Almond Vanilla Pancakes with Cinnamon Bananas

Almond Vanilla Pancakes with Cinnamon Bananas - by Meeta K. Wolff-0054

We love our weekend breakfasts. It’s that time in the week where all three of us come together without any rush-to-meetings, get-to-school madness. Pancakes have got to be the classic and perfect weekend breakfast treat and I have always loved indulging in stacks topped with favorite fruit and nuts.

My husband who loves a proper German breakfast of bread rolls, eggs and sausage took time to get used to a sweeter side of breakfast. I admit my taste has changed over the years and I love my egg breakfast a lot. There are, however those Sunday mornings when my son climbs into my side of the bed winding his feet between my legs and whispers into my ears,

“Pancakes?”

Almond Vanilla Pancakes with Cinnamon Bananas - by Meeta K. Wolff-0076

The magic word has been uttered and my tastebuds are already dreaming of pillowy soft pancakes scattered with fruit, flavored with vanilla or cinnamon and drizzled with syrup or honey.

Pancakes have always been a treat and I have to admit that one too many often left us feeling replete and over-satiated. I played around with several recipes and experimented with many ideas over the years. Eliminating the flour was one of my main aims – not because of any allergies or because of the carbs – mainly because I wanted to make them lighter and just be able to indulge in one extra without feeling stuffed. Yes pure gluttony on my part!

After all the tweaking on the recipes I have two that I have come to love one uses coconut flour adding a beautiful light coconut-y flavor to the pancakes, which I will share sometime here. But these are my favorites. Using ground almonds and almond milk these are the lightest and fluffiest pancakes ever. With no added sugar, just the sweetness of bananas that the pancakes are served with and a drizzle of raw honey these are most certainly guilt-free.

For those who enjoy a little more sweetness in you pancakes you are welcome to add a tablespoon or two of coconut blossom sugar to the batter as some will find these rather “sweetless” on their own. We serve our pancakes with a lot of fruit and some golden honey or maple syrup, which these pancakes soak up gorgeously making it sweet enough for us. I also add a pinch of fleur de sel which really balances the sweetness of the syrup or honey wonderfully.

Fading Lavender - by Meeta K. Wolff-0038

When making pancakes, regardless what kind, there are a few pointers that I’ve learned.

First and foremost, as for any favorite dish, make sure your ingredients are of good quality – right down to the baking powder, which in the end is responsible for making the pancakes fluffy.

If using flour make sure you do not over-mix the batter as this will get the gluten to develop making the pancakes chewy and not soft and pillow-y. Stir the batter until the wet and dry ingredients are just incorporated.

Butter is not always the best for your pancakes as it is easy to burn. I use ghee (clarified butter) or coconut oil which gives a gorgeous flavor and a beautiful light golden color.

Personal preference I am sure but I do not like loading my batter with berries, chocolate chips and co. I prefer making plain pancakes and then topping them at the table with whatever selection of ingredients we currently fancy. There is one exception though – I sometimes add the banana after I have poured the batter into the pan. While the pancake cooks the banana slices begin to caramelize adding some pretty awesome flavors. Other ingredients like the chocolate chips or berries tend to burn against the heat of the pan or simply get soft and mushy so better placing them on the table.

Flip pancakes after the bubbles have popped on the surface and not as soon as you see the bubbles. When bubbles begin to surface wait till it pops and your surface is hole-y then flip.

We all know the first few pancakes are the “test batch.” Make some extra batter and use the first few as a test run, finding the hot spots in the pan and practice getting them the right color. By the third pancake they will be perfect!

Enjoy the pancake glory by using raw honey and 100% maple syrup. Respect your hard work and your Sunday treat by not drowning your pancakes in things like corn syrup or fake syrup. Fresh fruit and chopped nuts are a definite yes too!

Almond Vanilla Pancakes with Cinnamon Bananas - by Meeta K. Wolff-0082

These vanilla almond pancakes make use of good quality ingredients and the fact that I let the batter rest overnight gives them a rich flavor and lovely texture. They are wonderfully crisp on the outside and soft and silky on the inside. They are also grain-green and diary-free so perfect for all kinds of diets.

Today, on Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday – you can most certainly indulge in one or maybe two extra pancakes if they are this good for you.

