Pancakes are the quintessential American breakfast food. (And one of the best “we’re low on groceries” dinner-for-breakfast traditions, too!) Nourishing your body with a 100% organic and ethical healthy gourmet pancake mix just makes the tradition even better. But scrumptious pancakes mix are just one part of the equation. Toppings add so much variety and nutritional value! Scroll down for a list of the best healthy pancake topping ideas to really bring your breakfast game up a notch! Most of the toppings are vegan, while some are vegetarian. You’ll love our Homemade Vegan Nutella Recipe!
Healthy Pancake Toppings: Overview
- Foods for Energy Boost
- Savory Pancake Toppings
- High Protein & Low Carb Breakfast Ideas
- Low Glycemic Index Foods
- Sweet Pancake Toppings
- Healthy Pancake Toppings for Kids
17 Healthy Pancake Topping Ideas to Elevate Your Clean Eating Meal Plan
Perhaps you want something as quick and easy as drizzling agave nectar over your pancakes. Or maybe you want something more intense, like a decadent homemade Acai and Coconut Syrup recipe. Whatever you’re looking for, you’re likely to find it in the list of healthy vegetarian recipes below.
Foods for Increased Energy
1. Muesli + Pancake Combos for the Ultimate High Fiber Breakfast
(See more pictures and get FREE Shipping on all online orders here.)
If you’ve spent much time on Mu Mu’s clean eating blog, you probably know how much I love to nerd out about the nutritional advantages of Mu Mu Muesli. (Check out the 7+ advantages of organic muesli here.)
Now it’s time for Mu Mu’s sister product, Mu Mu Magic pancakes to share the lime light. This tantalizing pancake mix is full of energizing, wholesome organic ingredients with no added sugar or GMOs. The unique combination of cranberries, dates, and whole grains is so exquisite that we proudly view them as a pancake experience!
Given the scrumptious and healthy nature of both breakfast foods, it’s only natural to have fun combining the two. In order to do so, all you have to do is had a half a cup of Mu Mu Muesli to the recipe below! As always, you can transform this into an easy vegan recipe by using nondairy milk and a flax egg.
How to Make a Pancake for Beginners:
The end result of mixing muesli and this hearty whole grain pancake mix is an unforgettable oat pancake recipe with so much wiggle room for creativity! You can add bananas, syrup, almonds, apples, cherries, blueberries, and even protein powder.
Savory Pancake Topping Ideas
It’s always fun to mix sweet and savory flavors, and the end result is often surprising! I like that you can enhance the health benefits of fiber-rich pancakes by adding protein-rich toppings. A breakfast with plenty of dietary fiber and protein energizes you and keeps you feeling satisfied long after breakfast.
2. Creamy Satay Sauce
Best Vegetarian Breakfasts with Protein
This protein pancake topping recipe from GoodtoKnow.co is for anyone craving something savory with a punch of spice. Since the recipe goes heavy on the peanut butter, this is an excellent way to add more protein to your breakfast.
Satay Sauce Recipe*
75g Crunchy Peanut Butter (Organic)
2tsp Sweet Chili Sauce
125mL Vegetable Stock
2tsp Light Soy Sauce
2tsp Lemon Juice
To see more pictures and instructions, visit the full recipe page.
3. Organic Peanut Butter + Dark Chocolate
Best Foods for Brain Health
Peanut butter and chocolate is another simple and flavorful high-protein, plant-based topping idea. Once you’ve cooked your Mu Mu Magic pancakes to a golden brown, slather them with organic peanut butter right off the griddle. The heat will cause the peanut butter to melt and spread easily. Next, sprinkle some dark chocolate chips evenly atop the deliciously melted peanut butter. (Did you know that dark chocolate is a healthy fat proven to benefit your brain health?)
You can also substitute other organic, high-protein nut butters, such as almond butter.
4. Creamy Mashed Avocado Spread
The Most Versatile Healthy Fats for Vegans
Avocados are truly superfoods; they belong on every Vegan Grocery Shopping List! I can’t even begin to list all of their health benefits in a brief paragraph, but here are a few:
- Avocados contain omega-3 fatty acids, a type of healthy fat that helps counteract neurological and cognitive disorders.
