Butternut Squash Chia Pancakes (with Homemade Berry-Chia Sauce)
There's nothing better for breakfast than some soft, fluffy and delicious pancakes. That's exactly what these Butternut Squash Chia Pancakes are. Aside from how good they are, they're also super healthy and loaded with essential nutrients. Top them with this sweet Homemade Berry-Chia Sauce which takes them to a whole other level. It's a true explosion of flavors!
Ingredients
For Berry-Chia Sauce:
- 1 cup strawberries
- 8 oz raspberries
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
For Butternut Squash Chia Pancakes:
- 1 cup bleached almond flour
- 1 cup tapioca flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- pinch pink sea salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 cup butternut squash puree (see note)
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/4 cup melted refined coconut oil (plus more for greasing)
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
Instructions
For Berry-Chia Sauce:
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Remove stems from strawberries and slice into fourths. In a small saucepan combine strawberries, raspberries and maple syrup. Place saucepan on stovetop and start to simmer berries on medium-low heat. Keep simmering until berries start to cook down into a sauce. It should take about 7-8 minutes.
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If there are big chunks of fruit left, use a spatula and gently mash them down. Turn heat off and remove berries from stovetop. Sprinkle in chia seeds stirring into the sauce. Allow sauce to completely cool-off. Pour sauce into a small mason jar and store in the fridge.
For Butternut Squash Chia Pancakes:
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While Berry-Chia Sauce cools down, start making panckaes. In a large mixing bowl combine dry ingredients; tapioca flour, almond flour, baking powder, pink sea salt, and cinnamon.
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In another large mixing bowl, combine and whisk together wet ingredients; butternut squash puree, eggs, applesauce, coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla extract.
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Pour wet ingredients into dry ones and whisk together until everything is well combined and batter has formed. Make sure there aren't any streaks of flour left. Fold chia seeds into batter.
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Grease griddle with a bit of coconut oil and heat-up on medium heat. Pour 1/4 cup of batter onto heated griddle at a time. Pan fry first side of pancakes for 2-3 minutes. Flip pancakes over and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Repeat until all batter is has been cooked through. Place pancakes on cooling rack as they get cooked. Keep warm.
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Serve pancakes while they are still warm and top with Berry-Chia Sauce. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Tips and Substitutions:
- Use a griddle to make pancakes- if you don’t have a griddle and make pancakes on a regular basis, I highly recommend to invest in one. They are pretty cheap and great for making pancakes. Your pancakes won’t stick to the bottom and you can make more at a time.
- Look for the small bubbles that pop-up on pancakes while cooking them- This is a good sign that they are ready to be flipped.
- Gently stick a spatula under the pancake when ready to flip- if it easily slides right through without getting stuck, it means the pancake is done on that side and ready to flip. If the spatula gets stuck and won’t easily slide under the pancake, don’t force it. Remove spatula and allow pancake to continue cooking for another few seconds.
- Keep cooked pancakes on a cooling rack if possible- This will help pancakes to evenly start to cool-down preventing them from getting mushy and will remain fluffy and soft.
- No applesauce? No problem– Substitute for a large ripe banana. The applesauce in this recipe helps the pancakes get fluffy. A ripe banana will help achieve the same result.
- Not a fan of coconut oil or you’re out of it?- Substitute for olive oil, unsalted butter, or ghee.
- Switch up your squash- You can use pumpkin or sweet potato puree as well for this recipe.
- Substitute for maple syrup- Use honey instead.
- Use ripe strawberries and raspberries- Using ripe berries will get you a sweeter sauce naturally.
How to make Butternut Squash Puree:
- To make butternut squash puree place one cup of cubed butternut squash in a small saucepan with enough water to cover it.
- Place on stove on high heat and bring to a boil. Boil until squash has softened.
- Remove from stove and drain reserving 1/2 cup of the water.
- Place squash and water in a food processor or blender blend together until smooth consistency is reached.