Spirulina super-pancakes

Since it's St. Paddy's day, I thought this was the perfect time to whip up my all-time favorite green pancake recipe. These pancakes have become a Saturday morning tradition in my home, and they are definitely a crowd-pleaser for the three and under crowd.

What I like most about them, aside from their awesome color, is that they are a great energy-boosting breakfast dish. Using nut and seed flours as a base, they are high in fiber, low on the glycemic index, and will help you get your day started on the right foot. Plus, they are loaded with iron, a mineral that is key to the healthy growth and development of babies and toddlers.

If you're making this for the whole family, you're gonna want to double the recipe!

Ingredients:

(Makes 12-15 mini pancakes)

• 2-3 tbsp coconut oil

• 1 large ripe banana

• 1 egg

• 1 tbsp chia seeds

• 4 tbsp coconut milk

• 2 tbsp pumpkin seed flour

• 3 tbsp almond flour (or use additional pumpkin seed flour)

• 1 tbsp amaranth or buckwheat flour

• 1 tsp spirulina

• ¾ tsp cinnamon

Instructions:

1. Set a large skillet over low-medium heat. Add enough coconut oil just to thinly coat the pan.

2. In a large mixing bowl – mash up the banana with the back of a fork. Then, add in the remaining ingredients, and whisk everything together until the mixture is smooth. Alternatively, you could throw all ingredients into a blender.

3. Using a regular tablespoon, spoon out mini-sized pancakes to fill your skillet, let cook for several minutes until you can see either a few bubbles forming or a slight browning around the bottom edge. Using a spatula, flip the pancakes, and then let cook another few minutes on the other side.

*TIP – If you find that the pancakes don’t hold together when flipping, take a utensil like a knife or small spoon and gently wedge it under the pancake, then insert the spatula from the other side and flip. If the pancakes seem to be sticking to the pan, add more coconut oil and turn the heat down slightly.