Pancakes are such a happy food. I always tend to throw them in the weekend food basket though - maybe I've (so wrongfully) associated them with being a little too time-consuming/fancy for the week days. Because before work I'm all about quick and easy food. But also, food that's nutritious and will sustain me for my busy morning ahead. And of course, food that's tasty and will get me out of bed.
But, these pancakes do fit the brief exceptionally well. They require only a few simple ingredients, so simple in fact, that if you were to stop reading this right now and head to the kitchen to whip them up, you'd possibly have every ingredient on hand (oats, eggs and banana!). The prep time is minimal, just throw everything in a blender and boom, it's fry up time. And like all food on this blog, they're really good for you! The eggs are little nutritional powerhouses of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, as well as being a great source of protein, a highly satiating nutrient (meaning it'll help your hunger sail smoothly from breakfast to your next meal). The oats provide a fantastic source dietary fibre which helps keep your digestive system running smoothly, and the banana will provide energy, as well as natural sweetness, making these pancakes totally free of any added refined-sugars - which is kind of sweet in itself.
My biggest trouble with healthier pancake recipes is the batter often doesn't stick together too well, and they become difficult to flip or turn during cooking - when we start subtracting this or adding that ingredient in, things can often start to turn a bit wonky. These are fab though - leave them for a minute or so each side, and you'll have no problem.
This was one of the first recipes I shared over on my instagram @healthyalways years ago and they've been one of the most popular ever since!
Banana Oat Pancakes
Ingredients:
1 medium ripe banana
2/3 cup of oats
2 eggs
2 tbsp. of water
A little butter/oil for frying
Method:
1. Blend all the ingredients together in a blender or food processor until you have a smooth batter. You want the batter pourable, but not too runny.
2. Heat up the oil on a fry pan on a medium heat. Pour circles of the batter onto the pan and cook each side for 1-2 minutes. Hot tip: to get perfect pancake circles pour the pancake batter out of a small milk jug into the pan.
3. Top the cooked pancakes with fresh fruit, yoghurt, or a drizzle of pure maple syrup. Enjoy!
Makes one large serving or two smaller servings.