Healthy Banana Pancakes with Chocolate Chips for the New Year

I love breakfast. Like, LOVE. Just ask my husband, I would rather go out for breakfast than dinner a hundred times over. I also love chocolate. So, finding a way to work chocolate and breakfast into the same situation is kind of ideal for me. Enter, these pancakes.

The glory of these pancakes however, is that they are entirely grain, gluten and refined sugar-free, though you’d never know it by tasting them. I modified a recipe of Danielle Walker’s to come up with this one and we all love it so much, it’s a weekly staple around here.

Why don’t you eat grains?

Long story short, a few years ago I was diagnosed with leaky gut. Every time I would eat I would feel sick to my stomach, have terrible sharp pains in my lower abdomen, trouble clearing things out- if you know what I mean- and major fatigue. Come to find out, my body was having serious trouble digesting most foods. Gluten, soy, refined sugars, fruits and grains. At the time, legumes and some nuts were also an issue. This basically left eggs, meat, raw dairy and vegetables.

It was a tough season, honestly. I’ve always been a healthy eater and cook, but any sort of convenience foods went straight out the window. Almost everything pre-packaged includes one or more ingredients I had to avoid. I drank gallons of bone broth (still do!) and learned to love eggs, broccoli and cauliflower rice more than I ever knew I could.

What about now?

Now, a few years later, I don’t have to be quite as strict as I was at first. I have made progress in healing my digestive system and I have an arsenal of supplements and routines to help, but sadly, gluten and grains are still a big problem for me. Which means MOST tasty breakfast foods are a no-no. BUT THESE PANCAKES! You guys, these pancakes have saved my sanity. And unlike some gluten or grain-free recipes, they are EASY. Whiz them up in the blender, cook, flip and enjoy!

Why are grains hard to digest?

Modern grains have been bred to contain large amounts of a protein (lectins) that help the plant resist insect pressure, stand up in harsh weather and hold a shape that is easier for farm equipment to harvest. While this makes sense, it also makes grains- especially wheat- quite difficult for our intestines to break down. These beefed-up proteins can cause irritation, inflammation and damage to the intestinal tract, and in my case were literally punching holes in my gut walls.

Make grains easier to digest with these simple steps:

• Sourdough. Souring or fermenting your grains breaks them down and makes them much easier for your body to digest. I am now able to tolerate a bit of sourdough, like our weekly pancakes + waffles. I also try to soak grains, often in kefir, to break them down before using them in a recipe.
• Heirloom grains. Let me hop up on my Einkorn soap box. Heirloom grains like Einkorn have not gone through the same process of hybridization for traits like ease of harvestability. In fact, Einkorn wheat is super tall and floppy! It has a weak gluten structure, is super high in healthy fats and proteins and is much easier for our bodies to digest. I still have to go easy on my Einkorn intake, but it has made baking much more fun (and flavorful!) for me.
• Conscious consumption. I know “conscious” is a trendy term. What I simply mean is paying attention to the quantity of grains you are consuming. You don’t have to go gluten-free, but maybe you just space out your grain consumption so that you’re only eating them once a day, every other day, or a few times a week. This method allows me to enjoy “real” baked goods occasionally, giving my body time to digest and recover between indulgences.

What if I don’t like bananas?

Can I tell you a secret? Until I received a lovely printed-out report that showed my body reacting negatively to just about every fruit besides bananas, I didn’t like them either. But over the last few years, as I’ve included them in breakfasts, baked goods and desserts, I’ve really learned to like them!

But the best part is, you can’t even taste them in this recipe! No one would ever know there are bananas in the batter! And that’s a good thing, as my oldest child doesn’t prefer them either.

Is maple syrup actually healthy?

There are a lot of folks out there who argue that maple syrup- or maple sugar- isn’t actually all that much healthier for you than cane sugar. And I get that, after all, it is STILL a sweetener. It’s still a treat! And should be treated as such.

The beautiful thing about a high-quality maple syrup, besides its unbelievable flavor, is that it is unrefined. It maintains its natural vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. And is lower on the glycemic index, so it doesn’t give you that sugar spike or impact your immune system in the same way as cane sugar. Finally, it is anti-inflammatory unlike regular sugar, which makes it gut-friendly and helpful for those of us trying everything to avoid any extra irritants.

Plus, the FLAVOR. I love anything maple. I even make my ice cream with it. Cream, milk, maple sugar and a pinch of salt. It’s to die for.

What you need for the perfect banana pancakes

These pancakes are easy to make if you have the right goods. Here’s a few things that makes the process as simple as can be.

• Cast-Iron Skillet. Do I post this as a necessity for basically every recipe? Yes, yes I do. But there is nothing like pancakes cooked in a cast-iron skillet. They just taste better. Don’t skimp on the butter!
  
  I love my Lodge skillet and have a couple more my husband bought restored on Etsy.
• Blender. It seems like everyone has strong opinions about blenders. And strong opinions about strong blenders. All I have is your basic Kitchenaid blender that my Mom handed down to me, and you know what? She gets the job done.
• Kefir. Did you miss my secret ingredient? Instead of milk in this recipe, I like to use kefir. Kefir is a fermented dairy product- kind of like drinkable yogurt- and it gives an extra boost of gut-friendliness as well as a thicker, richer texture to the pancakes. Don’t go without it!

Did you try these?

If you tried this recipe, make sure you leave a comment below! I am always looking for feedback on recipes, the ease of printing, instructions, etc. And if you loved it or want to save this one for later, make sure you pin the image at the bottom!

Thanks friends! Enjoy your breakfast!

Kali

I’m Kali. Oregon mama, farmer’s wife and creator of the Potager book and blog. Join me and as we cook and garden through the seasons!