Sunday, October 4, 2009

Pumpkin Paleo Pancakes


Who like's pumpkin??? :D I've been working with a number of crossfitters wanting to optimize their diet. A prerequisite for me, when i started this over a year ago, was that this "diet" has to be sustainable for life. My goal was to get off cholesterol medication - forever - so this wasn't a temporary thing. As a result, there were a few "must-haves" in my diet (although some of those must haves are starting to bite ;-). As i work with others, it's one of the first things I ask. So, you guessed it, pancakes are at the top of the list! One of my clients said she would try paleo pancakes (http://www.performancemenu.com/recipes) but *sigh* they couldn't possibly compare to pumpkin pancakes made by a local restaurant located near the birthplace of crossfit. I loved pancakes and i could probably DRINK pumpkin pie filling so the challenge was set!! This recipe, while high in fat, will not give you a carb hang-over. I would eat it on big exercise days when you need more fuel. For a 5 block meal, add about 6 egg whites/person and a little extra fruit. You will be seriously fueled for the "hunt". Enjoy this treat! It's perfect for a cool fall morning.









Pumpkin Paleo Pancakes - (2)5 block meals (approx 35 gm P, 45 gm C, 45 gm F /person)

2 eggs
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup almond butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp nutmeg -change from original post - did it by mistake and liked it more :)
1 tablespoon Agave

2 tablespoons chopped pecans - topping
2 tablespoon real maple syrup - topping

Coconut oil - for the pan

12 extra egg whites to bring the protein up 35 gms/person (ya ya 6 egg whites sounds like more than it is. I do 10 sometimes just by myself! :-)
~ 4 oz of berries to bring the carbs up to ~45 gms/person

Mix everything up real good - sometimes that nut butter is clumpy - and make pancakes as usual (except you're gonna use the coconut oil in the pan) and add the pecans and maple syrup at the end. The recipe above makes 2 good size pancakes. Remember, for you 5 blockers, this is high in fat by ~ 30 gms, which is 270 calories - so, lift something real heavy a whole bunch of times, or go for a good ride, a long run, or a big hike and don't worry about it. If anyone would like help optimizing their diet, e-mail me - i enjoy doing it.
Eat Well! Steve "Paleo"

22 comments:

  1. These sound great! I have to give them a try! I have been making a version on Elana's Pantry Flapjacks myself and love them to death.

    http://feastingonfitness.blogspot.com/2009/09/pancake-heaven.html

    I don't think you can get away from the high fat when baking paleo-style. Mine use almond flour and have similar consequences: a batch of 12 has 32 blocks of fat! But if you are going over on something, I think fat is a less detrimental than carbohydrate...

    Please check out my blog for more recipe ideas and keep those recipes coming yourself, I have enjoyed many of yours in the past! Nice to know there are more and more of us out there paving new culinary pathways with our paleo-inspired ingredients!

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  2. Thanks for the link and comments Kristy - i will try those for sure! There must be something about Santa Cruz (where i used to live) and Boulder (where Elana and I are) that breeds these types! ;-)

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  3. What about plantain flour? I've never tried it myself but I am planning on ordering a bag b/c I've been craving pancakes for sometime now.

    http://www.amazon.com/Barry-Farm-Plantain-Flour-lb/dp/B000F9ZM5Y

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  4. I didn't even know about plantain flour! Tell us how it is please. Sounds like a good option. Steve "Paleo"

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  5. Just tried the recipe; so delicious! Even my non-Paleo eating room mates loved them. Really rich from all the almond butter, so it's almost impossible to over eat.

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  6. Delicious! I blogged about them and your awesomeness:

    http://crossfitmilf.blogspot.com/2009/10/steves-paleo-pumpkin-pancakes.html

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  7. Julie - Heya! Your pumpkin pancakes look better than mine!! nice photos and beautifully laid out blog. I found coconut oil at WF here in Boulder but would have NO idea where ELSE to get. It rocks though! Great aroma so keep looking.... Eat well!

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  8. Yo Steve! This is a timely recipe, seasonal and much needed. I make regular pancakes for my family all the time but abstain myself.

    Question for you: aren't we technically cheating when we used refined sugar products like Agave "nectar" (actually a fructose syrup produced industrially by breaking down polyfructose in Agave juice with heat) and Maple syrup? If these are ok, why are Cane Sugar and Evaporated Cane Juice verboten?

    It seems to me there's nothing more "paleo" about Agave Cacti or Maple Trees when compared to Sugar Cane.

    I'd appreciate your thoughts on this!

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  9. Hi Matt! - Excellent question. It's unlikely cavemen figured how to take an agave plant, remove the leaves thus revealing the core ("pina"), extract the sap, and heat at low temps (I guess some agave is processed at < 118F). So did they really eat it? - probably not. Imagining some poor paleo man bashing a maple tree and waiting there with his tongue seems, uh, a bit far fetched too. BUT, why are we doing this? It IS true that cavemen ate a relatively low carb low glycemic diet which we all know has health benefits, so mainly we're trying to emulate that diet and enjoy the same benefits. Agave nectar is a low glycemic food and sugar cane is not - that's why I think it's OK on a Paleo diet. Maple syrup is not as good as agave in that respect, but it not nearly as bad as sugar cane. So even though it's unlikely cavemen ate either, they are natural products that help us to reduce the glycemic load of our diets and thus appreciate those benefits - which I think is the reason we're all doing this. Now I have to ask - does this mean you're gonna have some pancakes? ;-)

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  10. Also, just to throw in another option for a sweetener. The Spunky Coconut chef has a recipe for coconut syrup that you might want to check out. If I remember correctly it's on par with the glycemic index of agave, but I'm not sure about it's overall load.

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  11. Thanks, good answer to my question, Steve.

    Yes! Not only will I try these soon, I will be trying the paleo crepes this morning. Wish me luck!

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  12. Just made these pancakes this morning for my husband on his second morning home from a month of being gone...we loved them. I did substitute a date puree that I've been baking with over he holidays and mixed in a little bit more cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice for a little extra kick. I'll throw in a dash of sea salt in the future too. I've been wanting to make this recipe for awhile now and so i doubled it! smart thing, cause even though we were full after 2 (small ones) we now have a bunch leftover- so yum. Thanks Steve!

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  13. Paleomac - those sound awesome! Thanks for the comment! Keeps me goin' (so i better GET goin' on my next post - Holiday's making me lazy ;-)

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  14. do you have a low fat paleo recipe for desserts? i have a sweet tooth and am doing great staying away from sugar but i would like something. Also
    I need to make a birthday cake and want to keep it in my paleo lifestyle any ideas.

    this is a great website im learning alot
    thanks for your help

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  15. Check out Chelsea's Paleo Muffins posted in March.

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  16. i have a big carton of blueberries and was craving some pancakes to go with them, so i gave this recipe a try this morning and love them!!! thanks for sharing!

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  17. Andrea! You are welcome.. blueberries are my favorite food!

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  18. Awesome Pancakes, wish I could eat them everyday. Blogged about it and linked back to you

    http://www.primal30daychallenge.com/2010/12/pumpkin-paleo-pancakes.html

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  19. Thanks for sharing! I plan on trying this very soon.

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  20. Could I substitute almond butter with just butter or would it make a significant difference? Can't wait to try this recipe!!

    Thanks,
    Isabela

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  21. Ummm... luv butter but it's way different than nut butter. Might be a problem.

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