Heart Healthy.
Or not so much. It’s ironic that—thanks to sugary sweets, fancy dinners, and rich desserts—a day devoted to matters of the heart can be so dangerous for your heart. Google “red velvet” and your results will be saturated with butter, eggs, heavy cream, and enough sugar to sweeten even the Grinch. Pretty, for sure. But healthy, it is not.
Until now.
Flipping through People Magazine last Friday, I stumbled across a recipe for “Jessica Alba’s favorite red velvet pancakes.” Red velvet pancakes?! I had to create a heart-healthy version.
Mission accomplished. These are like eating cake for breakfast!
Red Velvet Pancakes for One
- 2T flour (I used 20g whole-wheat pastry)
- 2T plus 1tsp oat bran (20g) (you can sub flour)
- red food coloring (For alternatives, see: Natural Food Coloring Ideas.)
- 1/2 tsp plus 1/8 tsp baking powder
- scant 1/8 tsp salt
- 2T cocoa powder (I use regular, but if you want a more brownie-like taste, try dutch cocoa)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup plus 1T nondairy milk (95g, or more, if needed)
- optional: If you don’t like the taste of fat-free pancakes, be sure to add 1 tablespoon oil
- 1-2 T sugar, or 1 stevia packet (I left it out. If using liquid sweetener, decrease milk accordingly.)
Mix dry ingredients. Add wet and mix. Then make your pancakes! (Makes 5-6)
Nutrition Information:
(For the entire batch)
- Calories: 230 (130 if omitting oil)
- Fat: 14g (or less than 1g if omitting oil)
- Protein: 3g
- Fiber: 5g
I topped these with my Healthy Cream Cheese Icing.
Then, really fancy things happened. I dusted the pancakes with cocoa powder and swirled some of the chocolatey fairy dust into the frosting.
If you’re still hungry for pancakes (although I don’t know how that’d be possible, after these!), I have an entire recipe tab devoted to them:
Question of the Day:
What do you do to be Heart Healthy?
Get regular exercise? Eat healthy foods? Spend quality time with people who make you happy? The heart is an amazing little organ; be sure to treat it right!
this is such a delicious recipe but when i made them they would never come out to as many as 5-6, i could manage one big one, but even if i did smaller versions it would only come out to about 2 1/2 at most. How big are you supposed to make them?
Hi Shaye,
I haven’t made these in a while… but I think I get around 5 small pancakes the size of my palm.
lol that last comment was from me! 🙂
oh okay thanks, the taste and nutritional aspects work out the same no matter how big they are made. I liked having one big one, it was delicious and filling.
Katie, these pancakes were delicious and super satisfying. You’re a complete genius! I can’t tell you how many of your recipes I’ve made in the past week, your blog has proved that healthy and delicious can go hand in hand.
These look incredible! And I really like that you cut out the sugar/made it optional.
My one wish would be- is there a gluten-free version of these?
thanks Katie!!
Hey Michael!
Have you ever tried using Bob’s gluten-free mix? I never have, but a lot of other commenters say it works really well. If you try it, let me know how it goes! 🙂
I actually am a big fan of Pamela’s gluten-free mix, but either way, will let you know when I try it, Katie– thanks!!
i just did a little trial run of these and saved the batter in the fridge for tomorrow and oh my gosh theyre DELICIOUS, its like eating something sooo decadent for breakfast! i have a little trouble with them sticking though! i used rice milk instead of almond, maybe that’s why? i added a little canola oil to the batter and to the pan, and still they stuck! i was wondering if anyone had any tips.
also, katie, im currently in treatment for an eating disorder and i just wanted to say your blog has been a saving grace for me. my eating is carefully monitored by my parents to make sure im getting in the right foods, and with recipes like these i get so excited to have a little treat while being at peace of mind with what im putting in my body. im slowly but surely making my way toward recovery and a happier, healthier life, and your blog has helped me see food differently, as something that will help me instead of hurt me. thank you for being amazing and doing what you do.
Aww that makes me so so happy. And also, it really sounds like you’re on the right path to getting a healthy life back!!
For the pancakes, do you spray the pan with oil spray before cooking? I like Spectrum coconut oil spray.
Holy cow these are INCREDIBLE looking!
Thanks!! 🙂
Red velvet for breakfast?! Delicious! I think next we should get some red velvet flavored healthy ice cream up in here! 🙂
OMG!! I can’t wait to try these. I love, LOVE your blog! Thanks so much… 🙂
Looks delectable — only one problem though: I inadvertently picked up wheat bran instead of oat bran! Would this still work? (and be palatable, too?)
Oh, and as for the cheesecake sauce, would just regular cream cheese work as a topping, or should I add, perhaps, milk or melt it before spreading?
I hope you had a happy Thanksgiving, and sorry for my very verbose questions! 🙁
Sorry, I don’t know about the wheat bran q.
And yes, you can of course top it with whatever you want :).
I just made it for breakfast with wheat bran, and it turned out great! 🙂
Now my 5 year old and 6 year old brothers want me to make it for them for tomorrow’s breakfast — with chocolate chips galore! 😀