Gluten Free Blackberry Protein Pancakes

• Yield:1 serving
• Difficulty:Moderate
• Time:20 minutes

So, you want all of the benefits of blackberries but you also want pancakes—and you want them gluten free? Then, this one is for YOU.

We will be using sorghum flour for the pancakes — a light, fluffy, gluten-free, neutral tasting flour that makes for perfect pancakes in both taste and texture. You can buy sorghum flour at most health food stores, or supermarkets that have a well-stocked gluten-free section. If you are very gluten sensitive, you’ll want to make double sure all of the labels say “Gluten Free”. Some people are more sensitive to gluten than others. Sorghum is an ancient grain that has been used for over 5,000 years. It’s grown from hybrid seeds that don’t need to be genetically modified (GMO), which is huge! GMOs are terrible for you for so many reasons, which I will go into at another time.

For now, I’ll beat the drum of why sorghum is so awesome! Another whammy (especially if you are on a cutting diet) is that sorghum is a whole grain, which makes it high in fiber. So, it’s slowly digested and low in the glycemic index. It also won’t leave you feeling hungry ten minutes later like eating cereal might. One study by the Department of Pharmaceutical & Biomedical Sciences at the University of Georgia suggests people can use it as a dietary way to control diabetes. It also contains some anthocyanins similar to those found in blackberries, which are potent antioxidants with anti-inflammatory benefits. With the term “Super-Food” being all the rage right now, maybe we should call sorghum a “Super-Flour”!

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup sorghum flour
• ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
• ½-1 scoop of vanilla EFX Sports Pure Whey
• ½ cup egg whites
• ¼ cup blackberries, fresh or frozen
• 1 packet of stevia
• ½ tsp. baking powder
• ½-1 tsp xanthan gum (optional-see directions)
• Nonstick cooking spray

Directions:

Put everything, except the xanthan gum, in a big bowl and mix with a hand mixer. Or you can beat it vigorously with a fork if you don’t have a hand mixer. You can also use a blender, but the hand mixer is much easier to clean—just pop the beaters out and wash those. Mix until you see the individual segments of the blackberries floating around. If the mixture looks too thin, add the xanthan gum and beat it for another minute. This gives a thicker pancake.

Spray a large pan with nonstick spray or 1 tsp olive oil wiped onto the pan, in a thin, even layer and set it to medium heat. Pour out 4-5 pancakes and cook until you see bubbles forming on them, and then flip. Let them cook a minute or two, then serve. I like to serve them with that calorie-free brand of strawberry syrup. Happy breakfasting!

(Note: If you are over 150 pounds, you may want to use a whole scoop of whey protein rather than ½ scoop.)

Nutrition: