Banana Oat Bran Pancakes

Almost every morning, the kids wake up before I do.  Loretta might sing to herself in her crib for awhile if I'm lucky, and Wyatt usually wanders in and asks, "What's for breakfast, Mom?"  Is he a kid after my own heart or what?  I'll usually mutter "toast" or "something that doesn't require an alert mother," but this doesn't prevent him from asking the daily question--"Can you make pancakes?"

This prompts a complex algorithm.  I factor in the following variables:  Do I have buttermilk? (90% of the time, I do.  That's how I roll.)  Should I be eating oatmeal this morning instead?  What time is it?  Should I say "no" to Wyatt just to prove I'm not a total pushover?  At least one morning a week, my answer is "Yes!".  It's quite hard to resist Wyatt, and I love pancakes maybe even more than he does.

I didn't use to care for them much until I got pregnant with Wyatt.  Maybe that's why they're so ingrained in his cute little DNA.  Another thing I craved during my pregnancy was milk.  Pancakes and milk, as you know, are in a serious relationship.

So for the last six years, I've experimented quite a bit with little variations, and here's the current favorite.  I don't like pancakes made from a mix or with plain old milk.  I always use buttermilk, or sometimes yogurt if I run out of that.  I need something cultured to give them tang and tenderness.  Most recipes call for oil or melted butter, and I like this one because it has neither of those.  I got it off the movie No Reservations--that Catherine Zeta Jones chef movie.  The movie itself wasn't very good, mostly because I found her transformation from bitch to loving aunt lacking credibility.  But the food scenes and the pancake recipe in the extras made up for it.  Okay--now that I think about it, the movie must not have been that bad if I hung around for the extras.  Just like I only read James Joyce, I normally only watch extremely inaccessible indie films.  This was the one exception.

If you're like me, you probably have on-the-brink bananas around quite often, and this is a great way to use them up--much less of a commitment than banana bread.  And I can't write about banana pancakes without giving a shout-out to my mother-in-law Phyllis, with whom I enjoyed many memorable banana pancakes during our trip to China when I was pregnant with Wyatt.

Banana Oat Bran Pancakes
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. oat bran or whole wheat flour
pinch salt
1 Tb. sugar
1 Tb. baking powder
1/4 ts. baking soda
2 eggs
1 1/2 c. buttermilk
1 very ripe banana, mashed

Heat up a griddle on medium heat.

Combine dry ingredients in medium bowl.  Whisk eggs and buttermilk together in a small bowl. Add buttermilk mixture and mashed banana to dry ingredients, stirring just until blended.  Drop 1/4 cupfuls onto hot griddle, flipping after bubbles have formed.  Serve with sliced bananas and toasted walnuts, if you like.  I also grated some orange zest over mine because I had a half-zested orange sitting on the cutting board.  That turned out to be fortunate.

Comments

[jordan]

oh i can't wait to make these. when you use yogurt in the recipe instead of milk, do you have to thin it out at all? is that an obvious question?

did you know NO RESERVATIONS was a remake of the german movie MOSTLY MARTHA? you may like that version better -- although i must admit i find aaron ekhart also very scrumptious, so i don't have a problem with the movie. when did this turn into a confessional?

[Wyatt's advocate]

Be assured, you can't be that big of a pushover if he asks for pancakes 7 days a week and only gets them once. I'm sure he is glad you don't dump that "eat it every day granola" over the top of it either, being there is always a jar of it sitting on the counter. I can just see him asking his friends at school if their mom is a "leftoverist". Put another quarter in that fund.

[Wyatt compliments]

I made pancakes for Wyatt once to which he proclaimed "my mom's are better." He LOVES your cooking and baking.

This did not hurt my feelings, I just take him out for pancakes now instead :)

Love, Em

[misha]

My 3 year old, Daphne, is always asking for pancakes too and I often wonder if 3-4 times a week is too much. Okay, me being pregnant has something to do with the "giving-in" part. I have adjusted my recipe (originally from the Rebar cookbook) to include as much whole wheat flour and goodness as I can so I don't feel guilty-- oat bran, wheat germ, cornmeal, flax seed and ALWAYS buttermilk or yogurt or milk with a bit of vinegar. You hit that right Sarah, something sour is an essential. Also, Trader Joe's just came out with a half Agave-half maple syrup gig that cuts the massive amount of sugar down too. Glad there are other pancake addicts out there.

