pancakes

Over-ripe bananas mean one of two things for me: banana bread or pancakes. The latter is one of my absolute favourite breakfast or brunch items, especially when made fluffy and thick with just enough chewiness. One of my go-to places for American pancakes is The Breakfast Club (faultless 99.9% of the time!) but they’re not the healthiest, admittedly. So in those moments when I fancy something similar, these homemade vegan-friendly pancakes are a winner and the perfect way to use up those extra sweet fruit.

For this recipe, the main flavours are bananas and oats, with a few spices and nuts thrown in making them more nutritious. Big win! While I can’t imagine anyone subbing maple syrup from this recipe, warm runny honey or agave syrup will work just as well drizzled at the end. Likewise, fresh blueberries and peaches, or a spoonful of coconut yoghurt elevate these even more. The most important meal of the day is about get tastier!

Serves 2-4. Makes 6-8 pancakes | Prep: 5 mins Cooking: 12-16 mins

For the pancakes:

2 medium ripe bananas
1 cup non-dairy milk: soya, almond or oat work well
1 tsp vanilla extract or fresh vanilla bean paste
100g plain flour
2 tbsp rolled oats
1 tbsp Linwoods flaxseed, almond, brazil nut and walnut mix (ground almonds will also work)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
A pinch of sea salt
Vegetable or sunflower oil

To serve:

Good quality maple syrup
1/2 tsp mixed spice

Step one: In a blender, nutribullet or by hand, mix the chopped bananas, milk and vanilla until completely smooth in texture.

Step two: In a large dry bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, oats, nut mix, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Add the liquid banana puree and mix well. Set aside in the fridge for 10 minutes to activate the raising agent.

Step three: Heat up a non-stick pan with a little vegetable or sunflower oil. 3 tablespoons of mixture should be enough for each pancake. Cook for a minute on each side or until well coloured, adding more oil when needed.

Step four: Heat up the maple syrup in small saucepan (as much as desired) with the mixed spice until warm. Drizzle over the pancakes and serve.

Ahh, pancakes. You can’t beat a perfectly thin crepe doused in lemon and sugar, or a stack of fluffy American style pancakes soaked in maple syrup. It’s one of those foods that bring instant joy before they’re even served. There’s even a guilt-free day dedicated to them, I mean what more of an excuse do we need? And it’s not just kids who get excited at the prospect of flipping pancakes and piling on as many toppings as possible – strawberries, chocolate sauce, caramel, whipped cream – they’ve all been done. In the UK we usually make thin crepes on days like Shrove Tuesday, but in my opinion you can’t beat good homemade American pancakes. They bring reminders of home and happy times. Maybe it’s the nostalgic element of childhood excitement, or the fun and competitiveness making pancakes usually brings to the kitchen that make them such a winner. But let’s be honest, they’re not the healthiest of things.

With all the ‘American diner’ inspired restaurants popping up all over the UK, and especially in my home city of London, it’s not hard to find foodie inspiration or be tempted to eat your way through all the wrong kinds of foods. These sweet potato pancakes are inspired by one of my favourite diners, but with a few adaptations not only to make them healthier, but also taste damn good. I use homemade sweet potato puree that I flavour with browned butter and honey. This alone is divine. I generally avoid dairy milk, so I use sweetened soya milk (almond milk will work too) in the batter and spice things up with cinnamon, vanilla extract and nutmeg. The result? Fluffy, subtly sweet and melt in the mouth pancakes for a sweet or savory meal. The thick honey Greek yoghurt adds a lightness to the dish perfect for a healthy breakfast, perhaps with fresh or stewed fruits, but substitute this for some guacamole (recipe coming soon) and poached eggs and it’s perfect Sunday brunch/lunch deliciousness.

Makes 4 large pancakes | Method: 20 mins | Cooking: 8 – 12 mins

For the sweet potato purée:

4 small sweet potatoes
2 tbsp honey or agave syrup
1 tbsp butter
A pinch of sea salt

Step one: Peel and chop the sweet potatoes, then boil for 10 minutes in salted water on a medium heat.

Step two: Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small non stick pan for 3 minutes. As the butter cooks it will become brown and nutty in smell and taste. Be careful not to have the heat too high as it will easily burn!

Step three: Once the potatoes are soft, drain and mash with a fork. And the browned butter and honey. Use a wooden spoon and mix well for 2 minutes until smooth and creamy. That’s it!

For the pancake batter:

260g self raising flour
1 cup soya milk
2 eggs
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp vanilla extract or fresh vanilla bean paste
Sweet potato purée (above)
4 tbsp flavourless oil for frying (sunflower or vegetable)
1 tbsp honey or agave syrup
3 tbsp Greek yoghurt

Step one: Heat up a small non stick pan with 1 tbsp of oil. In a heavy bowl or mixer, combine all the dry ingredients – flour, baking powder and spices – for a minute until well mixed. Make a well in the centre.

Step two: Add both eggs and the milk. Mix well to form a semi-thin batter.

Step three: Add the purée and mix well until a smooth thick batter is formed.

Step four: Take enough batter to make a large sized pancake and fry one at a time for 2-3 minutes, turning mid-way. Add more oil as you cook the rest.

Step five: To serve, swirl the honey into some Greek yoghurt and pile on top of your pancakes. It’s almost too good to eat.