Mint Chocolate Chip Pancakes - Because We Can!

There are certain foods that comprise the quintessential breakfast selections, but few conjure the warm feelings of childhood better than pancakes! Fluffy, light and dripping in melted butter and sticky syrup, this treat was truly dessert on a plate, and then we took the breakfast pastry to the next level with sugary additives. Who doesn’t like banana, caramel and peanut butter or cinnamon, apple and mascarpone. Yet the classic remains chocolate chip!

It’s time to bring back this morning indulgence in an adult and body friendly recipe that gives you all the things you need and nothing you don’t while still fulfilling our inner child breakfast craving.

Mint Chocolate Chip Pancakes
Gluten free options, vegan options, nut free options
12 – 14 pancakes, yields two servings

• 1 cup of rolled oats (gluten free if necessary)
• 1/3 cup Greek Yogurt (thicker is best)
• 1 large egg
• 1 egg white
• 1 – 2 tbsp. almond milk (more to desired consistency based on liquid in yogurt)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 tbsp. honey, agave or maple syrup (optional)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 scoops of Terra Origin Mint Greens Superfoods
• ¼ - ½ cup of dark chocolate chips (depends how chocolatey you like it)

Place the oats in your blender or food processor and pulse a few times to break into coarse bits. You do not need flour, just smaller pieces.

Mix the oats, baking powder, salt, and Terra Origin Mint Greens until thoroughly mixed. Set aside. In a separate bowl, mix your eggs, then add the Greek yogurt, almond milk, sweetener and vanilla extract. Slow whisk in your dry ingredients. When everything is blended smoothly, let the bowl sit for 10-15 minutes as the oats absorb some of the liquid. You can then adjust your preferred consistency with more almond milk if needed. Lastly, fold in your chocolate chips.

Heat your skillet on medium heat with a tablespoon of coconut oil and pour out your pancakes. When the edges begin to brown and the standard bubbles appear, you will feel a firm consistency, flip. If the skillet gets too hot, simply set it aside to cool a moment and lower your flame or electric setting. Add more coconut oil as necessary.

For grain free:

You can substitute 1 cup of almond flour.

For nut free:

You can substitute equal amounts of coconut or rice milk. Soy milk can be thick, so if you choose to use it, mix slowly and pay attention to your consistency.

For vegan:

Substitute one small to medium banana for the Greek yogurt and for the eggs take 1 ½ tablespoons of flax seeds, grind them and mix with 4 ½ tablespoons of water in a small dish. Set it aside and let it congeal. Then mix it with the rest of your ingredients. Choose agave or maple syrup as your sweetener. Buy a vegan dark chocolate chip. And most importantly, give your oats a finer grind, near flour consistency to mix with the flax egg and hold better.

By subbing the standard white flour, we give our body much needed fiber and protein whether we use oats or almonds. The Greek yogurt replaces the high fat butter and oils in typical pancake mixes while the honey is a great substitute for plain sugar which is a common ingredient. Your non-dairy milk choice replaces the high fat dairy milk and choosing to only use the egg whites in one egg can help lower the cholesterol and fat content as well.

The real winner in these delicious and healthy pancakes is Terra Origin’s Greens Superfoods in the mint flavor. What was once simply a sugary carb, now includes more than 45 vegetables, probiotics, digestive enzymes, herbs and antioxidants giving your body and immune system a massive influx of nutrients that pump you up with raw energy and stamina for your day!

Now you can dive into your short stack with excitement and zero guilt. You can even go back for seconds!