- They’re also loaded with dietary fiber and contain more potassium per serving than bananas!
One option is to keep it simple and slather pureed avocados across your pancakes. (I suggest adding just a pinch of salt!)
But you can also have some fun experimenting with various additions, such as dark chocolate chips or even a few fried eggs. If you are a vegetarian, free-range organic eggs are a great way to add some extra protein to your morning meal!
Tip: Combining chocolate with avocados may sound odd, but you might be delightfully surprised if you give it a shot!
Related: High Fiber Breakfast Foods for the Energy Your Body + Mind Craves
High Protein Vegan Healthy Pancake Toppings
For new vegans and vegetarians in search of more plant-based sources of protein, this section is for you!
5. Mu Mu Magic with Yogurt, Fruit, and Chia Seeds
This is a simple vegetarian recipe that gives you everything you need in the morning. Since this recipe is both easy and healthy, I recommend adding it to any new clean eating meal plan for beginners.
Here’s a quick summary this healthy, high protein recipe:
- The pancakes are a great source of fiber, and the organic yogurt gives you the protein your body needs.
- Adding low glycemic fruits like kiwi or bananas adds revitalizing antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.
- Another benefit is the healthy fats in the chia seeds.
6. Cheese Pancake Recipes
Best Homemade Pancake Topping Recipes
Have you ever tried cheese on your pancakes? The tangy flavor complements the hearty sweetness of pancakes and maple syrup, forming the perfect yin and yang.
If you’re interested in trying something a little unusual, consider playing around with goat cheese-inspired healthy pancake toppings. Although I rarely eat cheese, I did start eating organic goat cheese here and there after discovering some rather surprising health benefits of this specific type of cheese!
Here are a few recipes to try:
- The Raspberry and Goat Cheese Pancakes recipe from Food52 is quite tantalizing. Fresh thyme and lemon juice combined with tart raspberries meld perfectly with the zest of organic goat cheese!
- Another savory pancake topping recipe to try is from Montchevre, and I think you’ll love mixing goat cheese with homemade blueberry syrup. It’s a great balance of healthy fats and protein, and the extra dietary fiber from the blueberries earn this easy vegetarian recipe a spot on our official Clean Eating Foods List!
- Finally, for a decadent blend of sweet and savory, check out the following recipe from AdventuresinCooking.com: Goat Cheese and Mascarpone Vanilla Bean Pancakes with Strawberry Rhubarb Syrup.
Low Glycemic Diet Foods List
First, let’s go over a quick review of what “low glycemic index foods” actually are. Simply put, not all carbohydrates (sugars) are created equal. The Glycemic Index (GI) rating system measures the impact of these carbs on the glucose levels in your blood. This is important because it can be dangerous to eat too many high glycemic foods.
In other words, high glycemic foods have a bigger impact on your blood glucose levels and cause them to rise. As a result, your insulin levels will also spike, putting you at risk for diabetes. In contrast, your body metabolizes low glycemic foods more slowly. This prevents huge jumps in blood glucose and insulin levels.
Related: 30 Amazing Natural Sugar Foods for a Low Glycemic Diet
Since my goal is to provide you with healthy pancake topping ideas, it only seems natural to include healthy pancake toppings ideas with a low GI!
7. Acai Berry Sauce
Best Fruity Pancake Toppings for Mu Mu’s Low Glycemic Diet Foods List
Have you admired the beautiful, artistic acai smoothie bowl recipes floating around on the wonderful world of Pinterest? I certainly enjoy the beautiful pictures, but I must admit that my skeptical nature inspired me to fact check acai nutritional benefits.
To summarize, the internet is right – and I’m a little embarassed that I didn’t discover acai berries sooner!
Here’s a quick overview of aci nutrition benefits:
- Acai berries are full of valuable vitamins and minerals, such as Vitamin A, manganese, magnesium, zinc, potassium, phosphorus, copper, iron, and chromium.
