Favorite brunch go-to? My home-made blueberry pancakes I serve for friends and family.
Every morning I eat a pound of fresh blueberries with black coffee for breakfast, spending nearly $20/week or $80/month at Costco on a single product.
Costco is the cheapest place for groceries in San Francisco, period. And the store contains some of the freshest produce.
Why blueberries? Search “health benefits of blueberries”. Research says the little fruit softens skin, boosts your brain power and may even prevent cancer.
In one study investigating the daily consumption of blueberry juice, researchers found improved associate learning skills, reduced depressive symptoms and lower glucose levels.
“Blueberries contain polyphenolic compounds, most prominently anthocyanins, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. In addition, anthocyanins have been associated with increased neuronal signaling in brain centers, mediating memory function as well as improved glucose disposal, benefits that would be expected to mitigate neurodegeneration.”
You can read the abstract of the study here:
Blueberry Supplementation Improves Memory in Older Adults
Now I have no idea what a polyphenolic compound is, exactly. Or how to pronounce anthocyanins. So all these wonderful things the smart people come up with are not why I personally eat blueberries.
I eat them because they are delicious, keep me regular and grown in the United States — I like supporting local farmers.
As a result of having them in my refrigerator, I developed the perfect blueberry pancakes recipe, using gluten-free almond flour by Simple Mills.
The recipe uses fresh blueberries, lemon zest and natural honey. Blueberries and lemon are the key to this delicious recipe!
Some will leave the cinnamon out, I added a dash without nutmeg for warmth — I have a bad habit of adding cinnamon to everything.
In this recipe, it’s okay to leave additional spices out, depending on your taste.
My Blueberry Pancakes Recipe
Ingredients
1 cup Simple Mills’ Almond Flour
2 egg whites or 6 tablespoons of liquid egg whites from carton
1/2 cup fresh blueberries, smashed
lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons of water
2 teaspoons of honey
(optional) a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg
Method
In a Pyrex 2-Cup measuring glass with spout (for easy pouring), mix almond flour, egg whites, water and honey. In a small bowl, smash blueberries. Add lemon zest and juice from a lemon to the blueberries. Stir blueberries and lemon into flour mixture.
Heat a lightly oiled non-stick pan to medium heat. Pour the batter onto the pan, using approximately 1/3 cup for each pancake. Flip and brown on both sides.
Serve hot with Challenge Butter, fresh blueberries, maple syrup and whipped cream.
For me, a fresh blueberry pancakes recipe makes for the best brunch with lots of alcohol.
(The alcohol will likely diminish the health benefits of blueberries, but the time spent with friends and family will be so much better!)
