Recently I have been reading up on the GAPS Diet, which stands for Gut And Psychology/Physiology Syndrome. This is an elimination diet intended to help heal and repair the gastrointestinal tract and as a result improve the health of the rest of the body, including the brain. The diet focuses on nutrient-dense, easy to digest foods including homemade bone broth, boiled meats and fish, cooked vegetables, healthy oils and fats, and fermented probiotic rich foods like sauerkraut and homemade yogurt. As the diet progresses, it introduces more foods, prepared in various ways including the GAPS pancake. I thought to myself, “That sounds really delicious!” and so I was inspired to create this recipe.
Butternut squash is an ingredient most people tend avoid in recipes because it can feel really burdensome. It is difficult to breakdown, remove the skin, and cut it into those perfect cubes the recipe often calls for! However, there are many ways to get around this challenging ingredient. The two options I often go for include the pre-cooked, cubed and flash-frozen butternut squash or the raw, cubed, fresh butternut squash. Both save you tons of time and energy. In this case I chose the fresh variety and simply boiled the entire container in a pot of bone broth. You can also boil it in water, but by using the bone broth the squash absorbs healthy, gut-healing nutrients.
From there I simply combined the rest of the ingredients in my Ninja blender and the entire recipe took about 10-minutes to make! It is a healthy, nutritious, guilt-free way to eat your morning pancakes. Also, these pancakes are super light, fluffy, and flavorful. Enjoy.
Nutrition Facts
This recipe makes 2 servings:
Per serving: 244 calories, 16g carb, 11g protein, 15g fat, 4g fiber
- 1 cup boiled butternut squash cubes*
- 2 tbsp coconut flour
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 3 large eggs
- Place all ingredients in the food processor or blender. Blend until well combined.
- On low heat, add oil or cooking spray to a medium or large pan.
- Add the pancake batter to the pan. This batter works best with "silver dollar" size pancakes, about 3-4 inches in diameter.
- Heat until the edges begin to brown, about 3-4 minutes, then flip each pancake and heat until the pancake is cooked through.
- Serve warm with a side of pure maple syrup or honey.
- *I buy the pre-cubed butternut squash at the grocery store. You can also buy frozen.