Recipe: Almond Vanilla Pancakes with Cinnamon Bananas

By
Prep Time:
Total Time: + resting time
Makes: 9 pancakes

 

Ingredients

  • 200g ground almonds
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped
  • 180 ml almond milk
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 2 bananas
  • 60g walnuts, chopped
  • 1-2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • handful blueberries
  • a few tablespoons honey






Method

  1. Place ground amonds, baking powder, vanilla and mix in a clean bowl. In another bowl whisk eggs with the milk, then add the dry almond mixture to the egg-milk mixture. Gently whisk together and allow to rest in the firdge for at least 20 minutes or up to 12 hours.
  2. Heat a skillet and melt some of the coconut oil over medium heat. Pour 2 to three tablespoons of the batter into the pan and cook until golden, about 3 minutes, then flip and cook on the other side and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Repeat with the rest of the batter, stacking the pancakes and keeping them warm.
  3. Slice the bananas lenghtways. In a separate pan heat about 1 tablespoon of the coconut oil, sprinkle the cinnamon and heat for one minute. Place the banana halves, cut side on the bottom and allow to cook on each side for about 2 minutes, until golden. With a tablespoon keep drizzling the cinnamon-coconut mixture over the bananas. Remove the bananas from the pan and then replace over the heat. Add the walnuts and toast for a few minutes.
  4. Serve the pancakes with the cinnamon bananas, blueberries, walnuts and a drizzle of honey over the top.





Verdict

Almond Vanilla Pancakes with Cinnamon Bananas - by Meeta K. Wolff-0058

In this version I serve the bananas as a side. They are gently cooked in cinnamon and coconut oil until they are soft and caramelized. Paired with blueberries the flavors are a burst of pure sensation. Make this your Sunday sensation and I hope you enjoy every last bite of it.

Over Christmas I got a new lens. The dream EF 100 mm Macro IS USM f/2.8 and ever since I took these first shots with it last month the lens has not left the body of my camera. I have been enjoying the challenge of discovering a new side of photography. Even after all these years I love shaking things up in my photography and always trying something new.

Workshop Update

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If you too want to shake things up in your photography then you will not want to miss the upcoming 2-day intensive food styling and photography course in the stunning Rome countryside!

Only 3 tickets are left so make a go of your goals and grab your chance to improve your food photography. We've got some awesome participants coming from as far as Bahrain, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and as close as Germany, Switzerland and Ireland. Join me and Cooksister for a unique food experience this May!

>> Get the details and the link to your personal ticket now.

Don’t miss your opportunity to unleash your creativity.

 

 

More pancakes from What’s for lunch, Honey?:

Whole-Wheat Raw Orange Blossom Honey and Ricotta Pancakes Whole Wheat Pancakes with Nutella & Mangoes Cooking School: Crêpes Suzette


All photographs and written content on What's For Lunch, Honey? © 2006-2016 Meeta Khurana Wolff unless otherwise indicated. | All rights reserved | Please Ask First

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14 comments:

  1. What a great post Meeta! I personally love this because it's grain and dairy free :))
    And you're so right about the ingredients - best of the best reveals the best taste. I love your photographs, as always.

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    Replies
    1. Always the best if possible. Glad you liked this and grainfree every now and then does the body good. But so do grains - all about the balance!

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  2. I'm going to try this as I am on a low carb healthy eating plan and wheat flour is a no-no. Thanks for sharing, and will let you know how mine turned out.

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    Replies
    1. I saw your try on IG - looked great and so glad you liked it. This is made quite often here!

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  3. Your photographs are just stunning,delicious foodies,they look like yummy..

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  4. I want to try this low carb healthy dieting plan. Thanks for sharing.

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  5. these look fantastic - I'm usually a full fat, high carb, high everything but these do indeed look yummy

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    Replies
    1. I go for full fat too but balance it every now and then with lighter food. :)

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  6. I tried yesterday evening this recipe - and it was exactly as you described it, we enjoyed every bite of it. Very good recipe, that is going to become a standard in our kitchen.

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  7. If the pancakes are as tasty as they look on the picture, I'd like to have them for breakfast every Saturday for the rest of my life!

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Thank you for visiting What's For Lunch, Honey? and taking time to browse through my recipes, listen to my ramblings and enjoy my photographs. I appreciate all your comments, feedback and input. I will answer your questions to my best knowledge and respond to your comments as soon as possible.

In the meantime I hope you enjoy your stay here and that I was able to make this an experience for your senses.

Hugs
Meeta