Banana Pancakes and Banana Granola

I love bananas!  And Our Best Bites is my all-time favorite food blog.  I have been whipping up their Chunky Monkey Pancakes for weeks now.  My daughter and I love them!!  I always make extra and freeze them for a quick breakfast or snack later.  Here is the recipe:

Banana Pancakes:
Our Best Bites

1 ½ c flour                            1 TB canola oil

3 TB sugar                            1 large egg
2 tsp baking powder       2 small-med ripe bananas
1 ½ tsp baking soda         6 TB mini chocolate chips (optional)
¼ tsp salt                             cooking spray or butter for pan
1 ½ c buttermilk *          
1 tsp vanilla extract        

Combine flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl and whisk together. In a separate bowl combine buttermilk, eggs, oil, and vanilla and whisk well. Add the wet ingredients into the dry and mix just until moistened and combined. Place bananas in a bowl and roughly mash with a fork. Fold into batter. Toss chocolate chips with 2 tsp flour and stir into batter  (I only add the chocolate chips when I'm making them for my husband...I will admit that ever since my pregnancy, I am not a fan of chocolate).

Heat a nonstick griddle or skillet to medium heat. Coat pan with little butter and then pour on pancake batter. Use ¼ c batter for large pancakes (4-6″) and 2 T for kid-sized ones (2-3″). Wait until bubbles form and edges are set and then flip.

*At Our Best Bites Sara makes a peanut butter syrup.  I'm not a syrup lover so I go straight to the peanut butter! 


And recently I experimented with Banana Granola.  I loved it...much healthier alternative to my previous go-to granola recipe.  I think I've found a weakness for banana recipes...
In a blender, blend:
1 banana
3/4 c water (more as needed)
1 TB honey
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
After this is well blended, add to 2 c oats, and any other add-ins (1/4 c chopped almonds, 1/4 c coconut, chopped walnuts, sunflower seeds, anything else you like in your granola).
Spread onto a half cookie sheet (Double recipe for full sheet--mine never covers the whole pan though) and bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes (or until oats are slightly browned); check every 10 minutes to stir.

I hope you enjoy bananas as much as I do!