bananananana pancakes

Tuesday, December 14, 2010
We sort of have a tradition on Sunday mornings. I don't really know how it started, but it seems like every Sunday morning I'm stuck making breakfast.

I'm not talking like cereal, it's usually bacon, eggs, toast or pancakes or french toast or omelets, you get the idea.

Some days I don't mind cooking a full on breakfast for the two of us, but sometimes I don't want my hair to smell like bacon. Although I think that's the husbands plan. He honestly thinks we should have bacon with every meal. I think this is a general consensus for most men.


This past Sunday, of course I made breakfast. This week, pancakes were on my mind. I love pancakes. They are awesome for breakfast but they are also killer for dinner. Yep that's right, sometimes the husband and I will have pancakes for dinner. Don't judge, it's amazing and you know you're going to try it.

While I started making the batter for the pancakes, I noticed we had one lonely, spotted banana. It was too far gone to eat alone, yet it wasn't enough to make banana bread. So I decided to mash it up and add it to the pancake batter. Then I added some chocolate chips because anytime you can eat chocolate for breakfast without being judged, I'm on it.

Along with some pan-fried potatoes and crispy bacon, these pancakes were an awesome treat. I was cooking them and flipping like crazy when I got to the bottom of the bowl with batter and the husband suggested we make a giant pancake. I thought alright! let's do this. But after I poured the batter and looked at how big it was, I thought to myself, how the hell am I going to flip this???? With 2 spatulas and the husband out of the room (he distracts me and makes me nervous) I did it successfully. I was quite pleased with myself and so was the husband when he ate it with pleasure.
the big pancake, flipped.


Bananananana pancakes


1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
4 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 very ripe banana, well mashed
1/3 cup chocolate chips

Mix together flour, baking powder, brown sugar and salt in a large bowl, whisk to combine. In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, oil and butter.

Make a well in the dry ingredients, pour wet ingredients into hole. Mix well with whisk, trying to get most of the lumps out. Once smooth, add banana and mix well. Once banana is well combined, fold in the chocolate chips until blended.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt 1 teaspoon of butter. Once butter has melted, add 1/4 cup of batter. I use a spring loaded ice cream scoop, but using a measuring cup or eyeballing it will work just as well.  Cook for 2-3 minutes before flipping, you will know it's time to flip when little bubbles form all throughout the uncooked side of the pancake. Flip and cook until cooked through and golden brown, about 6 minutes (3 minutes per side).

Serve with butter and cinnamon sugar or maple syrup or peanut butter or nutella or plain. Whatever you feel like.

If there are any leftovers, let each pancake cool completely, make sure they are spread out and cannot touch otherwise they will get soggy. Once cool, wrap individually and place in freezer. They make excellent weekday breakfasts. They heat up well in the microwave or in the toaster oven.