Today is Mardi Gras! Also known as pancake Tuesday and traditionally we clean out the cupboards and make a big batch of fluffy pancakes. I still remember how exciting it used to be when we would line up in the gym at school, grab a big plate of pancakes and soak them in table syrup. Cue the school wide sugar rush followed by that mid afternoon crash!
While I still love the tradition, I don't love the idea of filling my body with sugar and carbs and just waiting for the crash. So, to maintain the yummy Pancake Tuesday tradition with a healthier twist, I started to make these gluten-free banana pancakes instead.
The recipe that I use is adapted from Tasty.co's Healthy Banana Pancakes.
Ingredients (for 4 pancakes):
1. 2 Ripe or slightly overripe bananas- mashed
2. 2 eggs (or flax eggs)
3. 1 tsp vanilla extract
4. 1 tsp cinnamon
5. pinch of salt
6. 1/2 cup of gluten-free rolled oats
Note: Eggs don't agree with me much, so I substituted them for flax eggs. To make flax eggs you just mix 1 Tbsp of ground flax seeds with 3 Tbsp of water. Let this mixture sit for a few minutes until it has an "egg-like" consistency.
Directions:
1. Mash the bananas in a large bowl until they are smooth.
2. Mix in eggs/flax eggs, vanilla and cinnamon until combined.
3. Add oats and let sit for about 5 minutes (this gives the oats time to soak up water and helps hold the pancakes together)
4. Heat a frying pan/skillet to medium and add the batter, making 4 pancakes.
5. Cook for about 3-4 minutes until you start seeing bubbles in the batter, then flip and cook on the other side for another 2-3 minutes.
6. Garnish with whatever you like! I highly recommend a tablespoon or two of real maple syrup with a side of fruit. But this is your time to get creative!
Enjoy!
