Chocolate Protein Pancakes

By request of my best friend, Brooke**
I decided to dedicate my first recipe post to my Chocolate Protein Pancakes!

It only makes sense to do this recipe seeing that I eat them every other (if not every) day.

They are just SO DANG GOOD, 

as well as good for you.

That is my favorite way of cooking.

Cooking the good stuff that is also good for you.

A win-win situation, I say.

When I started working on this recipe,

they were horrible.

Dry.

Burnt.

Bland.

But one more egg white and a little baking soda later...

They were perfect. 

And I eat them all the time! 

They especially hit the spot after a hard workout. 

Sometimes dreaming about them gets me through that last mile of a run.

I obviously need some sort of man.

Anywayyyys.

Here's the recipe & instructions.

The more you make them, the better they turn out.

**Brooke is a dime-piece with a bad-A skill at blogging. So check hers out...HERE

Recipe: Chocolate Protein Pancakes
Makes 1 serving: 3 pancakes

3 egg whites

1 egg yolk

1/2 cup almond milk (regular can be used if necessary)

1 scoop vanilla protein powder (I recommend Elite Gourmet French Vanilla)

1 tablespoon flaxseed

1 tablespoon cocoa powder (I use Hershey's)

1 teaspoon of baking powder 

1 teaspoon of cinnamon 

1 large mashed banana

any fruit and/or peanut butter for topping. I use both. 

BEFORE YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT TOUCHING THE INGREDIENTS BELOW...

Set a medium sized pan on your oven top and start heating it on medium heat.

Okay here we go!

Step numero uno would be to mix the wet ingredients (left picture)

This means combine the three egg whites, one egg yolk and milk and whisk away!

Step numero dos would be to mix in the dry ingredients (right picture)

This means add in the protein powder, cocoa powder, flaxseed, baking powder & cinnamon

Next come banana mashing time.

Cut the banana about 3/4th of the way

(I save the 1/4th portion for a fruit topping)

I'm unsure if there is an actual fruit masher device out their on the market,

but I just use a knife.

Literally attack the fruit with the knife to make it as mashed as possible,

As I demonstrated below...

Once you have killed the banana

Mix it in and your ready to begin cooking

Before you pour each 1/3rd of the batter

make sure you spray the pan with some type of oil.

I recommend coconut spray oil.

At some point I will do a nutritional post about coconut oil.

But for now just know it is the best EVER oil out there for you.

So don't be scared to put down your veggie & canola oils for a change and try it out.

Trust me,

It'll taste the exact same.

It actually takes some practice to eyeball 1/3rd of the batter for each pancake.

So don't be too hard on yourself if you get two small and one GIANT pancake the first time.

I let the pancake sit for about 2 minutes on each side before flipping.

Make sure the edges of the pancake look cooked before you flip

If there is something I love 

It is fruit.

Therefore, while pancakes are cooking, I cut fruit up to top them with.

Wahla.

The pancakes are done and topped.

An extra ingredient I LOVE to eat with this is peanut butter.

More specifically almond butter.

But whatever butter you like better is best.

So there you have it.

Now eat it.

Like I said before, these are super filling if you eat the whole serving,

which I always do.

Also like I said before, these are actually very healthy.
HIGH in protein and low carbs.

Not that we don't need carbs (because we do)
But after working out or working hard in general, it is super important to fill up on the protein.

Another plus is the flax seed!
"Flax WHAT?" you may ask.
No this is not bird food.

Flax seed is high in B Vitamins
and helps in all things digestion (necessary).
another topic for another time.

ENJOY <3