“2 Ingredient” French Toast Pancakes

I’m loving these 2 Ingredient Pancakes. The recipe has been all over the internet lately. Pancakes with a banana and eggs?! Its a revolutionary new breakfast item! This version actually has 5 ingredients, but I think the extra measuring is worth the trade off for extra flavor.

Although I still love Grain Free Banana Pancakes, this is my current favorite banana-based pancake. If you follow me on instagram and twitter than you know I’ve been eating these at least one a week. Why do I love these pancakes so much? Maybe it’s that they mix together quicker than any other pancake batter. Maybe it’s because they’re made with whole foods and clean eating ingredients. Maybe it’s because they taste like french toast. Maybe it’s because they taste like french toast AND aren’t just a plate full of carbs and sugar. Maybe it’s because I can eat the whole batch and still be under my allotted 350 – 400 calories for breakfast. Maybe it’s because I have so many extra calories that I get to add peanut butter to my stack of pancakes.

So many good reasons to love these pancakes.

On a more practical note, these couldn’t be simpler to make. Mash a ripe banana and mix it with two eggs. Add some baking soda, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. Cook like any other pancake. Eat the entire plate full. Personally, I like to make mini pancakes, but you could always make full size pancakes. The one trick I have to offer is that I’ve noticed these pancakes cook a bit more evenly if you cover the pan while they are cooking. Once you’ve flipped the pancakes and they are cooking on the second side leave the cover off.

These pancakes are fun, tasty, impressive, and a great way to enjoy gluten free and grain free pancakes with little work!

“Two Ingredient” French Toast Pancakes

Makes about 15 mini pancakes. Recipe easily doubles, triples, etc!

 

Ingredients

• 1 ripe banana
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

1. In a bowl, mash the banana.
2. Using a fork, whisk the eggs into the banana to form a thin batter.
3. Add the baking powder, cinnamon, and vanilla extract, and whisk again, until the cinnamon is evenly distributed throughout the batter (if the cinnamon is sticking to the sides of the bowl just keep scraping it off and stirring. Eventually it will blend in).
4. Heat a non stick skillet over medium heat. When the skillet is hot, add batter to the pan using 2 tablespoons for each pancakes. Cover the skillet.
5. When the bubbles on the top of the pancakes have popped and the batter looks more opaque than wet, flip the pancakes.
6. Cook until the second side is golden brown, leaving the lid off of the skillet.
7. Repeat with all remaining batter.
8. If desired, top with peanut butter, syrup, cinnamon, etc.

Banana Chocolate Chip Smoothie

I’ve wholeheartedly given into the smoothie trend. I have a general policy to not “drink my calories”, but smoothies have become an exception. They taste good and fill me up. A smoothie can be a meal on the go or quick snack. With a blender and a few ingredients it’s easy to whip up a healthy smoothie!

This is my current favorite smoothie. I make it if I happen to be craving something sweet or just need something nutritious in the middle of a busy day.  A few months from now I’ll probably have a new favorite smoothie, but for now this one is my smoothie obsession.

Banana and chocolate is loved combination, and this smoothie is a healthy way to fill that sweet craving. Just 15 chocolate chips will add a touch of chocolate flavor, and only about 35 calories to the drink. Much more wholesome than grabbing a candy bar!

I’ve found that this smoothie, and any with banana, taste best when the bananas are ripe and frozen. Overly ripe bananas (you know those ones with all the brown spots that you can get on clearance at the grocery store) are sweeter than a perfect yellow banana. Since the banana provides most of the sweetness for the smoothie, the riper the banana the sweeter the smoothie you will have.

Using a frozen banana is just a personal preference for me. Of course, you can use a banana at room temperature + ice to make a smoothie, but I like the result from using a frozen banana better. The smoothie is, well, smoother! It’s still thick, but there are no little ice chunks that water down the flavor.

I always keep ripe, frozen bananas on hand, ready for smoothies. Whenever I buy bananas I purchase a few extra. When they get brown spots I peel, slice in half, and store in a ziploc bag in the freezer. It’s much easier to choose a healthy smoothie over a cookie or candy when the ingredients are on hand and ready to use!

 Banana Chocolate Chip Smoothie

 

Ingredients (makes 1 smoothie)

• 1 frozen banana
• 1 c milk of choice (I use unsweetened almond milk)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (alternatively, you can skip the vanilla extract and use vanilla flavored almond/soy milk)
• 2 Tbs plain greek yogurt
• 15 chocolate chips

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth.

Almond Joy Oatmeal

This is one of my current favorite breakfasts. It tastes just like the candy bar, but is totally sugar free! It’s actually a 100% healthy, filling breakfast. What a great way to start the day – with a warm bowl of oats that tastes like candy but is secretly healthy.

