Three Healthy Pancake Topping Ideas

Healthy tweaks to the basic pancake recipe

Pancake mix isn’t always the healthiest thing out there. Here are a few swaps you can make to the recipe for a healthier pancake:

• Trade white flour out for wholemeal, self-raising flour.
• Use a combination of almond, coconut, and tapioca flour for a gluten-free pancake if you’re gluten sensitive.
• Don’t add sugar to the pancake mix, instead add grated fruit if you crave a sweet snack.

Healthy pancake toppings

Kefir and mixed berries

Kefir is a fantastically healthy foodstuff, with some of the most potent probiotic effects to be found anywhere. This fermented dairy product tastes like a more bitter, tart form of yoghurt, and can be served either at room temperature or half-frozen from the back of the fridge.

Putting a dollop of kefir on top of your pancakes, before then sprinkling berries on top, will create a delicious pancake that tastes like a desert - with mixed sweet and sour elements and a host of antioxidant and gut-friendly benefits.

Honey and cinnamon

Honey is very rich in sugar, so should be enjoyed in moderation. That being said, anyone who lets the sugar content of honey scare them away from enjoying it altogether is seriously missing out, because honey is also chock-full of proven health benefits.

Not only has research shown that honey is rich in antioxidants, but it’s even been found to improve the health of diabetic patients and effectively treat coughs in children, among other things.

Cinnamon, for its part, is rich in antioxidants and may even protect neurons against diseases like Parkinson’s.

Organic passata, grated goat’s cheese and spinach

If you get the right brand of organic passata, you should have a product that is essentially unadulterated, blended tomato sauce. Among other things, studies have found that tomatoes may help to combat heart disease and the symptoms of menopause.

Spinach is a rich source of many essential micronutrients including vitamins A, C, E, & K, and goat’s cheese is rich in nutrients like iron, calcium, and magnesium, while also being lower in lactose than conventional dairy products.

If the idea of fusing your pancake with something akin to a pizza sounds appealing, try this topping combo out for size. It might also be a good idea to pop the pancakes into the oven for a short while once the toppings have been added, to allow the cheese to melt.