Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes Recipe

My daughter’s favorite night of the week is when we have breakfast for dinner. Do your kids feel the same way?

There is something special about having waffles, pancakes, eggs, bacon, or a smoothie for dinner. It somehow feels like you’re breaking the rules or rebelling against the law – yet you know you won’t get in trouble!

Most of the time I make whole wheat waffles. It’s fast to whip up the batter in my stand mixer, dump into the waffle iron, and finish prepping the eggs or smoothie while they cook. Plus the handy light turns green when they are finished baking.

But my daughter begged me for pancakes instead. You’re right – waffles and pancakes aren’t that different. Confession: I’m just terrible at flipping flapjacks!

If you’re like me and have a difficult time evenly turning over a pancake in the skillet, this is the recipe for you. The batter is thick, which means that it won’t simply slide over the edge as you attempt to cook the opposite side. There is one disclaimer: these whole wheat pancakes have bananas in them, which keep the batter thick and light. But honestly, you can hardly taste the banana (unless you have a strong aversion to bananas).

The best part about these waffles is that they are made with freshly ground whole wheat flour! 1 and ⅓ cup of hard red wheat berries produces roughly 2 cups of whole wheat flour that is nutty, flavorful, and much higher in protein content than traditional store bought flour.

If you want to experiment with grinding your own flour in the Vitamix dry container, this is the perfect first recipe to experiment with!

Notes:

Yield: 6

Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes

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A whole wheat and fluffy version of traditional pancakes.

Ingredients

• 1 ⅓ cup hard red wheat berries, to yield 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 ½ ts baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cups milk, any kind (if using store bought flour, add an additional ¾ cup of milk. Freshly ground flour does not require as much liquid.)
• 2 Tbsp butter, melted
• 2 bananas, mashed
• pure maple syrup, for serving

Instructions

1. Using your vitamix dry container, blend 1 and ⅓ cup of hard red wheat berries for 1 minute to yield 2 cups of whole wheat flour.
2. Add the baking powder, baking soda and salt to the Vitamix dry cup. Pulse on high twice to combine, turning the unit on and off quickly.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine the honey, 2 beaten eggs, milk, and melted butter.
4. Add in the dry mixture and the mashed bananas. Mix only until combined.
5. Heat a skillet on medium or medium-high heat with enough butter to coat the bottom of the skillet.
6. Use a pancake ladle to put the mixture in the pan. Spread out into a circle.
7. Cook until golden brown, about 90 seconds on each side.

Notes

Serve with maple syrup, fresh fruit, a hazelnut spread, or peanut butter. When using freshly ground flour, half the amount of liquids in the recipe. Make extra, and freeze for another day!

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 556Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 75mgSodium: 755mgCarbohydrates: 112gFiber: 11gSugar: 43gProtein: 16g

• It’s best to store your wheat berries in the freezer since they will heat up while grinding.
• Do not grind more than 2 cups of berries , and do not grind for longer than 1 minute or you may overheat your unit.
• You can also grind using your standard Vitamix cup but it will not produce such fine flour and is more likely to scratch your container.
• There is a difference in wheat berries varieties. Hard red wheat berries produce whole wheat flour for this recipe.
• When using freshly ground flour, half the amount of liquids in the recipe.