On those crazy mornings when you find yourself lucky if you have two matching socks on, you probably don’t have time to prepare a healthy and hearty breakfast. My go-to breakfasts for those busy days are usually homemade oatmeal with blueberries, sweet potato toast with avocado or nut butter, or these delicious Banana Oat Protein Pancakes.
These pancakes are packed with protein, healthy fats, and potassium. What I love about these is the fact that they can be made ahead of time and reheated the next day at work. Make a batch on Sunday night and store in the fridge for an easy grab-n-go meal the next day. You can top them with maple syrup, honey, or your favorite natural sweetener. You can slather them with almond butter, honey and banana slices (one of my favorite ways to eat them), or get creative with whatever add-ons you prefer.
The best part, they are made with my homemade oats recipe so you know they are full of wholesome pure ingredients, and not flooded with sugar.
All you need to create these cakes are a few simple ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen.
PREPARATION
First, you are going to crack two eggs into a medium sized bowl. Whip the eggs until they are creamy and milky yellow. Each egg has
about 6 grams of protein, providing a whopping 12 grams of protein, healthy fat, and some vitamins including: D3, B-12, B-6, and vitamin A.
Add one ripe banana to the whipped eggs. The riper the banana, the easier it will be to mix with the eggs. Mash well with a fork. Try to get rid of any large chunks. It is difficult to get the banana mashed completely but that is okay! The smaller chunks add a filling consistency to the cakes so don’t place too much focus on making it blend up perfectly. If you want to make the banana completely smooth you could bust out a stick blender to whip up the batter. I like to keep these quick, as that is one of my favorite things about the recipe, so I use a fork.
Bananas are one of the cheapest produce options available in organic so if you are trying to switch over to organic foods, the banana is a great place to start! Bananas add a sweetness to recipes but are on the low end when it comes to glycemic index. They are packed with potassium and fiber, and provide a whopping 25% of your vitamin B6 needs in just one serving.
Side note – Vitamin B6 is known for its antiemetic properites (a.k.a. helps pregnant moms from puking all day every day). For mommies with hyperemesis, this vitamin, especially when coupled with doxylamine succinate (brand name -Unisom) can be a lifesaver. Read more here. I used ginger and B6 in all of my pregnancies, which worked wonders for me!
BACK TO THE RECIPE
Now that your eggs and banana are mixed, it is time to add in the oats. To make the pancakes less “hearty” you can use plain oats. For maximum protein and taste, add in Gluten Free Homemade Oats. One cup to be exact. These oats already have a ton of fiber and omega-3 healthy fats. Plus they are low in sugar!
If you make the Gluten Free Homemade Oat recipe weekly, you should already have them on hand which makes this recipe even simpler. Just grab the jar our of your pantry & add in one cup. For this recipe post I did not add almond milk. Sometimes I like to add almond milk to make the pancakes a little creamier. If you want to change it up next time and add almond milk or another dairy substitute, be sure to add in more than one cup of oats. You want the batter to be thick and creamy, but drip off your spoon or fork after stirring. Consistency is key here.
As you can see the oats I added for this recipe have little pieces of strawberry in them. Sometimes I add dried strawberries to my oats to make oatmeal that tastes like strawberry shortcake. Sometimes I add dried blueberries. Sometimes I don’t add dried fruit at all. It totally depends on my mood and ingredients I have available. If I add dried fruit to the oats, I don’t add stevia.
Keep it super simple with sweeteners to train your (and your family’s) taste buds to prefer less sweetened food over time.
Another add in option is frozen fruit. My kids are OBSESSED with blueberries. I find my oldest two in the freezer sneaking frozen blueberries all the time. Whenever I bust them doing this they tell me (with purple lips and teeth) that they weren’t eating anything!
Frozen blueberries are typicall
y cheaper than fresh this time of year and they are still packed with anti-oxidants. Throw a few blueberries (or other frozen fruit) into the bowl with your Banana Oat Protein Pancakes. By the time you cook the cakes they will be warm.
MAKE THE CAKES
With all your ingredients mixed well, you are now ready to make the Banana Oat Protein Pancakes! To do this you will need 1-2 Tablespoons of coconut oil and a skillet. I prefer cast iron. About 6 months ago I switched my cook wear to cast iron to reduce toxins. It is more effort to clean, however the food tastes remarkably better and I know I am making healthier food for the family. The key is to have enough oil on the skillet, but not too much to where you are adding significant calories. 1-2 Tablespoons is usually perfect.
Remember each Tablespoon of oil adds an average of 100 calories. I am not telling you this to scare you because healthy oils contain heart and brain protecting qualities. You need healthy oils in your diet. Keep in mind however that all oils are highly caloric. At the end of the day you need to consume less calories than you burn if weight loss is your goal.
Melt the oil in the skillet over medium heat. Once melted, add dollops of the Banana Oat Protein Pancake batter to make silver dollar sized pancakes. Of course you can also get creative and make a heart like the one above, but the smaller ones store better for work the next day.
Brown pancakes in the skillet, flip to cook the other side and voila! You have yourself a healthy, simple meal, low in sugar and packed with the good stuff.
I hope you enjoy this recipe!
| Prep Time | 5 minutes |
| Cook Time | 5 minutes |
| Servings |
people
|
- 1-2 Tbsp Coconut Oil
- 2 Eggs
- 1 Banana Ripe
- 1 Cup Healthy Homemade Oats
- Almond Milk Optional
- Fresh or frozen fruit Optional
Ingredients
|
|
- Melt the coconut oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat.
- In a medium bowl, whip the eggs until creamy.
- Add in the banana. Mash with a fork until banana mixes into the eggs.
- Add the oats. Mix thoroughly.
- Drop heaping tablespoons of the mixture onto the warm skillet.
- Cook Banana Oat Protein Pancakes until light brown. Flip and cook evenly on the other side.
- Serve with your favorite add-ons!