Whole Wheat and Oat Banana Pancakes

I’ll admit it.  Most mornings I can only muster the energy to make eggs. Oh, and sometimes there’s toast.  And on the mornings I would go to work, it was usually a yogurt with fruit and granola.  But THIS morning I woke up with a song in my head and a brown banana on the counter.  It was meant to be.

In order to get the full effect of what I was feeling this particular morning, you need to listen to this song.  Listen to it while reading this (if you’re one of those people who can multi-task like that) and then listen to it again while making these yummy pancakes.

Whole Wheat and Oat Banana Pancakes

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients:

• 1/4 C whole wheat flour
• 1/4 C rolled oats
• 3/4 C all purpose flour
• 2 tspn baking powder
• 1 T brown sugar
• 1/4 tspn salt
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 C milk
• 2 T vegetable oil
• 1 ripe banana
• 1/4 tspn almond extract

1. Combine both flours, oats, baking powder, brown sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together.

2. In a separate bowl, add egg and banana.  Mash that banana.

3. Now, add the milk, vegetable oil and almond extract to your banana mixture.  Stir until combined.

4. Make a well in your dry ingredients and pour the wet into the dry.  Stir until combined and there are no dry pockets.

6. Heat a large non-stick skillet over Med heat on the stove.  Add a little butter and melt.  (Do not add too much butter or your pancakes will look like this:

I wasted about 4 pancakes until I figured out what I was doing wrong.

7.  Pour or spoon batter onto skillet and let it bubble. (My bowl has a spout which works perfectly for this kind of stuff, but you can use a measuring cup, or ladle to get a smooth pour as well.)

8. Once there are lots of bubbles and it starts to cook around the edges, FLIP!  And try to do it gracefully.  This takes practice.

9. Let it cook for another 45 seconds.  Then transfer to a plate.

If you have more than 1 banana then feel free to top these babies with it.  Or just add butter and syrup and they will be just as delicious.  The almond extract adds a nice little nutty flavor; it’s just enough to complement the oat and banana.

Who would you make these for?  Tell me!

All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast. – John Gunther