Pear, Honey & Ricotta Oatmeal Pancakes

Pancakes aren't exactly a weakness of mine, but who doesn't enjoy them? For some reason I've been on a quest to make delicious healthy pancakes the past few months. Perhaps my pure love of breakfast sparked this quest, but I think my mom could also be to blame. 

My mom makes killer chocolate chip pancakes, and consuming endless amounts of them was something I enjoyed each time I went home on breaks from college. These heavenly chocolate chip pancakes are something I think about when I think about the old me, when I was a healthy chick in the bar, but not the Healthiest. I would eat these free of guilt, using eating healthy for the remainder of the day as well as a trip to the gym as an excuse to indulge. But now when I think back to how many of those I used to eat without feeling badly, it sickens me. 

I haven't been back to my parents' house since June, but when I return this Christmas, I don't plan on scarfing down any chocolate chip pancakes. Instead, I might offer to make this new creation that I'll share with you now. 

My quest to find an alternative to Mom's classic began with trying different flours. I experimented with coconut flour pancakes, but I found they left me feeling almost as stuffed as regular old pancakes. 

Recently, however, I stumbled across a recipe for oatmeal pancakes and tweaked it to my liking. Because I like to eat seasonally, I wanted to use pears instead of summery blueberries. And instead of using egg whites, I used real eggs. I am big on egg whites for omelettes and such, but these are pancakes, afterall. Why not throw in the yolk. 

I apologize that there isn't a picture of the finished pancake. The truth is that they're not the prettiest pancakes I've ever seen. It's kind of like making a cupcake healthy. It's the ones that are usually rotten for you that look the most delicious.   

But looks aren't everything. Pick up some fresh pears and try this recipe this weekend. 

Pear, Honey & Ricotta Oatmeal Pancakes 

Serves 2 

1/2 cup dry rolled oats 

3 eggs 

dollop of fresh ricotta 

drizzle of Nature's Hollow Sugar-Free Honey (find out more about this product here)
1 packet stevia
1/2 pear, chopped
butter, for serving

1. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.
2. Spray a skillet with cooking spray. Pour small amount of batter into pan. Flip when pancake is lightly brown. Remove from heat and repeat with rest of batter.
3. Serve with butter and an additional drizzle of honey. 

If you try it:

382.5 calories
19 g protein
4.25 g sugar
38.5 g carb