Over the last 150 years or so, Valentine’s Day has become synonymous with flowers, chocolates and sweets. What better way to show someone you love them than with confectionary treats, right? Well, aside from the mountains of data suggesting sugar is a bigger threat to our health than we ever could have imagined, gone are the days that I personally can scarf down a box of chocolates without repercussions.
I’m the first to admit, I haven’t been able to avoid all added sugars like I had hoped at the beginning of the year. And as Valentine’s Day rapidly approaches, I’m quite nervous I’ll be able to steer clear of all the chocolate since I’m a legit sugar addict. Having said that, I’ve made huge strides in staying away from as much added sugar as possible over the last month and I’m quite proud of myself.
To satiate my sweet tooth and still celebrate Valentine’s Day with my family, my goal is to make healthful swaps for traditionally sweet foods. No, I didn’t recreate chocolate. But I did create an amazing pancake recipe to leave your sweeties and you full, happy, and healthy!
These sugar-free Valentine’s Day pancakes from scratch are perfect for a Val Day treat. Why? Because they’re sweetened with strawberries and as we all know, red is the color of loooooove.
Make these ‘cakes for your sweetie and serve ’em breakfast-in-bed style for a simple, healthy way to say “I love you.” Enjoy!
Heart Healthy Valentine’s Day Pancakes
Ingredients
- 2 C whole wheat flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1 C unsweetened coconut milk
- 2 eggs, room temperature and lightly beaten
- 2 Tbsp butter, melted then cooled
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 2 C strawberry applesauce
- 1 C fresh or frozen strawberries, quartered and sliced (thaw if using frozen)
Directions
Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together coconut milk, eggs, butter, and almond extract. Combine with dry ingredients. A thick dough should form. Once the dough forms, stir in applesauce strawberries. Whisk well to combine. Stir in strawberries. Let batter sit for about 5 minutes and heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat.
When skillet is ready, scoop 1/4 – 1/2 C of batter at a time and cook pancakes 4-5 minutes per side. You’ll know they are ready to be flipped when the outside edges begin to bubble. Be careful not to burn.
Serve hot.
You can enjoy these Valentine’s Day pancakes any day of the year — if strawberries aren’t your thing, you can easily swap the flavors of applesauce and toss in some blueberries, cherries, or whatever your taste buds fancy.
It’s easy to make healthful swaps when the options are readily available. If you’re trying to stay sugar-free and you find it difficult, my biggest piece of advice to you is to ditch the sweets you currently have in your home and replace them with healthy choices such as fresh fruits and vegetables.
xo
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What’s your favorite healthy sweet treat?
Do you have a kitchen hack to limit sugar intake in your house?
