Banana Walnut Pancakes

You can't start your day out right without breakfast!  That's some of the best advice my parents gave me, but I still went through a period of time where I skipped out on it in favor of waiting until lunch to finally eat.  Missing out on all those awesome breakfast foods just isn't worth it--eggs, sausage, bacon, waffles, and especially pancakes make breakfast worth getting up a few minutes early for.


I always prefer homemade recipes to pre-made cake or cookie mixes (once you switch over and see how easy it is, there are no reasons to turn back).  I had the recipe still from when I made Homemade Pancakes a while back.


First, I used a whisk to mix together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a small bowl.

In a larger bowl, I melted the butter, then beat in the milk, vanilla, and egg. I added the flour mixture to the milk mixture; whisking until the mixture was combined but still lumpy.  Then, I added in the mashed banana and walnuts.

Next, I sprayed some nonstick cooking spray in a skillet.  I used a muffin scoop to get the perfect sized pancake, and scooped some batter into the pan.  I scooped from the bottom of the bowl since the walnuts were heavier than the batter to make sure they didn't all end up in one pancake.

I cooked the pancakes for about 2 minutes, then flipped them and browned the other side.

Once both sides were slightly browned, the pancakes were ready to go.

Now these are some delicious pancakes.  The bananas and walnuts gave enough sweetness that I only used a tiny bit of syrup because I just love syrup.  They were cakey and fluffy and really quite good.  Now my curiosity for tossing fruit in my pancakes has got me thinking...strawberries next?  Just another awesome breakfast.

Banana Walnut Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter or vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 tablespoon vegetable oil or butter for pan
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 mashed banana
1/4 cup walnuts

Instructions:

Whisk together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a small bowl. In a large bowl, whisk together milk, oil or melted butter, vanilla, and egg. Add flour mixture to milk mixture; whisk until just moistened and there are still some small lumps. Mix in mashed banana and walnuts. Heat a large skillet to medium. Pour a small amount of oil or spray non-stick butter spray onto skillet. Scoop 2 to 3 tablespoons of batter onto skillet for each pancake and cook 1-2 minutes, until surface of pancakes have some bubbles and a few have burst. Flip with a thin spatula, and cook a few more minutes, until browned on the underside, 1 to 2 minutes. Move finished pancake onto a plate. Continue with more butter or oil and remaining batter. Serve with toppings.