Butternut Squash Pancakes

It's cold and flu season! That means doubling up on your nutrients in order to boost your immune system. The humble butternut squash is basically nature's multi-vitamin: it contains powerful antioxidants Vitamin A and C - in fact, one serving of butternut squash provides over half your daily recommended dose of Vitamin C. Butternut squash contains more potassium than a banana; and also provides Vitamin B, manganese, magnesium, folate, zinc, and calcium! This sounds really great - but how do you prepare squash in a tasty way that harnesses the power of these nutrients?  Enter the squash pancake - it's simple, can be made from leftover roasted squash, makes a quick breakfast, and is versatile enough to be made savory or sweet. Plus this recipe adapts easily to gluten-free needs. These pancakes are just as delicious as they are nutritious. Topped with a spoon of homemade coconut yogurt, squash pancakes are something you'll make again and again. Here, I share two variations for butternut squash pancakes: a sweet maple version, and a savory onion sage version. 

INGREDIENTS - Sweet Maple Pancakes

Roasted Butternut Squash

Pancake Batter

• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3/4 C Butternut squash, roasted and mashed (power tip: buy pre-cubed squash at your local grocer to cut down on prep time)
• 2 TBS pure, grade A maple syrup
• 4 TBS (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/2 C Milk (can use regular milk or unsweetened nut milk, such as almond or coconut)
• 2 C flour (substitute gluten-free flour for gluten-free pancakes)
• 1 TBS Baking powder
• 1-2 TBS Vegetable oil for cooking 
• Sweet spices:
  • 1 TSP cinnamon
  • 1/4 TSP nutmeg
  • dash ground ginger
  • pinch of salt

INGREDIENTS - Green Onion Sage Pancakes

• 2 eggs
• 3/4 C Butternut squash, roasted and mashed
• 2 TBS pure, grade A maple syrup
• 4 TBS (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/2 C Milk (can use regular milk or unsweetened nut milk, such as almond or coconut)
• 2 C flour (substitute gluten-free flour for gluten-free pancakes)
• 1 TBS Baking powder
• 1-2 TBS Vegetable oil for cooking
• Savory spices:
  • 3 green onions, sliced thinly 
  • 3 fresh sage leaves, minced
  • pinch of salt and ground pepper 

DIRECTIONS

Sweet Maple Butternut Squash Pancakes

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, squash, maple syrup, butter, spices (either sweet or savory), and milk.
2. In a separate, medium-size bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
3. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet, and gently blend with a spoon or a spatula.
4. Do not overmix! The batter will be lumpy and that is OK.
5. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add 1-2 TBS vegetable oil.
6. Once oil is heated, Pour 2-3TBS pancake batter on the hot skillet and spread with spatula.
7. Cook pancake about 2 minutes, until air bubbles rise to the surface. Flip and cook additional 1 to 2 minutes, or until cooked through. Repeat with remaining batter.
8. Serve sweet pancakes with maple syrup or coconut yogurt and a dash of cinnamon; serve savory pancakes with coconut yogurt and garnishes of sliced green onions and chopped sage.
9. Store leftover pancakes in airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If you don't want to cook all of the batter at once, you can store uncooked batter in your refrigerator for 3 days.