And, yes. Go watch Mostly Martha now. You will love it.

[bethany]

funny, we had pancakes this morning too. buckwheat Rebar ones...yum!

[sarahmk]

Wyatt's Advocate, you are hilarious. I think I actually have put granola on top of pancakes before. The fund is growing by the minute.

Jordan, yes--if I use yogurt, I usually throw in a splash of milk since thinner batter translates to more tender pancakes. Not a dumb question at all :)

Misha, I've seen that syrup. Sounds like I ought to try it.

Nothing like pancakes to bring people together, I guess!

[phyllis]

Banana panckes ALWAYS remind me of China, and how a taste of home can be so delicious. But, no rice in China for you (and Wyatt) as I recall. Happy food memories. Thanks!

[Naomi Cox]

I always crave pancakes too. I go back and forth between periods of making pancakes...then on to waffles. Buttermilk and no mix. Absolutely! I was out of buttermilk the other day and remember Misha saying you could use yogurt. They turned out great. Also..I always used to like plain buttermilk pancakes best until Daphne's pancake breakfast. I can't remember everything you put in those Misha...but they were SO GOOD. I couldn't stop eating them. Now...with your inspiration and Sarah's "Wyatt's Pancakes" recipe she gave me a while back...I like them better now with white and whole wheat flour, cornmeal and oatmeal. And...of course orange zest if I have one around too. Oh...and don't forget the milk! That is one of the reasons to eat pancakes in the first place...to have them with a big glass of milk. Sarah, you are the only one that I have found that shares this love. Michael thinks it's weird that I love to drink milk. OK...this has made me hungry for pancakes. Macrae ended up spending the night last night and we got talking about your blog, food, pancakes...I better go in and make us some!

[Naomi Cox]

Eating these right now. Delicious!

[papa]

I'm not a cook. I just chop, stir, grate, and wash, wash, wash, wash, dishes. But every now and then I do make pancakes. I have a three burner (massive burners) outdoor gas range, which I have found is the funnest way to cook them. Another fun thing, which, I admit, is highly inaccessible for most people, is to drop thimble berries onto them while side two is cooking. Thimble berries are often found growing wild along roadsides here in Puget Sound. They look like bright red thimbles, sort of like raspberries but not quite. They're usually out in early June, depending on the amount of sunshine. Can't wait for a little pancake fun.

[Midori]

I just made these this morning! After 14 hours of sleep, which I totally needed, the first thing that came to mind was pancakes. These were delicious. I did add a sprinkle of cinnamon to the batter. I wish I had walnuts around to sprinkle since I love the crunch. Next time I will have to double the recipe (they are all gone and we were craving more) and make your granola ahead of time so that I can sprinkle them on top of these pancakes.

[Renee]

Wow! These were the lightest, fluffiest, yummiest pancakes I've ever made. At the same time, they were filling, in a good, healthy kind of way. I feel more satisfied than when I make them out of flour. I am 9 months pregnant and was looking for a recipe incorporating oat bran as I've heard it's helpful when lactating to obtain good milk production.

I used plain yogurt (3/4 cup) and low fat milk (3/4 cup) instead of buttermilk. It came out great. The recipe made enough to fill two very hungry adults, plus a couple left over. Definately recommend using real, fancy grade Vermont maple syrup with these delights. Thanks so much for sharing!

[pds]

Made some pancakes tonight based on this recipe. No oat flour. Not enough yogurt. No banana. But it was still really yummy.

[Kamille]

I guess I never mentioned how much I love these pancakes--thought I'd let you know.

[Tower Deli]

Simply delicious, Another way to prepare pancakes for breakfast! Thank you for sharing another alternative recipe for pancakes so that we will not get easily bored with it if we want to have pancakes for breakfast everyday - with a healthy twist as well! This is what most of us are looking for in any kind of food that we eat, an extraordinary way of preparing it or adding ingredients such as fruits. As others rely on their favorite diners or delis for meals, it would also be helpful for us to learn more ways on how to prepare our pancakes to spice things up!

[All Things Sweet by Dee]

With health in mind, pancakes, cookies and other sweet tasty treats truly add delight to the whole eating experience. By learning how each of our favorite meals are made, we get to appreciate them more. When we have the time, we can even do our own concoction of baked goods or sandwiches. Adding fruits and vegetables is even better especially if you have kids at home as they get introduced to healthy and delicious meals every single day.