(A half-topped pancake)

I had an upsetting night a little while ago, which resulted in me waking up feeling rather disgusting. I decided to throw my calorie plan out the window for a moment and forgo my usual berry-based breakfast for something more exciting: pancakes. But because I still felt a bit guilty, I went for a vegan, whole wheat version of a pancake splurge.

So, with puffy eyes and tangled hair, I trudged to the kitchen to get my morning dopamine fix. I wasn’t in the mood for maple syrup, so I threw a mushy leftover half-banana into a pot with some soymilk and spices and hoped for the best as I cooked my giant pancake. A mere half hour later, my tastebuds were in a banana whole-wheat heaven, and my morning transformed into something a lot less disgusting.

And the best part was, it felt like a splurge without actually being one. I escaped that breakfast having consumed no oil, no animal products, and with no blood sugar spikes; not to mention it was about the same number of calories as a bowl of cereal. So in the end, I got all my much-needed happiness without all the guilt!

Better yet, I managed to think up a surprisingly delicious banana sauce recipe on the spot that I’ll definitely be using on future dishes! (And future blog posts)

Based on this recipe.

Makes 4 medium sized pancakes

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup soy milk

1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Directions:

1. In a small to medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients: flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.

2. Pour vanilla, soymilk, and water into a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Whisk until lumps are gone, and stir in pecans if desired.

Note: I often find myself adding more liquid at this step as I like a thinner batter sometimes, but the thickness is really a matter of preference: they turn out great regardless!

3. Coat skillet with cooking spray, and heat on medium. Once skillet is hot, pour batter until your desired pancake size is reached (generally around 1/3 cup; I, however, made a giant pancake)

4. Cook until bubbles have appeared and popped on surface, then flip to other side. Cook until browned.

5. Serve with syrup, or your favorite sauce. A post with my favorite topping concoctions is coming up soon!

6. Optional: Make a mix beforehand! What I love to do now is mix up a tupperware-full of dry ingredients, and use that throughout the week. That way I can just roll out of bed, add the wet ingredients, and start making the pancake right away!

Thanks for stopping by!

Michelle