One of my favorite memories growing up was making pancakes on the weekends. There's just something about the hustle and bustle in the kitchen and the aroma of baking that seems to instantly warm up a home and put everyone in a good mood. Of course, the days of my using Bisquick pancake mix are long gone, and now that flour, yams, and whey protein powder are out of the picture during my Paleo Challenge, I decided to find a way to make Paleo authorized pancakes that are still full of protein. I modified a couple different recipes I found into my own version of Paleo Protein Pancakes. They turned out better than I even expected. You've got to try these!

Pancake Ingredients:
-4 egg whites
-1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
-1 tsp. almond oil
-1/2 tsp. baking soda
-2 Tbsp. coconut flour

Fruit Compote Ingredients:
-1/2 cup strawberries
-1/4 cup blueberries
-1/4 cup water

Step 1: In mixing bowl, beat egg whites until they become frothy (about 2 minutes).

Step 2: Add vanilla and almond oil and beat 1 minute.

Step 3: Add baking soda and coconut flour and beat 1 minute. You should see something that looks like slightly fluffy pancake batter now.

Step 4: Heat griddle on medium (about 300F degrees). Spray lightly with almond oil. Measure 1/4 cup of batter a few inches apart. Should yield about 3 pancakes. Then use bottom of measuring cup to flatten out the batter in a circular motion.

Step 5: Cook about 3-4 minutes, using spatula to peak underneath for golden brown color. These won't bubble up like normal pancakes, so check underneath! Flip and cook another 3-4 minutes. Set aside on a plate.

Step 6: In a small saucepan mash strawberries, blueberries and water together with masher or bottom of spoon. Stir over medium heat about 5 minutes, allowing mixture to liquify and reduce with cooking. Pour warm fruit compote over pancakes and serve. Makes 1 serving.

Nutrition:
235 calories
19 g protein
29 g carbs
6 g fat (0 sat)
10 g fiber
11 g sugar (all natural)
*Based on 3 pancakes and entire serving of fruit compote.

This meal is my new favorite. Great balance of protein, carbs and fats and even gets in a couple servings of fruit of fiber. Double or triple the recipe for more than one serving. These pancakes are so versatile and can be topped with anything you like. I'll be trying them with melted almond butter next. Yum!!!