Mint Chocolate Chip Protein Pancakes

This week we are on the letter K for Meatless Mondays from A to Z and K is for Kale.

I love kale and use it all the time.  Usually, I saute it on the stove top with some balsamic vinegar and red wine vinegar and add some nutritional yeast, and maybe some garlic and onion powder.  Then, I eat it either straight from the pan as a side dish or maybe mix in some chickpeas and/or tempeh to make it more of a meal.

I also add kale to smoothies a lot.  So this week I wanted to try something different.  I decided to add kale to my pancakes!  This is actually something I have been meaning to do since the summer, except using spinach instead of kale, which of course works too!  In fact, the original recipe calls for spinach.  Feel free to try this recipe with kale or spinach, I personally think kale has a bolder flavor though so if you are hesitant in adding greens into your pancakes you may want to try the spinach first.  I know green pancakes might not look the most appetizing, but trust me these are delicious!

This recipe was adapted from here:

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup GF bisquick*
• 1 scoop protein powder* (I used Sunwarrior Blend Vanilla where 1 scoop equals 21g)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 cup almond milk, divided
• 1 cup packed kale
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon mint extract
• 1 flax egg
• 1 tablespoon chocolate chips

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine bisquick, protein powder, and baking powder and whisk together.
2. In a blender, add 1/4 cup almond milk, kale, vanilla extract, and the mint extract.  Process until the kale has broken down.
3. Pour the kale mixture into the dry ingredients.  Add the flax egg and stir to combine.  The batter will be very thick.  Add more almond milk if the batter is too thick starting with 1/4 cup and possibly adding the extra 1/4 cup.  (Mine needed a total of 3/4 cup almond milk to reach a pancake consistency, but this can vary depending on the type of flour/protein powder you use.)
4. Pour batter by 1/4 cup onto a hot griddle over medium-low heat.  Add a few chocolate chips to the top of each pancake and cook until lightly golden on each side.

* You can use whole-wheat flour or a GF flour instead of the bisquick.  You can also omit the protein powder, if desired, but then increase the bisquick or flour to 1/3 cup.

With this recipe, I was able to make 5 medium-sized pancakes.

Here's a picture before the pancake cooked

 (it looked greener in person, I don't have the best lighting.) 

 I wish they stayed this green instead of turning golden brown when cooking.

I loved the minty taste and the sweet chocolate!  Topped with pure maple syrup, these made a very tasty breakfast.  Not only are they tasty, but they are packed with protein, and the kale adds tons of vitamins A and C!  What a great way to start the morning!

For another green breakfast with kale, check out this Green Breakfast Pudding!

Based on using GF Bisquick, original Silk PureAlmond Milk, and Sunwarrior 

Blend Vanilla Protein Powder, this entire batter yields approximately:

349 calories and 24g protein