Whole Wheat Brown Sugar Banana Bread Pancakes.

Here’s what I know about pancakes.

They taste good with cherries.

Apples and bacon too.

They make slept-in mornings with toothpaste stains eight thousand times better.

They are what my dad stuffs with blueberries.

They probably wouldn’t be good with things like broccoli or beans… because that’s just weird.

Oh! But they do taste good with potatoes. Hmmpf.

They taste extra excellent with ice cream on top.

Even better steaming hot with oozing butter… then ice cream on top. Plus a sweet strawberry.

They save marriages. Mine included.

They aren’t the best choice for breakfast when you want to wear a string bikini.

They often slip you into a welcoming food coma that causes you to desk nap.

They are darn good.

They are cake. For breakfast. Win. Obvious win.

Seriously. Cakes for breakfast?! Whoever decided this was genius.

Now hold your horses. I’m well aware that banana pancakes are not a new development. I mean, according to my iTunes, Jack Johnson wants to make them for me all the time. He’s super sweet.

I feel bad declining him day after day.

But it’s the combination… the bananas, the brown sugar, the maple vanilla glaze… that has etched this breakfast into the rotation at our house. This is a thing. A big thing. It’s like… banana bread… in pancake form. For reals.

There is a reason this is huge. When I make banana bread, it mysteriously disappears within 24 hours. Sometimes it even disappears before the other member of this household arrives home from a long, strenuous day at work. I have no idea how. Really I don’t. It just… evaporates into thin air. I think it might have something to do with the “skinny slice rule.” You know… skinny slices don’t count. Yeah.

So now people can eat banana bread without stuffing an entire loaf down their face. I find this to be extremely beneficial. And satisfying.

Whole Wheat Brown Sugar Banana Bread Pancakes

makes 12 pancakes

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

2/3 cup milk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3 large ripe bananas, mashed

2 tablespoons butter, melted

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Measure out the milk and add the vanilla extract to it. Whisk together the dry ingredients and add in milk and vanilla, stirring to combine. The mixture will still be dry. Add in mashed bananas and mix. Add in melted butter and stir until batter is somewhat smooth.

Heat a skillet or grilled on medium heat. Using a 1/3 cup measure, spoon batter into rounds and cook until bubbles form on top – about 2-3 minutes. Flip and cook for a minute or two more. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve hot with butter and syrup, or the vanilla maple glaze.

Note: if you don’t have/can’t find whole wheat pastry flour, use 1 cup of regular whole wheat and 1 cup of all purpose. Or 2 cups of all purpose.

Vanilla Maple Glaze

1/2 cup maple syrup

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir until smooth. Pour over pancakes.

Want to come for breakfast? You can bring the bacon.