No Fuss, No Grain (Banana) Pancakes

I love pancakes with all my heart, and have written about them at great length in a previous post.  In my searches to find a good, healthy, preferably grain-free, pancake I've found that the internet only seems to host recipes sitting at extreme ends of a very odd scale. On the one hand, there are ingredients lists typical of many gluten free endeavours: five kinds of flour, two or three raising agents, and at least one kind of gum you can't pronounce. On the other hand, there are those who oversimplify: one or two ingredients, boldly going where no gluten free chef has gone before!

I have to admit that this recipe for banana pancakes sits on the latter end of the spectrum, and is offspring of the dreaded "two ingredient miracle pancake". You know the one.  Headlined by bold claims like "these really work!", "won't burn in the pan!" and "so quick and easy!". I had expectations of that recipe.  I read tips on paleo and gluten-free forums. I tried, internet, I really did. The trick is to use ONE egg. No, three! The pan needs to be extra hot! Extra low! Use lots of oil, no oil, try adding baking powder, maybe there's something wrong with your spatula?
How about, maybe, there's something wrong with your recipe?

pancakes made with mashed pumpkin, sweetener, and cinnamon

The "two ingredient miracle pancake!" is a myth and I am here to debunk it. You can not make pancakes with a banana and an egg.  After a very small amount of tweaking, and the addition of a few pantry staples, I found a ratio of ingredients that works every time and perfected a flipping technique that's simple and effective. A bonus with this recipe is that you aren't stuck using bananas! Other starchy vegetables, like pumpkin and kumara work really well too, so you can have a bit of variety in your breakfasts and desserts. I recommend added a bit of stevia and spice if you go down that route as bananas offer a lot in the way of flavour and sweetness, but knowing you can sub in other veggies gives you another means of using up leftovers!
The below recipe serves one, and makes a complete breakfast, packed with proteins, fats and carbohydrates to keep your appetite at bay all morning.

banana pancakes as per the recipe

No Fuss, No Grain Pancakes
1 banana OR 1/2 Cup cooked and mashed starchy vegetable (pumpkin, kumara, etc)
2 large eggs
1 heaping tsp coconut flour
1 level tsp baking powder

Optional: 1 tbsp cinnamon, 1 tsp stevia or similar sweetener

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend into a smooth, thin batter.
Heat a non stick frying pan to a low heat and grease with coconut oil or butter.
Once the fat is hot and the pan heated, pour batter into the pan, 1/8 cup at a time. Pouring the batter in a spiral instead of centred in one place will make thinner pancakes that will cooker more quickly and evenly. You should be able to cook at least two pancakes at a time.
After 1-2 minutes the bottom of each cake should be cooked and the top should be bubbly and dry.
To flip the cakes, gradually lever a spatula or fish-slice under the cooked side.  Use a peeling motion to lift the pancake and turn it 180° "head over heels", you are doing it right if the farthest side from the spatula barely leaves the pan in the process.
After 1 minute the pancake should be cooked, gently lift with a spatula to check.
Stack onto a warmed plate as you continue to cook.

Serve as you would with regular pancakes. They taste great on their own or with a dash of cream, smear of butter, or handful of blueberries.

fun with a baking mould and a bit of grated chocolate