Ingredients:
Makes ~3 pancakes
- 2 ripe bananas
- 1 medium egg
- 1 tsp chicory root fibre (prebiotic boost!)
- ¼ cup buckwheat flour
Topping:
- 2 tbsp almond butter
- 1 tsp cacao powder
- 1 handful fresh blueberries
Method
- Peel and mash the bananas in a bowl.
- Add the egg and chicory root fibre; whisk until smooth. Gradually mix in the buckwheat flour until the batter is thick.
- Cook the pancakes: Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat add some oil and spoon the batter into 3 small pancakes.
- Make the topping: Stir together almond butter and cacao powder until creamy.
- Assemble: Spread the cacao-almond butter over the pancakes and top with fresh blueberries.
✨ Why it’s good for you:
- Bananas: natural sweetness + prebiotic fibers.
- Chicory root fibre: feeds Bifidobacterium (supports butyrate production).
- Buckwheat flour: gluten-free, mineral-rich.
- Almond butter + cacao: healthy fats + antioxidants.
- Blueberries: polyphenols that work with fibre to fuel beneficial gut bacteria.
Nutrition Information
| 3 pancakes with topping | Per 1 full recipe %Reference Intake RI |
| Energy 1194.2kJ / 285.2 kcal | 14 % |
| Fat 21.4g | 31 % |
| Of which Saturates 2.8 g | 14 % |
| Of which Mono-un-saturates 12.7 g | |
| Of which Poly-un-saturates 4.6 g | |
| Carbohydrate 9.1g | |
| Of which Sugars 5.9g | |
| Of which Starches 0.1g | |
| Fibre 6.5g | |
| Protein 12.3g | 25 % |
| Salt 0.1g | 2 % |
| Vitamin C 3.2mg | 4 % |
| Vitamin A 66.7µg | 8 % |
| Calcium 109mg | 14 % |
| Iron 1.9mg | 14 % |
- * Reference Intake Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Chicory Root Fibre: A Natural Boost for Gut and Metabolic Health
When it comes to gut health and metabolism, fiber is one of the most powerful tools we have. But not all fibers are created equal. One type that’s getting a lot of attention from scientists is chicory root fiber—also known as inulin.
What is Chicory Root Fiber?
Chicory is a plant whose root is naturally rich in a special kind of fiber called inulin. Unlike regular carbs that are digested in the stomach and small intestine, inulin passes through undigested and makes its way to the large intestine. There, it acts as food for beneficial gut bacteria—a process called fermentation.
Think of it as fertilizer for your microbiome.
The New Study on Chicory Root Fibre
A recent clinical trial (Omary et al., 2025) tested what happens when people with obesity consumed dried chicory root cubes every day for 12 weeks. Here’s what they found:
✅ Better blood sugar control – Chicory fiber improved insulin sensitivity, which helps the body manage blood sugar more effectively.
✅ Healthier fat cells – Participants had smaller fat cells (adipocytes), which is linked to better metabolic health.
✅ Improved blood fats – Triglycerides (a type of fat in the blood) decreased.
✅ More “good” gut bacteria – Bifidobacteria and other beneficial microbes increased, producing important compounds called short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs).
✅ Liver health benefits – There was a trend toward reduced fat stored in the liver.
How Does It Work?
When chicory fiber reaches the colon, bacteria break it down and produce SCFAs like butyrate, acetate, and propionate. These compounds don’t just support gut health—they also:
- Help regulate blood sugar levels
- Reduce fat buildup in the liver
- Support healthy fat cell function
- Influence appetite and metabolism
In other words, the benefits go beyond digestion.
What About Side Effects?
Most people in the study tolerated chicory root fibre well. The main side effect was an increase in gas (flatulence)—a common (and usually harmless) effect when adding more fibre to your diet.
Chicory Root and Weight Management
A separate meta-analysis (Reimer et al., 2023) pulled together multiple studies and found that chicory root inulin may also help with:
- Reducing body weight
- Lowering BMI
- Decreasing waist circumference
- Reducing fat mass
So, chicory root fibre may not only improve gut health but could also support long-term weight management.
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References
Omary, L. et al. (2025). ‘Intrinsic chicory root fibers modulate colonic microbial butyrate-producing pathways and improve insulin sensitivity in individuals with obesity’, Cell Reports Medicine, 6(7), pp.1-17
Reimer, A.R. et al. (2025). ‘The effects of chicory inulin-type fructans supplementation on weight management outcomes: systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression of randomized controlled trials’, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 120(5), pp. 1245-1258