Recipes Marissa Olsen Recipes Marissa Olsen

Masa Pancakes

These are the ultimate metabolism-supporting pancakes—warm, fluffy, gut-friendly, and completely free of added fats. Perfect for anyone healing their liver, recovering from keto, or just looking for a high-carb, low-fat breakfast that doesn’t feel like diet food. Made with masa harina and sweetened with maple, they deliver the flavor and texture you want, without any butter or oil in the batter.

🌽. Masa harina is a traditional flour made from corn that has been nixtamalized—soaked and cooked in lime (calcium hydroxide)—which enhances its nutrient bioavailability, increases calcium content, reduces phytic acid, and makes it easier to digest, making it a gut-friendly, mineral-rich, and ancestral source of resistant starch and glucose.

🍽 Yields:

~14 pancakes (4-inch)

🌟 Ingredients

  • 2½ cups low-fat buttermilk
    (or 2¼ cups low-fat milk + 2 Tbsp lemon juice or ACV)

  • 1½ cups heirloom masa harina (nixtamalized, e.g., Masienda or King Arthur)

  • 2 tsp aluminum-free baking powder

  • ½ tsp kosher salt

  • 1½ tsp ground Ceylon cinnamon

  • 2 tsp vanilla extract

  • 2 large eggs (or 4 egg whites for even lower fat)

  • ¼ cup pure maple syrup

🔧 Directions

  1. Make buttermilk (if needed):
    Stir lemon juice into milk and let sit for 5–10 minutes.

  2. Mix dry ingredients:
    In a bowl, whisk masa harina, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon until lump-free.

  3. Whisk wet ingredients:
    In a large bowl, whisk eggs (or whites), maple syrup, vanilla, and buttermilk until smooth.

  4. Combine:
    Stir the dry mix into the wet until just combined. Don’t overmix—batter will be thick but scoopable.

  5. Cook:
    Heat a nonstick or ceramic skillet over medium. Lightly grease with a small amount of butter or oil (just enough to prevent sticking—this adds only trace fat). Scoop ¼ cup batter per pancake and spread into ~4-inch rounds. Cook ~2 minutes per side, until golden and cooked through.

  6. Serve with:
    Warm maple syrup, stewed fruit, nonfat Greek yogurt, or a splash of OJ for the full pro-metabolic vibe.

🧮 Macros per Pancake (1 of 14):

(with 2 eggs, no added fat in batter)

  • Calories: ~78 kcal

  • Carbs: ~13g

  • Protein: ~2.5g

  • Fat: ~1g

If you use egg whites instead:

  • Fat drops to: ~0.3g per pancake

  • Calories drop slightly: ~73 kcal

✅ Notes & Tips

  • Still Fluffy: Even without fat, the pancakes stay tender thanks to the buttermilk and maple.

  • Pan Tips: A well-seasoned cast iron or ceramic nonstick pan is essential here.

  • Batch Prep: These freeze and reheat well, so make a double batch and pop them in the toaster all week.

These cinnamon-vanilla masa pancakes are gluten-free, low-fat, easy to digest, and sweetened naturally with maple. With no added fat in the batter, they’re the perfect high-carb breakfast for metabolic repair and hormone support — kid-approved and nutritionist-designed.

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