noting is that my fiance, who is very allergic to raw bananas, but who can eat them when they are cooked (like in banana bread), was able to eat these just fine.
I’m not 100% sure why, but I think the protein that causes the allergy changes when it is heated.
I did a bit of research and found that this is the case for other people to.
If anyone knows why this phenomenon happens, please let me know!
Cinnamon Chia-Flax Protein Pancakes (paleo, GF)
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1 banana
- 2 Tbs ground chia seeds
- 2 Tbs ground golden flax seeds
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp honey
Instructions
- Blend all the ingredients together in a blender.
- Scrap the sides of the blender down with a spatula and then blend everything together one more time.
- Heat a large pan over medium heat.
- Put a little olive oil onto the pan and spread it around.
- I used 2 Tbs worth of batter to make each pancake (yields about 8 pancakes total).
- Wait until the batter starts bubbling a bit (2-3 minutes) before flipping. Cook for about 30 seconds on the other side, or until golden brown.
- Note: depending on your stove top or your pan, these may cook more or less quickly, so just keep an eye on them. Also, I noticed that my first few pancakes took more time to cook, and the other ones browned much more quickly.
- Should yield about 8 pancakes, this serves 1 or 2.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Dairy free? But use 2 eggs? Are eggs not considered dairy?
Thanks! Caroline
No eggs aren’t considered dairy. This is a helpful site with good info https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/are-eggs-dairy
Thank you about the banana info. I was going to ask you about a substitute since I’m deathly allergic to raw bananas also among other fruits and veggies.
We’ve found that his allergy is linked to pollen in the raw fruit. He misses bananas a lot so he likes being able to have them in pancakes and banana breads. I hope you are able to have them cooked as well!
can we omit banana
It wouldn’t work the same without banana. I do have some pancake recipes without banana in my recipe index! 🙂
The proteins become denatured when they are heated, so yes, you are right – it changes the shape of the protein which is causing the allergy. The body recognizes allergenic proteins as foreign and mounts an attack/immune response, when the protein is denatured it’s different enough that the body doesn’t recognize it as an allergen. This isn’t the case for every persons allergies, though.
Wow, so happy to know the reason why. The body’s response to food and allergies can be such a bummer :/
These are very good and easy quick to make. Threw all the ingredients in nutribullet and blended. Added some chocolate chips to a few to try and it was yummy! Used a flax chia blend I had which is already ground. Will definitely make again.
Happy to hear it! Adding chocolate chips sounds delish! 🙂
Can the mix be made the night before, stored in the fridge over night, and pancakes made in the morning?
I’ve never made them in advance before. I would be worried about the chia seeds expanding and changing the texture of the batter overnight. If you try it, let me know!
I did this and the batter was very thick. I just added an extra egg and they were fine. Have made this recipe twice now and the hubs and I like them with defrosted blueberries that are nice and juicy! No need for maple syrup this way. But, yes I have a but, I can’t seem to get them cooked without scorching them. I keep turning the heat down but . . . To no avail. We eat and enjoy them anyway ?
I’m looking into adding a plug-in to do this. I’ll let you know as soon as I do! 🙂
Thanks for the tip!
any ideas if I can crush my flaxseed and chia seeds or should i get separate ground ones ?
I’ve never done it before, but I did just find this interesting article on how to grind your own flaxseeds. I think the same can be done for chia seeds as well 🙂
How many calories would say each pancake has?
About 55 calories a pancakes 🙂