- These beautiful berries also offer just a smidgen of dietary fiber (2 grams per serving) and very little sugar (also 2 grams per serving).
- Somewhat surprisingly, acai berries are relatively high in fat. Luckily, it’s the healthy kind of fat. (Yes, some kinds of fats are incredibly good for you!)
- Since Acai berries only have a GI of 24.2, they definitely belong on our low glycemic diet foods list.
- The specific type of antioxidant in acai berries, called anthocyanin, is this fruit’s secret power. Studies suggest that it may help lower bad cholesterol and increase levels of good cholesterol. Researchers have also found strong evidence suggesting that the anthocyanins in acai berries have the power to fight colon and bladder cancer!
- The final benefit of anthocyanin is its ability to enhance brain health by strengthening memory and protecting aging brains from damage.
Vegan Acai Mixed Berry Sauce Recipe
1 cup of almond or coconut flour
1 tsp baking powder
Agave or Yacon syrup, to taste
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1 cup coconut milk
1 pinch vanilla extract
3 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 Cup of Strawberries
1/2 Cup of Blackberries
1 tbsp of Acai Powder
1 Flax Egg
And then it’s a rather fast and easy vegan recipe:
1. In order to make this sauce, collect two different types of fruit. Personally, I recommend strawberries and blackberries. But the beauty of this recipe is that you can always try another combination, like raspberries and blueberries.
2. First, combine the fresh fruit and agave nectar. Heat in a small saucepan on low until it thickens, almost like jelly. After allowing the mixture to cool, add the acai powder and stir.
3. Pour over your heart-healthy pancakes, and viola! You can take some liberties with this, adorning your beautiful breakfast with various types of fresh fruit to your heart’s content.
Adapted from Vanillacruunch.com.
If you have time, you might enjoy making your own homemade coconut milk. You can even increase the nutritional value even more by making hemp seed-infused coconut milk.
8. Homemade Date Paste
Most Qualified for Low Glycemic Diet Food List
If dates were people, they’d be superheroes. Really! This underappreciated food eases pregnancy discomfort, helps prevent a variety of cancers, and promotes a healthy gut microbiome. Oh, and despite dates’ natural sugar content, studies have shown that this wonderful fruit is safe for people with diabetes. It may even reduce symptoms. Dates are also beneficial for teeth and bones.
I recently wrote a blog post about refined sugar substitutes, and of course dates made their debut in yet another article. But then again, who can resist the holistic healing power of Medjool dates?
The following is a condensed version of the health benefits of dates. They:
- Meet the standards for a low glycemic diet foods list,
- Are staples on our Vegan Grocery Shopping List for Beginners, and
- Earned a spot on The Only High Fiber Foods List You’ll Ever Need
And now I can add another nutritional award to that list: they’re the perfect ingredient for healthy pancake toppings, too. You can use them in their raw form or make syrups or creamy spreads.
If you want a really fast and easy vegan recipe for beginners, simply crumble dried dates with your hands. That is a simple but satisfying pancake topping on its own!
However, here are a few easy date paste and syrup recipes to try if you’re feeling adventurous:
- For an easy vegan recipe with step-by-step instructions for making date paste, check out this post by Detoxinista.
- In order to make date syrup, hop on over to TheKitchn.com for an easy date syrup recipe.
(Check out the the full list in the 9 Life-Changing Health Benefits of Dates in order to learn more!)
Healthy Syrup Alternatives to Maple Syrup
Before mentioning alternatives to maple syrup, I don’t want to throw this sweet treat under the bus. It’s overflowing with disease-fighting antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. In fact, there are more than 25 antioxidants in maple syrup!
But as the saying goes, variety is the spice of life. So add some spice to your life by experimenting with Monk Fruit Syrup, Yacon Syrup, and Agave Nectar. Each syrup has its own unique set of health benefits. I encourage you to check out more detailed nutrition profiles for each in 10 Little-Known White Sugar Substitutes!
