These tasty toppings add anti-inflammatories, antioxidants, and other essential nutrients to your perfect stack.
Sliced fruit Apples, pears, and melon don't spike blood sugar the way refined sweeteners do, and they're a fresh alternative to bottled syrups.
Grated Dark Chocolate Choose the darkest chocolate for maximum flavonoids, which help fight heart disease and cancer, and use in moderate doses.
Seasme Seeds Full of calcium, iron, magnesium, and copper (which may fight the pain and swelling associated with arthritis), toasted sesame seeds in your batter provide crunch and a distinct "roasted" flavor.
Steel-Cut Oats As a batter add-in, oats provide a nutty crunch plus calcium, fiber, protein, and vitamin B. Place oats in a 350°F oven until they're toasted, then soak them for 20 minutes in whatever liquid (milk, yogurt, buttermilk) you are adding to the batter.
Flaxseeds High in omega-3 fatty acids, flaxseeds add a nice texture to pancake batter and can be an extra source of fiber if you're cooking with white flour.
Blueberries Antioxidant-dense fruits, blueberries are loaded with fiber, vitamins C and E, potassium, and folate.
Walnuts Whether sprinkled on top or mixed in the batter, walnuts are a good source of mono-unsaturated fats and have been shown to help lower cholesterol and fight high blood pressure.
Sunflower Seeds A great source of vitamin E and other antioxidants, sunflower seeds make a great topping on their own or can be mixed with maple syrup or honey.
Nut Butters In place of sweet syrups or honeys, spread peanut, almond, or cashew butter over your pancakes for high fiber and long-lasting energy.
Dried Cranberries The concentrated tartness and sweetness of this dried fruit makes it an excellent complement to sweet syrups. The berries can also help treat, and even prevent, urinary tract infections.
