Pancakes are the best. Nothing encapsulates wholesome middle-American diners better than a gigantic stack of light and fluffy pancakes topped with half a stick of butter and drizzled with an entire bottle of maple syrup. Yum! (with a side of heart attack)
As a kid, hearing my mom say the words “What do you say we have breakfast for dinner tonight?” filled me with more joy than just about anything else. I knew exactly what was on the menu — scrambled eggs whipped within an inch of their life with a little bit of milk to make them nice and fluffy and a tall stack of homemade pancakes. This was a monthly dinner plan for us all the way up through high school.
But then, I went to college.
I didn’t have counter-space. I didn’t have kitchen utensils. And I didn’t have much extra money.
Not only that, I gained the dreaded “freshman fifteen.” If I was being a little more honest, I’d say that I gained the freshman twenty.
To be fair, those last five were gained the summer after freshman year when I worked in a bakery where I routinely forgot about the cookies I’d thrown in the oven because I was distracted by the other five things that I was stirring, rolling, cooking, and hopefully not burning. You better believe those batches of lightly burned sugar cookies were not going to go to waste. They went straight into my mouth.
So I didn’t have a way to make regular pancakes in college, nor did I feel like that would be the best choice for my health now that I didn’t have the calorie-devouring metabolism of my childhood.
Enter banana pancakes.
I don’t exaggerate when I say that these pancakes have quickly become one of the great loves of my life. They are such a wonderful mix of simple and scrumptious. These can be made quickly enough to fit into almost any morning schedule. And, to top it all off, they lack all the sugar and the flour without compromising any of the sweetness or fluffiness you’re undoubtably looking for if you’re choosing to make pancakes.
I would go so far as to say that these pancakes are better than traditional ones. The banana adds a creamy moisture to the pancakes that I’ve yet to seen topped by regular diner-style pancakes. This recipe can be made, guilt-free, in minutes for any meal you choose (Have them for dinner — I won’t tell.)
Banana Pancakes
Preparation time: 20 minutes Servings: 2-3
You will need:
3 cups oats
2 1/4 cups unsweetened coconut milk
2 medium overripe bananas (they should have some spots on them)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 chocolate chips, blueberries, nuts, or a combination of all of them! (optional)
Maple syrup for drizzling!
What to do:
Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat. Add all of the ingredients to a blender (or, if you have an immersion blender, you can just put them in a bowl and blend!) Blend until smooth – the oats should no longer be whole once the mixture is blended properly. Using a 1/3 measuring cup, scoop the batter onto the heated pan. Cook the pancake until bubbles start to form on the edges. Flip and cook until golden. Serve with maple syrup if desired!
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Juliana Nicewarner
Wow, I too love pancakes, anytime. Can't wait to try these, yummy.