Sweet Pancake Topping Ideas + Recipes
This is a healthy eating blog, but that doesn’t mean we don’t love to indulge every now and then!
12. Cinnamon Caramelized Apples with Almond Butter Drizzle
13. Vegan-Style Nutella Pancake Topping
Who doesn’t love nutella? That creamy gourmet blend of chocolate and hazelnut is irresistable!
But looks can be deceiving. Even people consciously following a clean eating meal plan are tricked by Nutella’s innocuous label. Although Nutella contains small amounts of calcium, iron, and protein, it’s hardly a super food. The high fat content (12 grams of fat per 2 tablespoons of Nutella) is dangerous, especially since it is just for a small serving size! Furthermore, sugar makes up nearly 60% of its weight. In just two tablespoons, there are 21 grams of sugar.
Of course it’s fine to have “cheat foods” every once in awhile. But the more you pursue a clean eating lifestyle, the more you’ll notice that whole, natural foods taste much better.
If you like Nutella, try the easy vegan recipe below. It’s a healthier version that tastes just as good.
Homemade Vegan Nutella Recipe
This is a great vegan recipe for beginners because the process is so simple, and the MinimalistBaker.com has a list of very detailed instructions to follow. I also like this recipe because it lasts for up to three weeks, so it’s great even if you’re cooking for one.
Homemade Vegan Nutella Recipe Ingredients
- 3 Cups Raw Hazelnuts
- 2/3 Cups of Dark Chocolate
- 1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt
Hazelnuts and dark chocolate are both good foods for supporting good brain health.
Unlike actual Nutella, you can tailor the level of sweetness to your personal preferences. Just add a smidgen of Stevia, Agave syrup, or real maple syrup to balance out the bitter dark chocolate.
Miscellaneous But Decadent
3 Final Healthy Pancake Topping Ideas
Pancakes have been around since the Stone Age. Even people of ancient Greek and Roman civilizations feasted on pancakes. In other words, humans have had thousands upon thousands of years to explore creative pancake variations. Shakespeare included pancakes in his plays, and poets in the 5th century included pancakes in their poems!
In order to see an at-a-glance visual of beautiful pancake topping art and recipes, you’ll love the photography in the Mu Mu Muesli “healthy pancake toppings + recipes” Pinterest board! It’s also a convenient way to find recipes and get your cooking mojo back if you’re lacking inspiration.
Although I can’t cover every possibility in one blog post, there are three final recipes I want to share with you. I like them because they’re vegan-friendly, kid-friendly, and even your friends who snub the vegan lifestyle will secretly love them.
These kinds of recipes are also incredibly helpful for people learning how to transition to a vegan lifestyle. Admittedly, butter and dairy-based foods are difficult to leave behind at first. So, if you’re a vegan newbie, I think you’ll enjoy how the following recipes imitate those old foods that became “off limits” once you admirably committed to a vegan lifestyle.
Additional Sweet Healthy Pancake Topping Ideas:
Healthy Pancake Toppings for Kids
Fun Pancake Toppings
I know it can be tough to get your kids enthused about a clean eating family meal plan, but fun pancake toppings are a sneaky way to do this! One way to make pancakes fun for kids is to use cookie cutters to form various shapes and characters. Don’t be afraid to adapt the recipes from the list above into visuals that appeal to children.
Check out this constantly-updated Pinterest board with healthy pancake toppings and recipes for kids. The children in your life will thank you!
You’ve Got 1000+ Healthy Pancake Toppings Recipes…
Are You Ready to Experiment?
As you try out these new recipes, you’ll probably find yourself “making the recipes your own.” Maybe you’ll omit an ingredient and substitute seeds from that pomegranate you’ve been craving. And this is totally okay!
It’s hard to go wrong with ethically sourced foods. I do recommend using non-GMO, glyphosate-free, organic ingredients as much as possible.
Bon appetit!
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Sources:
Glycemic Index Foundation
Sambazon Acai Part of a Low Glycemic Diet
Vegan Sunday Waffles with an Acai Berry Sauce
4 Ingredient Nutella (Vegan + GF)
