Pancake Chronicles: Week 2, Banana-Walnut Pancakes

Do you find yourself with extra bananas that are going a bit too ripe? When you feel like having a bit of banana bread, here’s the pancake for you!

This is the second installment of our eight-week series on pancakes. Each Tuesday, we’ll post a quality pancake recipe that’s good enough to be on your breakfast (or even breakfast-for-dinner) lineup.

I like this recipe because it take the favorite classic banana bread and combines it with a pancake. It’s also flexible with mix-ins. Sometimes, I’ll replace the nuts with mini-chocolate chips to please both the kids and kids-at-heart. This recipe makes about 20 four-inch pancakes or enough to feed 5-6 people.

You can toast chopped nuts on a baking sheet in at 350-degree oven for 3-5 minutes, or until just slightly browned. Careful, don’t over-toast.

Banana-Walnut Pancakes

Griddle Preparation:
Prepare and heat your griddle by lightly greasing with butter, oil or spray, and heating it over medium heat. The griddle is ready when a few drops of cold water flicked onto the surface bounce and sputter.

Whisk together in a large bowl:
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats or quick-cooking oats
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch of ground nutmeg

Whisk together in a separate bowl:
1 3/4 cups milk
4 TBSP butter, melted
1/4 cup honey
3 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1-3 bananas, finely sliced or mashed yellow, with brown spots work best
1/2 cup chopped, toasted walnuts (or other chopped nuts)

Directions:
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk them together just until combined. Stir in the prepared banana and nuts.  Spoon or pour 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto the griddle for each pancake. Cook until bubbles appear and some have popped on the top of each pancake. Flip them over with a spatula and cook until the underside is slightly browned. Serve or keep warm in an 200 F oven.

Serve with maple syrup, honey, or peanut butter, and a side of gourmet bacon.

Go bananas and a little nutty,

Pip the Pig