quinoa pancakes with love

My mom’s birthday was Saturday (happy birthday mama!) and I decided to cook breakfast for her. She loves pancakes, but they are filled with empty calories and sugar so I decided to find a healthier option. We both love quinoa (a great source of protein), so the idea of quinoa pancakes sounded great. I adapted a recipe I found on FitSugar by switching to whole wheat flour and sugar free maple syrup, and removing the butter completely. Most recipes use quinoa flour, but this one actually uses the quinoa grain so it is much healthier and tastier. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup cooked quinoa
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
cooking spray
1 large egg, plus 1 large egg white
1/4 cup low-fat milk
2 tablespoons sugar-free unsweetened maple syrup (plus more for serving, depending on taste)
Fresh fruit topping for serving (I used blueberries and strawberries)

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together quinoa, flour, and baking powder. In another medium bowl, whisk together egg, egg white, milk, and syrup until smooth. Add egg mixture to flour mixture and whisk to combine.
2. Lightly coat a large nonstick skillet or griddle with cooking spray and heat over medium-high. Drop batter into skillet to make small pancakes (about 4 inches in diameter – the small size prevents the pancakes from breaking apart). Cook until bubbles appear on top, 2 minutes.
3. Serve with maple syrup and fresh fruit as desired.

Serves about 6 people.