The final weekend of Mardi Gras is approaching, which means Pancake Day (aka Pancake Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday, Fat Tuesday) is next week. In our home one would think that it’s Pancake Day just about every Sunday morning since that’s our weekly ritual, though these banana pancakes were born on a snowy weekday morning this winter when the boys were trapped at home and schools were closed. The morning was much more relaxed than our usual rush to get everyone fed, dressed, and off to school on time. The boys played while I took my time making breakfast, then they eagerly asked for syrup and apple butter to top their plate of pancakes. The boys liked these so much that they asked for them every morning of that week we were snowed in. Thankfully we had heat to keep us warm with all that snow and ice piled up, and there were plenty of pancakes to go around.
Recipe Notes
If you want the suggested fried apples to go with the pancakes, you can prepare those first and let them cook while making the pancakes.
[Updated May 2014.]
Whole Wheat, Oatmeal, and Banana Pancakes
Equipment
- food processor
- medium mixing bowl
- small mixing bowl
- griddle or skillet
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked whole oats
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour
- ¾ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)
- 1 very ripe banana (mashed)
Serve With
- maple syrup
- apple butter
- fried apples
Preparation
- Process the rolled oats in a food processor until the texture resembles coarse flour. In the medium bowl, whisk together the oat flour, whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
- In the small bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk, and melted butter. Stir in the mashed banana. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir just until moistened. Let the batter stand for 5 minutes.
- Warm a lightly oiled griddle over medium-high heat. Ladle the batter onto the hot griddle and cook until bubbles form and the edges turn dry, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook until browned on the other side. Keep warm on a covered plate while cooking the rest. Repeat with remaining batter.
