Banana and Oat Flour Pancakes

I hated banana pancakes growing up. There was something about the sudden change in texture from delicious fluffy pancake to molten hot banana goo that really wasn't me - so I guess it's a little strange that now banana pancakes are really the only type I ever make or really crave in adulthood.

The caveat here is that for my pancakes the bananas are fully incorporated into the batter, used to add a sweetness and a creamy texture to the overall pancake rather than just plopped in willy nilly.

This recipe is also fun to share because it's one of the few I've ever developed from the ground up through experimentation and iteration. I'm no pro, and I'm not claiming to have invented banana oat pancakes (there are thousands of recipes out there, I'm truly throwing a granule of sand on the beach with this) - but having something I've built and refined over years feels good.

This also means that my recipe breaks some long established rules - especially among pancake purists.

I for example always use a blender to incorporate the ingredients as I mill the oats in it to a flour and need the frozen bananas to fully break down. Real pancake heads would scoff at this method as you generally do want a few lumps in the batter for a really good buttermilk pancake. I am however not making buttermilk cakes so forgive me for asking for a bit of understanding fictional straw man pancake snob.

Going into the recipe you should also know that this is a true whip it together on a Saturday morning kinda thing. I don't often have a measuring cup or scale out and the guidelines for ingredients volume/weight are almost always eyeballed when I make it myself. If I want it to be heartier I throw in an extra egg, if I want it to be a little more fluffy today and rise a bit more on the griddle I add in a bit more baking soda, etc.

The trade off here is that after eating these pancakes I feel like I have had the pancake experience without feeling like I have to lay down and take a 45 minute nap. I think that's because instead of having eaten a full cup and a half of flour (like after regular pancakes) my recipe basically means you've just had an egg and a half, some oatmeal, and a banana - what a great breakfast that is!

Finally I always, always listen to this breakfast making playlist or the G. Love and Special Sauce album Lemonade while cooking it, serve it with a side of peanut butter as Macy likes to put it on the top of her cakes, put frozen wild blueberries in mine, and finally eat it with Dark Grade A maple syrup.

Banana Oat Flour Pancakes

High-protein, naturally sweetened pancakes blended in one go. Use fresh-milled oat flour for best texture.

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 2 cups oat flour (or rolled oats, blended fine)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 0.5 teaspoons baking soda
• 0.3 teaspoons salt
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 frozen bananas, halved (about 2 medium)
• 1 cups skim milk (or water)

Steps

1 - Mill the oat flour: If making your own, blend 2 cups oat flour (or rolled oats, blended fine) in a high-powered blender until very fine, about 60 seconds. No need to clean the blender before continuing.

2 - Add dry ingredients: Add 2 teaspoons baking powder, 0.5 teaspoons baking soda, and 0.3 teaspoons salt to the blender with the oat flour. Pulse a few times to combine.

3 - Add wet ingredients and blend: Add 4 large eggs, 1 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoons maple syrup, 2 frozen bananas, halved (about 2 medium), and 1 cups skim milk (or water). Blend until smooth, about 30-45 seconds. Batter will be on the thinner side - this is correct, it thickens as it rests.

4 - Rest the batter (optional): Pour batter into a bowl or leave in the blender pitcher. Let rest for 15 minutes 15:00 at room temperature. The batter will thicken noticeably and small bubbles will appear on the surface.

5 - Heat the griddle: Heat a griddle or non-stick skillet over medium heat. Lightly grease with butter or coconut oil. The griddle is ready when a drop of water skitters across the surface.

6 - Cook the pancakes: Pour batter in roughly hand-sized rounds ¼ cup each). Cook until bubbles form across the surface and edges look set, about 2–3 minutes. Flip and cook another 1-2 minutes until golden.

Notes

Texture tip: Oat flour pancakes are denser than all-purpose. The 4 eggs keep them cohesive but they're not fluffy - they're hearty and filling. Don't press them with the spatula after flipping.

Banana ripeness: Riper/blacker frozen bananas give more sweetness and banana flavor. Less ripe = more starch, less sweet. Adjust maple syrup to taste.

Liquid: Start with 1 cup milk and check consistency after the rest. If too thick to pour easily, add milk 1 tbsp at a time. Frozen banana moisture varies.

Griddle temp: Medium heat is key - oat flour browns faster than AP flour. If edges look dark before the center sets, lower the heat slightly.