Banana Pancakes

It’s a snow day!  This is what I woke up to this morning….several inches of snow! And the snow is still falling as I type.

I have been wanting to introduce something new to my little girl and as I watched the snow fall I couldn’t help but think about warmer weather.  A couple of years ago my hubby and I went on a wonderful trip to Belize.  We stayed on Ambergris Caye, an island just off the coast.  The main transportation on the island is golf cart and there are no paved roads!  How wonderful is that!?  Belize has the second largest coral reef in the world…thus we spent a lot of time snorkeling and scuba diving!

This morning as I woke up to this snowy mess I couldn’t help but think about this island paradise and the wonderful breakfast I enjoyed there every day.  Banana Pancakes with fresh watermelon juice!  Yummmmmmmmm!  I can still taste the flavors and feel the wind in my hair and the sand in my toes….okay, maybe not but I can pretend!

Here is my attempt to recreate the banana pancakes from Belize that I fell in love with.  They are kind of healthy, taste great and you don’t have to be in a tropical paradise to enjoy them.  So cue the Jack Johnson song and get ready for some deliciousness!

• 1 Egg, lightly beaten
• 1 cup Milk
• 2 tbsp. Canola Oil (substitute applesauce for a wee bit less fat)
• 2 Bananas, peeled and mashed
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup Whole Wheat Flour
• 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
• 1 tbsp Sugar
• 2 tsp Baking Powder
• dash of Salt

Lightly grease a griddle (or griddle pan) and have it preheated and ready once the batter is ready.  Combine egg, milk, oil, bananas and vanilla in a small bowl.  Sift together all the dry ingredients and stir in the wet ingredients.  Do not over mix!  Just give it a few stirs and let everyone get to know each other.

It’s going to be lumpy…there are bananas in it!  Pour approximately 1/4 cup amount onto griddle, flip once bubbles appear.  The pancakes will be nice and golden brown on both sides.

Enjoy these just the way they are…..or add a dab of butter, some high quality maple syrup, more banana slices, slivered almonds, warm cinnamon spiced applesauce or just along side a big tall glass of watermelon juice!  Oh, what I would give for some watermelon juice to complete my breakfast!

This also turned out to be a great finger food for my little girl!

If you have left over pancakes, set them on a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely.

Then place inside a zip top bag with parchment or wax paper in between each pancake, label and freeze.

And now it’s time for my little girls first experience with snow!