I woke up wanting to vary from my usual oats and fruit bowl (aka, chocolate), so I made something my brother could also enjoy. However, I did not want to make anything with sweeteners of any kind, so these are the perfect and healthiest chocolate pancakes out there. They have NO sugar, NO oil, NO flour, and are made from 5 simple and nutritious ingredients.
Don't get me wrong, these pancakes are not at all bland and they are still just enough sweet. You (obviously) get the chocolate flavor from pure cacao powder (make sure it is 100% cacao with no additives) and sweetness from 1 medium banana. The riper your banana, the sweeter the batter will be. As for the flour, you don't need any, just use rolled oats, thick or thin. They're ingredients I'm sure you already have at home (maybe with the exception of the cacao powder) and are not too expensive.
Let's jump right into the frying pan.
Nutritional Notes
Cacao
Chocolate, cacao's most famous form, is usually associated with cheat foods and unhealthy choices, but did you know it has various benefits to your diet? As you may have heard, chocolate is a great mood booster, containing anandamide, which creates a feeling of euphoria. It also boosts brain levels of serotonin, calming hormones (for you women experiencing PMS symptoms) and restoring feelings of well-being. Additionally, it helps give us energy and combats fatigue.
Besides making you feel good, cacao can also help you look good. Polyphenol antioxidants found in cacao helps prevent early signs of ageing. Being a source of sulfur, it also aids us in achieving stronger and shinier hair, nails, and skin, while also protecting our liver and regultating blood sugar levels.
Other benefits include preventing tooth decay, improving brain function, protecting against skin cancer and heart disease, improving metabolism, and boosting memory, as well as acting as a natural aspirin by preventing blood clots.
Cacao is full of antioxidants, protein, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, copper, iron, zinc, potassium, oleic acid, fiber and vitamins E, B2, B1, B5, B3 and B9. Thus, next time you eat it, maybe you can feel a little less guilty!
Oats
Oats are a gluten-free whole-grain food and a great source of various nutrients that make it great for lowering blood sugar levels, weight-loss, and reducing risk of heart disease. They provide high levels of antioxidants, fiber, and protein, while also including various vitamins and minerals such as manganese, phosphorous, magnesium, copper, iron, zinc, folate, vitamin B1, and vitamin B5.
Oats provide numerous health benefits, such as lowering cholesterol levels, controlling blood sugar levels, help with skin care (many skin-care products use oats as an ingredient), as well as relieve constipation, while keeping you full for long periods of time.
Now that we've got that out of the way, let's head straight into the recipe.
You can top these babes with anything you'd like, such as a drizzle of nut butter or syrup, fruit or berries, or nuts or anything else. I topped mine with some berries and my brother's with some cereal.
Enjoy!
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