When I am in the field for work, every meal has to be eaten out. It may sound awesome, but it gets tiring, especially on a longer 10 day stretch. There comes a point when all I want are fruits, vegetables, and just plain, healthy food. It is also frustrating because I don’t have the ability to cook something with my own two hands.
The last time I came home, I did not have the energy to go to the store, so I decided to see what I could do with what I already had. I wanted something rather plain, but healthy and delicious. I had a few sweet raspberries and a banana left over. Somehow, while standing in my kitchen staring at my refrigerator, I came up with Buckwheat Banana pancakes.
I mashed up the banana and it became part of the batter, while the raspberries got mashed with a bit of agave nectar to act as the “syrup”. If you don’t like bananas, I suggest trying these at least once because the buckwheat flour balances them out and makes for one tasty pancake. The batter is quite thick, almost like a cake batter, so when you put some in your skillet, you may have to lightly spread it around to even it out and make a somewhat round shape. Don’t say I didn’t warn you…
Buckwheat Banana Pancakes with Raspberry “Syrup”
These pancakes are gluten free and can be made vegan by using an egg replacer. This recipe makes about 6 medium to large sized pancakes.
1 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp fine grain sea salt
2 tbsp baking powder (yes, that’s 2 tablespoons, just trust me)
1 verrry ripe banana
1 tbsp raw cane sugar (or agave nectar)
1 large egg
3/4 cup almond milk (any type of milk would work here)
1 tbsp barely warmed coconut oil, plus more for the pan
1/2 cup fresh raspberries
about 2 tsp agave nectar, depending on how sweet your raspberries are
Mix the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
In a separate bowl, mash the banana until smooth. Mash in the raw cane sugar until it is incorporated. Next, mix in the egg, almond milk, and 1 tbsp of barely warmed coconut oil until well blended.
Fold the dry ingredients into the wet until they just come together in a thick batter.
Heat a heavy bottomed or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Brush it with more coconut oil, then place about 1/4 cup of batter on the skillet, making sure to spread it out a bit if it’s too thick. When you start to see bubbles form around the edges, it is ready to flip (about 3 minutes per side). Cook each pancake until brown on each side.
To make the raspberry syrup, mash the raspberries with the agave nectar until a sauce forms. If it is too thick, add a bit of water. Drizzle the mixture over the pancakes and enjoy!
