Today I’ll show you how to make light chocolate and banana pancakes that are vegetarian. This variation is no sugar, no leavening and optionally gluten-free. One thing is for sure about the taste: they’re very indulgent, and if my son — who is a “Nutella lover” — says they’re amazing, then they must really be: guaranteed!
I also used eggs to provide protein, so they are perfect for breakfast, even if you just top them with a little honey: very little sugar, more protein and lots of energy.
They don’t take long to prepare — you only need a good nonstick pan, a bowl and a fork! And for an even more fun version sent by one of my readers, read at the end of the recipe. Let’s go straight to the preparation…
Other recipes for indulgent yet light pancakes are these:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 6 pieces
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Healthy
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 2 bananas (ripe)
- 1/2 cup buckwheat flakes (about 1.4 oz / 40 g) (or certified gluten-free oat flakes)
- 2 eggs
- 2.5 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (about 15 g / 0.5 oz)
- 1 pinch salt
- WW points per pancake = 1.5 points
- WW points per serving of 2 pancakes = 3 points
Tools
- Fork
- Bowl
- Hand whisk
- Ice cream scoop
- Crepe pan
- Spatula
Preparation
Mash the banana in a bowl with a fork. Put the buckwheat flakes in a bowl. If the flakes are very large I recommend placing them on a cutting board and chopping them coarsely.
You can also use oat flakes, but if you have a gluten intolerance make sure they are certified gluten-free for celiacs.
Add the flakes to the banana and work the banana into the flakes. Then add the cocoa and a pinch of salt, mix well and then add the two eggs.
Beat everything well with a fork or a whisk until you get a well-blended batter. To gauge how much batter to use I use an ice cream scoop; this way you’ll get 6 medium, nicely thick pancakes.
Heat a good quality nonstick crepe pan or skillet very well. Pour 3 spoonfuls of batter into the pan, spaced apart from each other.
When you see the surface start to dry, gently loosen the pancakes from the bottom of the pan with a silicone spatula without forcing them or they will lose their round shape. Flip them with a confident movement and wait for the other side to cook: it doesn’t take long to cook the second side.
Place them on a plate and repeat with the other 3 pancakes. Usually the first ones are the most difficult to cook; after that it’s much easier to loosen and flip them.
And here are our chocolate and banana pancakes. A little drizzle of honey — for which you should calculate Weight Watchers points separately, please — and they’re already delicious as is.
Another suggestion is to fill them with a little ricotta and some light strawberry jam: super indulgent!
They smell so good and full of chocolate aroma. As I said before my son adores them and of course I was very satisfied. The Dutch one doesn’t like bananas, so I didn’t even try to have him taste them.
They also keep very well for a few days in an airtight glass container, outside the fridge. In fact, after two days they are even tastier! So go ahead, try them and then let me know how they turned out!
Enjoy!
by Giovanna Buono
Notes
Here is an alternative way to cook these pancakes. Maria, one of my readers, put the batter in a waffle iron and here is the result:
Here is an alternative way to cook these pancakes. Maria, one of my readers, put the batter in a waffle iron and here is the result:
Aren’t they cute? If you have a waffle maker, try them too!
