Paleo Pumpkin Pancakes

Did you know that buckwheat is a seed and not a grain? There’s a debate as to whether or not it’s 100% paleo, but I think it is! And it can be a great fix for spontaneous sweating and high blood pressure… if you are looking for something that tastes and feels like a grain, you’ve got to try this!

It’s pumpkin season! And it’s pancake season! Okay, so maybe there’s not really a pancake season, but there should be…

These Paleo Pumpkin Pancakes are so perfect, you shouldn’t need a reason to make them, but they taste so decadent, that you might feel like you are cheating on your healthy eating lifestyle. But you are not. Really. These are so good for you!

Breakfast is my favorite meal.  Always has been.  I’m like a breakfast freak. Steve gets on my case all of the time because the second I wake up I start planning my day around breakfast.  During the week this is easy because I usually have some type of shake. But on the weekends, it’s a different story.  I love to go out to breakfast. But, sometimes, like when I want pancakes, I’ll make them myself, because even here in Manhattan, it’s not so easy to find paleo pancakes when I want them.

So, when I woke up last Sunday, I popped out of bed (I’m an annoying morning person), and immediately started talking about breakfast. Steve looked at me, shook his head, and just kind of slid out of the room and put the dogs’ leashes on.  I knew there was no way he was entertaining my hugs restaurant brunch ideas… so as we walked the dogs, I formulated my homemade breakfast in my head.  And these Paleo Pumpkin Pancakes happened.  I can’t take the credit for the original recipe, because I got most of it from Erin at her awesome blog: Well Plated.

I’ve made lots of paleo pancakes before. But never with buckwheat. I don’t know why, except that I guess I never really thought or believed that buckwheat is paleo friendly. So I did some research. Buckwheat is a seed; it’s not a grain. And when it’s ground into a flour, it makes the most awesome pancakes. I’ve actually been experimenting with making risotto out of whole buckwheat groats lately and so far I’m loving the results (I’ll post a recipe soon).

These Paleo Pumpkin Pancakes are crisp on the outside and hot and smooth on the inside. Add some pure maple syrup and you feel like you are cheating on your diet. I mean, pumpkin and maple… this is a delicious flavor combo…

Here are some of the reasons these pancakes are so healing:

Buckwheat is great to eat if you have diarrhea. It also helps lower blood pressure, stops some types of sweating, and has a good amount of vitamin E. It also contains antioxidants that can help fight cancer and heart disease.

Pumpkin can help reduce pain and fever and can soothe stomach irritations. It’s a great food to treat constipation, allergies and asthma. It’s high in vitamin A and can help protect your lungs and intestines from cancer.

In Asian medicine, we use coconut to strengthen the body, reduce swelling, and stop bleeding. Coconut kills viruses, bacteria, and parasites. It’s good for all types of infections and viruses in the body, including the flu, bronchitis, tapeworms, urinary tract infections, and herpes. And perhaps most importantly, it helps you keep your mind sharp and it makes it easier for you to focus. I like to use full-fat canned coconut milk for these pancakes.

I am a big proponent of eating the whole egg. So many of the nutrients and the taste are in the yolk; I’ll never understand separating nature’s perfect food. Eggs help with many types of dryness in the body. If you have a dry cough or a frog-in-your-throat, try eating some eggs. They have also been shown to help women with various conditions during and after pregnancy. Some people consider eggs to be a superfood. They contain a large amount of vitamins A and B and are a great source of protein. Eggs sometimes get a bad rap because of cholesterol, but it’s been shown that in 70% of people, eggs do not raise cholesterol, so don’t assume they are bad for you. Buy organic eggs and you are really doing the right thing.