Caramelised Banana Pancakes

dairy-free - refined sugar free - whole-foods - clean eating

These pancakes have a delicious, light and fluffy texture! Using a slightly over-ripe banana, diced finely, can counteract a less sweet batter, making it easy to reduce the amount of sweetener that you use. The whole batter contains just 3 teaspoons of maple syrup, yet it still tastes sweet.

Serves: Makes approximately 5 large pancakes

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients:

- 1/2 cup of wholemeal, unbleached flour

- 1/2 cup of coconut flour

- 1 tablespoon of maca powder (optional)

- 1.5 teaspoons of baking powder

- 1 teaspoon of mesquite powder (optional- this adds the caramel flavour)

Wet Ingredients:

- 1 organic egg

- 1 tablespoon of chia seeds

- 1/2 cup of rice milk or other non-dairy milk

- 3 teaspoons of melted extra virgin, unrefined, cold pressed coconut oil

- 3 teaspoons of maple syrup

- 1.5 teaspoons of vanilla essence

- extra water to adjust consistency of batter

- 1 large, over-ripe banana (spotty), diced finely

Method:

1. In a large bowl, add the dry ingredients and mix until well combined.

2. In another bowl, add the egg, rice milk, chia seeds, coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla essence and whisk with a fork until well combined. Leave for a few minutes to allow the chia seeds to thicken.

3. Mix the wet ingredients in to the dry ingredients and stir until well combined and smooth.

4. Gradually add the extra water whilst mixing until a cake-batter like consistency is achieved (not too runny, not too thick).

5. Fold in the sliced banana.

6. Spray a medium sized, non-stick fry pan with olive oil and allow it to warm up on the hot plate (low to medium heat).

7. Once the pan has heated, add 1/3 of a cup of mixture to the pan. I usually lift the pan and gently shake it from side to side to allow the mixture to evenly disperse.

8. Cook on a low/medium heat, pushing the sides down with a spatula to prevent the edges from sticking or burning. Flip the pancake with a turner when bubbles start to appear on the surface, and the batter has become more solid. Once turned, cook for another 1 minute.

9. Serve with freshly sliced banana and a drizzle of maple syrup. Alternatively, avocado chocolate mousse also tastes delicious with these pancakes.