3-INGREDIENT PANCAKES & SUGAR FREE CARAMEL
Fall is almost here and I can’t contain myself! I already made these 3-ingredient pancakes topped with sautéed apples, walnuts, raisins, and a sugar-free caramel sauce. These pancakes always come out so moist and fluffy, and they couldn’t be easier to make! And the caramel sauce is TO. DIE. FOR. It honestly deserves a post of it’s own but this will have to do for now! You might also like my PB&J Protein Pancakes 😉
Did you know? Carbs boost the fat-burning and appetite-suppressing hormone, leptin, far more than protein or fats are capable of doing. Leptin levels get lower and lower the longer you diet, which is why carb “re-feeds” are so important.
The 3-ingredient pancakes
For the pancakes, you’ll need cottage cheese, gluten-free oats, and egg whites (plus a few optional things). Don’t worry if you’re dairy free, you can use silken tofu in place of the cottage cheese! I used gluten-free old fashion rolled oats for this recipe, but any oats will do. Also, you can use one whole egg in place of the egg whites, but I did egg whites to keep the fat low so I could add all the high-fat toppings! Just blend everything together in a blender and you’re good to go! For thick, fluffy pancakes, you want a thicker pancake batter that pours slowly.
Now, there are a few optional ingredients that take these pancakes from good to awesome: pure vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, calorie-free sweetener (I used Keystone Pantry Non-GMO Rare Natural Allulose), and baking powder for extra fluff and volume.
What is allulose?
You may be wondering, what the heck is allulose? Well, it’s a naturally occurring “sugar” found in Jackfruit, figs, and raisins (and also the new Quest bars). I say “sugar,” because it’s not like regular sugar. It has 70% of the sweetness of table sugar, with 10% of the calories (1 calorie per teaspoon) since it isn’t fully metabolized by the body. Allulose does not impact blood glucose or insulin levels, and it’s keto-friendly. It also caramelizes like sugar and tastes like sugar with no aftertaste (unlike stevia and erythritol).
The only drawback is that too much allulose can cause digestive upset, i.e., gas, bloating, diarrhea. I think this is pretty common with any of the “indigestible” natural sweeteners, so moderation is key. I didn’t notice any gas or bloating after making these pancakes, but I also tend to tolerate stevia and erythritol pretty well (erythritol does make me bloat if I consume too much).
The sugar-free caramel sauce
Anyway, try it out and see what you think! I will tell you it makes amazing sugar-free caramel sauce, something I could never quite achieve with stevia or erythritol. Just melt your allulose in a sauce pan and simmer until golden, add some butter (can use dairy-free buttery spread), some milk (I used unsweetened almond milk), pure vanilla extract, and sea salt if you like salted caramel! This caramel sauce is seriously so good. My husband was swooning and so confused how it could be sugar-free.
The toppings
For the sautéed apples, I just melted a half teaspoon of butter over medium heat and added one-quarter cup of chopped apples (I used Fuji apples but any kind works), then sprinkled them with cinnamon. You just want to cook until tender not mushy, stirring every so often for even cooking.
Oh, I went ahead and sprinkled a teaspoon each of seedless organic raisins and chopped walnuts for all the fall feels!
Here’s the printable recipe for these 3-Ingredient Pancakes & Sugar Free Caramel. I hope you’ll rate it and/or comment below if you try either 😉
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3-Ingredient Pancakes & Sugar Free Caramel
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup gluten-free rolled oats
- 1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese or dairy-free ricotta or silken tofu
- 1/4 cup (2 large) egg whites or one whole egg
- 2 tsp. calorie-free sweetener optional
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder optional
- 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon optional
- 1/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract optional
Sugar-free caramel (optional, makes 8 servings):
- 1/2 cup allulose see blog post for more info
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter room temperature (or dairy-free buttery spread)
- 3 tbsp. unsweetened cashew milk
- 1/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp. sea salt optional
Other toppings (optional):
- 1/4 cup chopped apple + 1/2 tsp. butter + cinnamon
- 1 tsp. chopped walnuts
- 1 tsp. seedless raisins
Instructions
- If making caramel sauce, start by melting allulose in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Once it begins to melt, stir every so often to ensure even heating. Once golden brown, add butter and stir until combined (will bubble vigorously). Remove from heat and add milk, vanilla, and salt. Set aside to cool.
- For the pancakes, blend oats, cottage cheese (or tofu), egg whites (plus optional ingredients if desired) just until smooth.
- Preheat a skillet over medium heat and coat with cooking spray.
- Drop batter into skillet 2 tbsp. at a time for six small pancakes, or 1/4 cup at a time for 3 regular-sized pancakes.
- Cook pancakes 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown, then set aside on a plate.
- Saute apples over medium heat with butter and cinnamon until tender (not mushy).
- Top pancakes with apples, walnuts, raisins, and 1 tbsp. of sugar-free caramel sauce. Enjoy!