Bananas and Peanut Butter

Banana Pancakes with Peanut Butter

About once a month, I will make a special breakfast for my husband and me to enjoy on a lazy Sunday morning.  This past Sunday, I wanted to add something new to my basic pancake recipe.  

When I was little, I had a friend whose whole family put peanut butter on their pancakes instead of butter.  I always though it was weird...until I tried it.  It is AMAZING.  The salty, creamy peanut butter combines perfectly with the fluffy pancakes and sweet maple syrup.  I wanted to think of a pancake recipe that would make this combination even better.  I've already tried the usual chocolate chip pancakes (which are always delicious), but I wanted to make something a little different.  While I was trying to brainstorm new ideas, I saw some overly ripe banana's in my fruit basket.  Perfect!

Any time I make pancakes, I try to cut out calories without losing flavor and texture.  This allows me to eat more pancakes without sacrificing the wonderful taste of pancakes on a Sunday morning.  The key is to not over-mix the batter and to let it rest for a few minutes before cooking.

My final tip is to use a large griddle.  I have a big electric griddle and I set it to 375 degrees.  I like using the large griddle because I can cook all the pancakes at the same time so that I don't have to cook, serve, cook and then be left with cold pancakes for myself.  (Also, see below the recipe for my tip on saving leftovers!)

Banana Pancakes with Peanut Butter

Ingredients:


2 C unbleached all-purpose flour
2 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 large egg, beaten
1 1/4 C low fat buttermilk (or skim milk)
1 t light butter, melted
2 small ripe bananas, mashed (plus one for garnish if desired)
1 T sugar
1T brown sugar
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 C natural peanut butter (any brand/texture you like)
1/2 C good maple syrup (I usually use light or sugar-free, but real maple syrup give you the best flavor with no artificial ingredients)

Directions:

Preheat your griddle to 375 degrees or a griddle/large frying pan over medium to medium high heat.

Stir together flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.  In a separate bowl, mix egg, milk, bananas and sugars.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until just incorporated.  Stir in melted butter.

Let the batter rest for about 10 minutes while you get the toppings ready and maybe cook up some bacon!

Warm peanut butter in the microwave until it's slightly melted (30 sec-1 min).  Also, heat your maple syrup in a saucepan or in the microwave.

Grease griddle.  Pour about 2/3 C (I do a ladle-full) portions to make the cakes.  Let them cook until bubbles on the surface just begin to burst.  Flip and cook another two minutes or until golden, fluffy and cooked through.  Plate your pancakes and top each cake with peanut butter, syrup and a few banana slices, if desired.

Note: If you're in the mood for more banana, put the slices in the batter before you flip them (about 2-3 slices per cake).  This will cook them into the bottom and give you more banana flavor and texture.

***Leftovers can be frozen on a cookie sheet and then transferred to a freezer bag.  This way, you can just put it in the toaster and have a homemade pancake to enjoy on any day of the week!

I hope you too can enjoy this recipe with someone special on a lazy Sunday morning :)