Lemon Blueberry Chia Pancakes

Lemon Blueberry Chia Pancakes that are seriously delicious and no one will ever suspect are healthy. These simple pancakes pack in whole grains, omega 3 fats from the chia seeds, and antioxidants from the blueberries and lemon. 

Pancakes are one of my favorite things to make on weekend mornings. I am constantly, at the protest of my husband, trying to add all kinds of extra stuff to our pancakes.  You name it, I have probably tried to add it to a pancake. In our house, it's rarely a traditional pancake.  I just can't help myself from throwing in something extra. 

One recent Saturday, I whipped together these whole wheat buttermilk pancakes with blueberries, lemon, and chia seeds. We loved the outcome.  The blueberries, lemon, and buttermilk add a delicious tang and I love the texture of the chia seeds. Plus chia seeds are full of fiber, omega 3 fatty acids, manganese, calcium, and phosphorus. It's a great ingredient to incorporate into your favorite recipes to pack in some extra health benefits.

Freezing Chia Seed Pancakes

Since these pancakes freeze well, you can make up a big batch and save them for quick weekday breakfasts.  I find the best way to freeze them is to place the pancakes on parchment paper in the freezer uncovered for 1-2 hours.   Then once they are frozen and any moisture has been wicked away, place them in a freezer-safe container or bag.  To reheat, you can microwave them for 1.5-2 minutes or pop them in the toaster oven.

Making Gluten Free Chia Seed Pancakes 

To make a gluten-free version of chia seed pancakes, you can swap out the whole wheat flour for either gluten-free baking flour or oat flour. There are lots of gluten free flour mixes, I like to use the options that are one-to-one, meaning you don't need to change the amount of flour in the recipe. You can also make these with oat flour. To make it at home, just pulse rolled oats in a food processor or blender until they form a fine flour. For the oatmeal chia seed pancakes, you may need extra liquid since the oatmeal absorbs more liquid than traditional flour. You can either add more buttermilk or use water.

Ideas for Making Chia Seed Pancakes

There are lots of ways to switch up the flavor combination and use other combinations other than blueberry lemon. Here are some of my favorites:

• Apple Cinnamon: Instead of the blueberries, add 1 cup of sauteed apples and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Use the lemon but only half as much so it doesn't overpower the apples.
• Banana Chocolate Chip: Swap out the blueberries for 1 cup of chopped banana and a handful of chocolate chips. Leave out the lemon zest.
• Mango Coconut: Add 3/4 cup of chopped mango and 1/4 cup of shredded coconut. Instead of lemon zest, use lime zest.
• Raspberry Lime: Use raspberries instead of blueberries and use both lime zest and the juice of 1 lime.