What's Cooking Wednesday: Three Ingredient Pancakes

I have been making this version of pancakes for a while now. I came across a blog post a quite a long time ago that shared this recipe. It was actually just a two-ingredient recipe, but I added the cinnamon the first time I made these and they have been a big hit around out kitchen table. In fact, I'm not sure that my girls have ever had a real pancake other than the few times we've taken them to Cracker Barrel. 

I make these at least once, if not twice, every week. We always have bananas at our house. My girls would eat one with every meal and snack if I would let them. It's bazaar; I honestly don't know or understand why my children always want to eat bananas. It's probably because the majority of it is mostly sugar. Or they've really taken a liking to those Minions.

 All that to say, there are always bananas in our house - and when brown spots start popping up, we mash them and make pancakes. 

INGREDIENTS: 

2 eggs

1 banana*

cinnamon to taste

butter (for cooking)

TIP: Double or triple the recipe if you're feeding more than two toddlers. 

*Using a banana that's ripe with brown spots is ideal. It's going to be softer which means it will mash up easier and have a slightly sweeter taste. If yours aren't quite ripe enough, you'll still be able to mash them - you may just have to mash a bit more to get all the firm clumps out. 

DIRECTIONS

1. Peel your banana and mash it to a smooth, mixable consistency. Not having any clumps in the "batter" is the goal. 

(Although, when you look at my pictures below, there are obvious clumps. My girls were yelling to listen to the Moana soundtrack and we had to be out the door in an hour. I did my best!)

2. Beat eggs in a separate bowl until yoke and white are combined. 

3. Mix banana into the egg mixture. 

4. Add cinnamon to taste. I don't have the exact measurement I use only because every time I've made these, I just sprinkle the cinnamon into the mixture straight from the container. 

5. Put your stove burner/range on a medium heat. 

6. Once your pan is hot, melt a small slat of butter and use 1/8 c measuring cup to pour batter into the pan. 

7. Cook on the first side for 30 seconds to a minute. When you see the edges of the pancake becoming solid, it's time to flip. 

8. Cook another 30 seconds to a minute on the other side and remove from heat. 

I typically cook two at a time since it's a smaller pancake - this also helps feed hungry mouths faster. 

I love this recipe and I think it's a great option for changing up the everyday breakfast, a sneaky way to get your kiddos to eat eggs, and a smart way to have pancakes when you're watching carbs and/or sugar intake. 

Any time I make these pancakes, my girls eat every single pancake GONE! Even if I wanted some, there wouldn't be any left for me. It evens out to them eating about an egg and half a banana each - so I know they started the day with a good breakfast. I'll typically serve it with blueberries or strawberries. 

We've never used syrup on these because, like I mentioned, my girls have rarely had real pancakes - so they don't know pancakes are typically eaten with syrup. My three year old does love having dip with just about anything, though. Occasionally she will ask for dip with these and I'll just put a little bit of honey on her plate - and she thinks it's the best thing ever. 

If you have a picky eater at home, give this a try! It looks like a pancake, but it's a whole lot healthier! And even if you have to add syrup, you're still getting eggs and a banana in your child's belly!

Other options for this that's I've thought of, but haven't tried: I think adding mini chocolate chips as a treat would be yummy - we haven't done this yet, because kids don't forget anything and would want this every time. I'll probably wait until they are 18 to do this. I also think peanut butter would be yummy spread on the top of each pancake - hello, extra protein! Speaking of protein, you could probably add any kind of protein or nutritional powder into the mix. 

My girls seriously love these things. It's so quite around the table on the mornings I make these - until they've cleaned their plates and start asking for more! 

Let me know if you try these for yourself or your kiddos!