Who Doesn't Love PANCAKES!!

Seriously, who doesn't love pancakes (or pancakees as they have been renamed in our house by Miss Emilia), they can be sweet, savory, a bit of both. As McDonald's has proven, they are also fit to make delicious breakfast sandwiches!

These ones are Kid approved, Gluten Free and Vegan, and NO one will know the difference, I promise!!
These pancakes are a quick hitter and a regular staple in our house.  Here is what you will need to start your "pancakee" adventure:

A blender (or a whisk and a bowl if using oat flour instead of whole oats)
3 - 3 1/3 cups Oats (or oat flour)
2 cups Almond Milk (can substitute with any liquid including water)
1 banana
2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
Coconut Oil (or oil/spray of choice for pan or skillet)

I'll start by saying if you don't have a blender that will eat your hand for lunch (like pictured vitamix above) you might be better off using oat flour for the first go around, or gradually add your oats in instead of tossing everything in at once.  

As you can see the ingredients are basic and so are the instructions. Lets get started!!

*  In your blender layer in the following order: Liquid (in our case we use almond milk) Banana, Oats, Remaining dry ingredients.
*  Turn your blender on a low speed (3 on our vitamix) and after it has started mixing all ingredients turn it up to medium/high  (5-6 on vitamix, max when I use my family's Oster) and let it blend for roughly one minute
*  While blender is going, turn on and pre-heat your skillet or pan (we use cast iron and like to let it heat up for a 2-3 min before adding the batter)
*  Turn off blender. If batter is too thick (like paste) add some water and reblend.  If batter is too thin (usually not the case) add some more oats and reblend.  Let the batter sit a min or two as your skillet or pan heats and check again. **NOTE** The oats get thicker as they sit so it will thicken the batter a little.
*  Oil or spray your cooking surface with your oil or spray of choice, we use coconut oil. I advise against olive oil (especially good ones) because you will pick up their flavor in your pancake and it's usually not what you're going for :)
*  Test pan with a quick spritz of water to make sure pan is hot and pour your pancakes on to cook. 
*  When pancakes start to bubble through out, flip them over.

Voila!!! Pancakes!!!  This recipe makes about 12-16 pancakes depending on thickness and size. The recipe can be halved very easily, I still use one whole banana for a half recipe. They cook like normal pancakes and they taste like normal pancakes.  If you like your pancakes on the thinner "flapjack" side, add a little more fluid. If you like them thicker and fluffier, add a little bit more oats.  Don't like banana's? No problem you won't taste it! If you are wanting some banana pancakes, add more banana!! This recipe is incredibly versatile, we add chocolate chips, berries, you name it. I will say that if I'm adding items I don't want blended in the batter, I add them at the end and mix them with a silicone spatula right in the blender so it's easy pouring onto the skillet!!

If you don't have a blender, no problem. Use oat flour (or grind your oats with a coffee grinder) and mix by hand like you would normal pancakes.  If I'm mixing by hand I mash the banana inside the skin by just squeezing it all over until it feels mushy. Then peel the banana and it will already be mashed. Add it to the almond milk and whisk together, then add your dry ingredients and finish whisking. 

The wonderful thing about these pancakes? other then that they taste delish?? 

They are gluten free, soy free, dairy free, egg free, vegan and 100% clean.  We try to eat an anti-inflammatory, clean diet as much as possible and oats are the only grain that fall into that category.  Our friends and family love these pancakes and are none the wiser that they are healthier. 

I hope that this blog finds everyone healthy and well. These are very unusual, uncertain times, and I hope experimenting with food can help bring your family together to enjoy one another, and enjoy food with out guilt, the way it has for our family.

Feel free to watch Me and Emi cooking them up in our M & Em Kitchen Chronicles on my facebook page!

​Click here to watch: M & Em make Pancakes!

Let us know how you like them!!

​Cheers! 
Marisa

---