Let’s break down the flavors in this oatmeal. First, there’s chocolate. Chocolate for breakfast – I’m in.  Then there is coconut. I’ve always been a fan of coconut. Coconut with chocolate – even better! Remember when they came out with coconut m&ms a few years ago? I ate a lot of those.

Finally, the almond flavor. To be honest, until recently I could take or leave almonds. When I was working on my eBook last year I bought a bottle of almond extract for some of the recipes. There’s something about that strong almond flavor that just melts in my mouth. The GF Candy Cane Cookies from my eBook were one of my favorites. I enjoyed every single bite of those. Well, now I’m all about almond flavored things. Almond butter is a new found favorite ingredient for me. I made these mints (but un-vegan), and the almond chocolate ones were seriously amazing. I brought them on a weekend family trip. At the end of the weekend I traded the leftover mints with my mother in law for basically all of her remaining food + some incredibly soft toilet paper.

Anyway, I digress. Chocolate + Almond + Coconut + HEALTHY = winning breakfast combination.

Since I mentioned my eBook, can I insert a shameless plug here? If you read this blog and enjoy the recipes, please help me keep it going by buying a copy of the eBook! I have plans to expand this blog to a more sophisticated site with easier to read recipes, better site navigation, and a much nicer recipe index. All funds from eBook sales will go straight into improving the blog! Plus, you’ll have a few new cookies recipes! You can check out my eBook page, or go right to my Selz page to purchase it. Thanks for reading my blog, trying my recipes, liking my posts, and leaving encouraging comments! I appreciate all of your support!

As written, this oatmeal is sweetened only with banana. If you find that isn’t sufficient sweetness for your tastes, try adding 1 – 2 tablespoons of sugar.

 

Ingredients

• 1/2 c GF oats
• 1/2 c almond milk (or other milk of choice)
• 1/2 c water
• 1 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 banana, mashed
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 2 Tbs shredded coconut (unsweetened)

Directions

1. Combine the oats, almond milk, and water in a small sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium.
2. Stir in the cocoa powder, making sure it dissolves completely, and then the banana. Let cook, stirring frequently, until much of the liquid is absorbed (under 10 minutes).
3. Add the almond extract. Cook a few minutes longer, until the oatmeal reaches your desired consistency. Personally, I like to have nearly all of the liquid absorbed.
4. Sprinkle with the shredded coconut before eating.

Basic Cinnamon Vanilla Oatmeal

I really, really though I’d posted this recipe months ago. I eat it at least once a week! It wasn’t until I was on the Daniel Fast and blogging about what I ate that I realized I hadn’t. Oppps! Better late then never, right?

I call this recipe “Basic Cinnamon Vanilla Oatmeal” because it ends up being the base for many of my oatmeal creations. Some mornings I stir in peanut butter or almond butter, other mornings I add some dates and some coconut, other times I top it with chocolate chips. Steve likes his with an apple. There are lots of options for yummy additions. Yet, really, even served with no toppings or additions I find this oatmeal delicious every time. It has a sort of gentle sweetness, perfect for breakfast, but enough of a flavor to keep me interested enough to eat the whole bowl.

This oatmeal recipe class for imitation vanilla extract. Over the past few months I’ve come to prefer the imitation vanilla over the real stuff, especially in my oatmeal. Add too much of a pure extract to oatmeal and sometimes it taste more like alcohol than the flavor I’m shooting for (at least for me – but I hate that alcohol-y flavor). With the imitation vanilla I can dump in a whole teaspoon and get tons of vanilla flavor with no alcohol-y taste. I don’t feel badly about using a whole teaspoon of imitation vanilla in just one oatmeal serving because I know it’s SO much cheaper than the pure vanilla extract. Of course, if you prefer the real stuff then swap it out in the recipe. Just be sure to use less. I’d suggest starting with 1/4 tsp and adding more in 1/4 tsp increments if needed.

Next time you are feeling creative give this oatmeal a try – and let me know what you add in!

Ingredients

• 1/2 c GF oats
• 1/2 c water
• 1/2 c milk of choice
• 1 banana, mashed
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp imitation vanilla extract

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, bring the oats, water, and milk to a boil.
2. While the oats and liquid are coming to a boil mash the banana. Slicing the banana, then microwave it for 30 – 45 seconds will make mashing much easier.
3. When the oats begin to boil turn the heat down to medium and stir in the mashed banana. Stir frequently for 5 – 10, until the oats have absorbed most of the liquid and thickened.
4. Stir in the cinnamon and vanilla, and cook for another minute or two (or until the oatmeal reaches your desired consistency).
5. Enjoy as is or top with any nut butter or nuts, coconut, chocolate chips, fresh fruit, etc.

Grain Free Banana Pancakes

These pancakes have totally changed breakfasts around here.

I found a banana pancake recipe on Gluten Free Fix months ago, and tried it right away. I think it was actually lunch that very day I first saw the recipe. Can you say delicious? Yes, yes, I can. These were soft and slightly sweet. I’d whipped up the batter in a matter of minutes and the pancakes cooked up so easily. The pancakes stayed together, and if you’ve been GF for very long you know how remarkable that can be!

