Quarantine Banana Chocolate Chunk Protein Pancakes (Gluten Free, Dairy Free, with Paleo Option)

Well Hello There,

It’s been quite a minute. I definitely had all these plans and ideas for the blog, but then I got distracted, and then sh*t hit the fan….I think we all know what I’m talking about here. COVID-19 has definitely disrupted everyone’s lives in someway, and I definitely intend to write about it in a future blog post. However, I’m still wrapping my head around everything and trying to figure out the best modalities (for me) for dealing with everything surrounding this pandemic, so in the mean time, I want to share some recipes that I’ve been making while LA’s “stay-in-place” order exists.

If you know me, you know that one of my go-to stress relievers is getting in the kitchen. So big surprise—I’ve been constantly in the kitchen baking and cooking up a storm! With social distancing and gloomy weather here in LA, I’ve definitely been craving ALL the comfort food, which doesn’t really go hand-in-hand with my intentions to stay in shape during lockdown, but this blog is all about balance, so while I’ve definitely been working on staying active and healthy during this time, I’m also giving myself the freedom to healthily indulge in things with as little guilt as possible; be it a lazy Netflix & Chill day or having that extra slice—or two—of my Chocolate Chunk Banana Nut Bread

Food may not be as fresh or healthy with the given circumstances, but we’re all doing our best! I’m not going to lie though, remaining active as best as I can has really been helping my mindset and helping me keep balanced. Most, if not all of my recipes are pretty well-balanced and are often healthier than the main stream alternatives, so when I say I’m “indulging” more in food, I’m still sticking pretty closely to the lifestyle principles that me and my Functional Medicine doctor have set for myself. But I digress.

I think it’s SO important to listen to what the government and officials are saying about the virus, and I think we all need to do a better job of staying the f**k home, going shopping once per week (if at all), and wearing masks when we’re out and about, even if it’s just for a walk. So when I was really craving pancakes for dinner, and I was low on eggs, out of flax meal, and chock full of overripe bananas, I made do with the materials I had! These pancakes are super easy to make and a lot of substitutions can be made based on what you have in your kitchen. No eggs? Flax Egg or Chia Egg will do. No banana? Canned Pumpkin can work, just add your sweetener of choice to taste. It gets a little more complicated with flours and I’ve only substituted with buckwheat and oat flour, but it’s definitely possible so I’ll leave my recommendations below in the directions.

The pancakes turned out SO good and really reminded me of the awesome Jordy Cakes they serve at Hu Kitchen in New York City. I’m truly dreaming of the day they open up a Hu Kitchen in Los Angeles! Fluffy, warm pancakes with a hint of banana and bombs of melted chocolate loaded throughout. Excuse me, while I wipe the drool from my chin.

Whether it be breakfast for dinner, or a cozy brekkie before WFH, I hope you enjoy this recipe and please let me know what you think!

Love Always,

Nat

Ingredients

1/2 cup Almond Flour

1/2 cup Oat Flour (or Buckwheat Flour or 3/4 cup Almond Flour)

1/4 cup Coconut Flour

2 eggs (or 3 eggs)

1 chia egg (1 tbsp chia with 2 1/2 tbsp water) *Omit if using 3 eggs

1/3 cup egg whites

1/3 cup nut milk

2 tbsp Miyoko’s Cultured Butter Melted (Ghee, Coconut Oil, Butter, or Avocado Oil will also work)

1 overripe banana - mashed

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup chopped chocolate (I used a mixture of Trader Joe’s Pound Plus Dark Chocolate + Hu Gems)

Optional: 4 scoops of Collagen Peptides (I used 2 scoops of Primal Kitchens Vanilla Collagen Fuel)

Directions:

1. If using flax or chia egg, make first, so flax/chia has time to absorb liquid.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients: Almond Flour, Oat Flour, Coconut Flour, Collagen, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

3. In a separate mixing bowl (or blender), whisk together the wet ingredients: eggs, egg whites, mashed banana, nut milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract.

4. Add the dry ingredients into the wet, and carefully until the batter should resembles a typical pancake batter. Careful not to over mix! Some small chunks in the batter are okay (If it's too thick, add a little more nut milk 1-2 tbsp at a time)

5. Let the batter rest about 5 minutes while you preheat a pan or griddle over medium-low to medium heat.

6. Lightly grease the pan with your fat of choice and drop the batter with a cookie scooper* onto the hot pan. Cook until bubbles start to form, about 1.5-2 minutes. Flip and cook another for about another 2 minutes, until browned on the other side. Repeat with the rest of the batter (try not to lick the bowl clean).

*I like smaller pancakes so I usually scoop the batter with my 1-1/2 tbsp cookie scooper which also keeps the pancake size more consistent. Feel free to make them bigger or smaller, but keep in mind the nutrition at the bottom of the page is based on the serving size I generally consume, which is 4 small pancakes

NUTRITION: Recipe Makes: 20 silver dollar pancakes Serving Size: 5 servings of 4 pancakes. Calories: 352 Fat: 20.7g Saturated Fat: 9g Cholesterol: 75mg Sodium: 420mg Potassium: 115mg Carbohydrates: 28g Fiber: 11g Sugar: 98g Protein: 16g