This chocolate chip and banana pancake recipe is vegan and gluten-free take on the traditional favorite. They have the perfect ratio of bananas and chocolate in every bite. Plus they’re easy to make!

When it comes to pancakes, I generally like them straight up. I’ve never really jumped on the blueberry or chocolate chip bandwagon… until now.

That all changed when I had my first bite of these chocolate chip pancakes. The chips are melty, warm surprises that wind up in every single bite. I made sure not to cover up that subtle vanilla flavor that every pancake needs – it pairs perfectly with the hint of banana and a good dousing of maple syrup.

This recipe arrived just in time. Especially if you, like those of us in Indiana, are looking out the window at a too-early blanketing of snow. It’s this time of year when my thoughts about pancakes and brunch in general take center stage in my mind.

All of this cold weather spelled bad news for our fall garden and sadness for me. We were doing so well with them – we built hoops, insulated, and covered them with plastic to keep them warm on the cool fall nights. But then winter showed up, uninvited with temperatures in the teens and wicked winds.

So, with a heavy sigh, I put on my toboggan and gloves and headed into the yard with scissors and a bucket. Clark and I uncovered the garden and trimmed the still-healthy-looking leaves off our cabbage, brussels sprouts, and cauliflower and cut our mixed greens one last time. All of our hard work didn’t go to waste – we made a huge pot of sautéed greens and we’re still enjoying the leftovers.

If mild weather had just stuck around for a couple more weeks, we would’ve had heads of cabbage and brussels sprouts to harvest for sure.

But alas. I’ll just have to drown my sorrows in a stack of pancakes.

Ridiculously easy pancakes, I might add. These require just one bowl and, if you’re a savvy pancake-maker, only one electric griddle that wipes clean with a paper towel. No mixers, no skillets, no sink full of dishes. With Black Friday coming up, I recommend that you keep an eye out for one of these bad boys. I have the luxury of using my mom’s whenever I please; it was inexpensive and it makes pancakes a breeze. I think griddles are scientifically proven to make getting out of bed to make breakfast easier. You can cook 8 or more pancakes at a time and every one of them cooks to a nice, even brown with the perfect crisp. This griddle for the win.

In a perfect world, I would wake up next to Clark and these pancakes would magically appear, served with fresh coffee, turkey bacon, and a pitcher of sangria. But in reality, we ate these pancakes cold after taking photos to show you all how delicious they are. And guess what? They were STILL ridiculously good.