Perfect Banana Pancakes

My name is Kim and I'm addicted to pancakes. I'm a lover of all kinds of food (except the, like, five things I just flat don't like), but there is never a time I am not up for some pancakes. Breakfast? Pancakes. Been a long day at work and need some comfort food? Pancakes. Hanging out with friends and the late night munchies strike? Get in the car, because we are finding a 24-hour diner for some pancakes. I've mentioned my good memories with pancakes in a previous post, so I won't dwell on this for too long, but let's just say I really love a good pancake.

One reason I love pancakes is that there are literally hundreds of things one can do with them. One cannot deny the awesomeness of the classic butter and maple syrup on a simple buttermilk pancake, but the possibilities are endless. The base itself can be tailored to different preferences, from light and delicate pancakes that melt in your mouth, to more dense pancakes that are hearty and full of flavor, to bakery-like flavors such as red velvet or gingerbread. Various mix-ins can be added, from cinnamon or nutmeg to the classic chocolate chips or fruit. And don't even start with me on toppings. Whipped cream, caramel, nuts and nut butter, fruits, yogurt, even ice cream can all make for an amazing pancake experience.

When I make pancakes, one of my favorite fruits to add has got to be bananas. Whether in the batter or sliced on top, I love the taste of bananas with my pancakes. So, this week, I decided to embark on the noble endeavor of making what I consider to be the perfect banana pancake. Okay, what actually happened was that I had a bunch of bananas that I wanted to use up before they went bad. I decided to try a few different recipes and take the best bits of all of them to make my own.

I started with an oat base. I like the taste of oats, and they are nutritious as well as cheap, so I always have them in the house. Bonus: this makes the pancakes gluten free, so if you have Celiac or know someone who does, this is a great recipe. I used a lot of banana in this recipe, especially considering the quantity of pancakes it makes, but the amount used in most recipes that I tried was pitiful. Half a banana? C'mon, that's not going to add anything. One and a half bananas gets the job done without making the pancakes too wet.

Because they lack gluten, oat-based products tend to be more dense and heavy than ones made with wheat flour. With the addition of a heavy, wet ingredient like banana, the main thing this recipe will need to achieve to truly be perfect is fluffiness. So, to that end, a lot of the other ingredients are geared towards keeping everything light. One of the recipes I tried used just egg whites rather than the whole egg, and it kept the pancakes light while still having enough protein to add structure (I love using science in the kitchen), so I incorporated that into this recipe. Making a single serving of these in a blender (I have a Magic Bullet) means cleanup is easy and the texture is nice and even, no bowl or whisk required. And finally, letting pancake batter rest gives the ingredients time to mix and make friends with the baking soda, making the pancakes fluffier. This is so easy to make that I had no problem throwing it together after work and having a nice breakfast for dinner. This recipe makes enough for one if it's all you're having, but if you add some eggs and bacon or sausage, it could probably serve two quite nicely.

The spices and toppings are obviously up to you, but I put mine in this recipe because it was, in my humble opinion, the perfect combination. And this is a post about "perfect" pancakes. The spices reminded me of banana bread, and the maple flavoring was a surprisingly good addition. If you love maple in general, I would highly recommend mixing it into regular pancakes as well. For me, the real star of the show is the peanut butter. It goes so well with the banana, and it brings the cocoa and banana flavors together in just the right way.

As if breakfast for dinner wasn't awesome enough. Not pictured: the amount of restraint it took to wait until I had finished making all the pancakes before eating them.

Kim's Perfect Banana Pancakes

Makes 6-7 small pancakes
Pancakes:
1 1/2 bananas, preferably overripe
1 cup oats (rolled, steel-cut, quick, it really doesn't matter, it's going to get blended)
4 egg whites
1/2 tsp baking soda
1-2 T milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp maple flavoring
Dash:
Cloves
Nutmeg
Allspice
Optional: 1-2 T brown sugar, depending on ripeness of bananas and how sweet you want the pancakes

Topping:
2 T peanut butter, either warmed up or mixed with milk to drizzling consistency
1 tsp cocoa powder, either mixed with peanut butter or dusted over top
whipped cream
cinnamon dusted over top

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Let the batter rest for at least ten minutes. Heat a skillet or griddle to medium or medium-low (depending on your stove) and oil/butter the pan. Pour approximately 1/4 cup batter per pancake and let cook until they are bubbling in the middle. Flip and allow to cook until the other side is golden brown (~30-60 sec) Air on the slightly long side of cooking if you are unsure as it's easier to undercook than overcook pancakes with banana. Transfer to a plate and drizzle with peanut butter, dust with cocoa, top with whipped cream, and sprinkle with cinnamon (or whatever you want to top these with).