Now, my husband eats most anything, but I knew it was going to be a sell to get him to eat the banana pancakes. Enter, modifications!

First, I used some of the crunchy, cheap, store brand peanut butter. It’s totally different from the organic, all-natural stuff (aka there’s sugar in it), and the crunch gives the pancakes a unique texture.

Second, I added chocolate chips. I hate to be one of those “everything is better with chocolate” people, but in this case it is true. A small handful of chocolate chips helps to detract from the strong banana flavor, adds a little more to the texture, and just in general makes the pancakes more fun.

We now eat these pancakes multiple times a week, and have gotten our families hooked on them, too (Hi, Mom)! Now its your turn! You won’t be disappointed!

Grain Free Banana Pancakes

To customize your batch size use any multiple of 1 banana, 1 egg, and 1/4c peanut butter. The cooking directions remain the same for any batch size.

 

Ingredients

• 2 bananas
• 2 eggs
• 1/4c crunchy peanut butter
• 1/4c smooth peanut butter
• 1/4 c chocolate chips

Directions

1. Mash the bananas. If they are not ripe enough to easily mash simply slice the bananas, microwave for 30-45 seconds, and then mash.
2. Crack the eggs into the bowl, add both types of peanut butter and stir with a fork until everything is combined. This may take a few minutes as the peanut butter will be sticky. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips.
3. Heat a non stick skillet over medium heat. When the skillet is warm, scoop pancakes into the pan using  large spoonfuls of batter. You may spread/flatter the batter with the spoon.
4. Let the pancakes cook for a few minutes, until the sides are set and tops are partially set. Carefully flip each pancake and cook for a few more minutes on the other side, until it is golden brown.
5. Remove pancakes from the skillet and repeat with any remaining batter.
6. Serve hot or make these ahead of time and reheat in the microwave for a snack or breakfast on the go!

Chocolate Coconut Oatmeal (GF)

Oatmeal is my breakfast obsession right now. It was only a few months ago that I discovered the idea of preparing oatmeal with mashed banana, but I was immediately hooked. This breakfast is healthy, filling, affordable, and there are tons of different ways to flavor it. How great is it to start off the day with a guilt free meal that will keep you full until lunch?! There’s something about just making a healthy choice that puts me in a good mood!

All of my oatmeal breakfasts start with three things: oatmeal, banana, and liquid (even just those ingredients, with a little cinnamon, is delicious on its own). These are real, healthy, whole foods. They are going to fill you up and give you strength and fuel for your day! The banana acts as a natural sweetener. The result is not going to taste quite as sweet as oatmeal sweetened with sugar but it is going to be significantly healthier. Once you eat banana sweetened oatmeal a few times you won’t want to go back! This banana sweetening technique is also a great way to sneak some fruit into a picky person’s diet.

My favorite oats are Trader Joe’s brand. Their regular rolled oats are $3.99 for a one pound bag and they are certified gluten free oats! I love, love, LOVE when I can eat the regular version of a given food and don’t have to pay extra for the gluten free version. I also use Bob’s Red Mill gluten free oats on occasion, which are equal in quality, but double in price. Bob’s Red Mill makes several varieties of oats, not all of which are gluten free, so if you use those just make sure the package says gluten free.

This recipe I’m giving you today is for banana oatmeal with chocolate and coconut. It’s like eating dessert for breakfast! This is one of just many flavor options for banana oatmeal. I’ll continue to post some of my favorite healthy oatmeal recipes here, but if you find you love this breakfast you’ll probably be eager to try other flavors more frequently. Check out The Oatmeal Artist blog for SO MANY different oatmeal variations. Or, get creative! Look around your pantry, pull out your favorite ingredients and add them to your oatmeal. Let me know what you come up with 🙂

By the way, I’m all about pairing my coffee flavor with my oatmeal flavor. You gotta try the Green Mountain Island Coconut flavor! Yum! Coconut coffee + coconut oatmeal = a really good morning.

Chocolate Coconut Oatmeal

Ingredients

• 1/2c gluten free oats
• 1/2c water
• 1/2c skim milk (or other milk of your choice)
• 1 banana, mashed
• 1 Tbs cocoa powder
• 2 Tbs coconut flakes

Cooking Directions

1. In a small saucepan combine the oats, milk, and water. Heat to a boil.
2. While the oatmeal and water are heating up, stir in the cocoa powder.
3. When the liquid is boiling, turn the heat down to medium and stir in the mashed banana.
4. Let the oats cook until they have reached your desired consistency. (I take mine of the heat once the mixture starts to stick together when stirred, but you can eat it more or less liquid-y).
5. Stir in the coconut flakes, and maybe top with coconut flakes, too.