Sweet Potato Paleo-Friendly Pancakes

If you’re eating Paleo and missing pancakes, this recipe is for you!

Just like mixing up my exercise program, I like to mix up my carb sources to keep my body fed with a variety of foods.

I have a lot of friends who eat Paleo, so in honor of their efforts here is my paleo version of Sweet Potato Pancakes.

Sweet potatoes are amazingly nutrient dense, and naturally sweet. They are rich in Vitamin A, vitamin C and manganese (among other things), and they have anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits as well.

I also boosted this recipe with flax seeds. They are rich in omega-3 and fiber, with just a trace amount of carbs, substituting ground flax seeds in place of flour can enrich the nutritional profile of your recipes.

Sweet Potato Pecan Pancakes

**gluten-free, paleo-friendly
Yield: 6 pancakes
You will need: measuring cups and spoons, blender, skillet, spatula

1/2 cup sweet potato puree
(If you don’t have baked sweet potatoes on hand, you may want to make some the day before so you can enjoy how quickly this recipe comes together)
6 egg whites (or 2-3 eggs plus some egg whites – about 1 cup total liquid)
3 Tablespoons flaxseed meal
1/4 cup plus 1 Tablespoon almond meal flour
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Topping:
1/4 cup chopped pecans
ghee, butter, or butter alternative
pure maple syrup or raw honey

(skip to step 5 if you’ve already prepared your sweet potatoes)

Method 1:
1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Peel and slice a sweet potato.
3. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray and spread the pieces out.
4. Bake for 35 minutes.

Method 2:
1. Peel and chop sweet potatoes evenly.
2. Put about a cup of water in a medium-size microwave-safe bowl.
3. Microwave for 8-10 minutes, or until a fork easily pierces the sweet potatoes.

Continue here:

5. Measure a half cup of the sweet potato slices into the blender.

6. Add eggs, egg whites, flaxseed meal, almond meal flour, and spices. Blend until smooth.

7. Pour or ladle the batter onto a heated skillet and cook the pancakes evenly on both sides. This is a thick batter, so a spatula may come in handy to spread the pancakes to an even consistency.

8. Serve with your choice of butter, pecans and syrup, agave or honey.