PCOS Friendly Pancakes

I am someone who struggles with being told “no”. So when it comes to managing my PCOS, food is very hard for me, because I simply don’t like feeling that there’s food out there that I can’t have if I want it. Now, I can have something that is dairy and/or gluten free every once in a while because balance, like once a month maybe. So while I do pretty well at sticking with vegetables and proteins, I do try to find recipes that don’t make me feel like I’m missing out on those classics we all grew up with, like pancakes. These obviously don’t taste like Bisquick, but they are good – and not flat – which is very important to me. So here is my visual instruction story for PCOS friendly pancakes!

I made 9 pancakes, and you can make them smaller for more. They last in the fridge for 3-4 days, and they tasted good re-heated in a microwave, as well as the toaster oven, so you can totally pop these in a toaster.

You’re going to need:

• 2 medium bananas, mashed
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (I used more…)
• 2 medium eggs
• 4-6 tablespoons alternative flour of choice
• Avocado or Coconut oil for cooking
• Toppings of choice

Cinnamon is great ingredient to use if you have PCOS! It can help with inflammation and clinical trials have been done to show that it may help reduce the body’s insulin levels. One study showed that by consuming cinnamon for 40 days, it helped lower blood sugar in diabetes patients. Another study showed that it helped with a more regular cycle. These studies are done with cinnamon capsules, but none the less, cinnamon is a great spice to add to your diet especially if you’re dealing with PCOS, so don’t be shy with it!

After you’ve added and mixed all of your ingredients, you’re going to add your flour one tablespoon at a time. If your batter is too thick, add your favorite milk alternative.

I didn’t have to end up adding any milk, and 6 tablespoons of gluten free flour worked perfectly for me. Almond flour is also very popular for pancakes, especially if you’re going grain free. Now we are ready to cook!

I did have to keep adding coconut oil as I went along. Cook each one as you would a normal pancake – until they start to bubble and puff up. You want to make sure that banana gets cooked!

You can top these pancakes with nut butters, fruit, coconut shavings, seeds, or nuts. While those are all healthy options, I didn’t have any of those so I opted for pure maple syrup. If you have PCOS, be careful with maple syrup because while it is a natural source of sweetness, it is still sugar and we don’t want to spike our insulin, so go light with it. Let me know how you like them – enjoy!