Gluten-Free Banana Pancakes with Cinnamon (and fresh ground flax seeds)

One of our longtime customers, Neil, recently shared this healthy, yet yummy, banana pancake recipe with us.

An avid cyclist, Neil says these make a fantastic portable, healthy snack (he excludes the brown sugar). He freezes a batch at a time, takes a few out before his rides, spreads peanut or almond butter in between two of them, cuts them into fours, and eats them throughout his workouts.

While we have yet to whip these up ourselves, the ingredients (bananas, cinnamon, ground flaxseed, yum!), the picture, and his recommendation made this recipe worthy of sharing with all of you. If you have a healthy recipe to share, please email us at service@ghsports.com. 

Gluten-Free Banana Pancakes with Cinnamon (and fresh ground flax seeds)
by sarah@seasonalalchemist.com, SeasonalChemist.com

These lofty pancakes hit the spot! They are simple to make, taste a bit on the naughty side while being healthy. *Note to the pancake chef: When you freshly grind your flax seeds, store them in a sealed container in the refrigerator to preserve their freshness for the week. I frequently have (peeled) frozen bananas stored in the freezer and have thawed them (and their juice) and it works beautiful in these pancakes as well. Makes 8 healthy-sized pancakes.

FOR THE PANCAKES:
3 overly ripe bananas, mashed
2 T brown sugar (I used coconut sugar for a more caramelized brown sugar flavor)
2 tsp cinnamon
1.5 cups plain yogurt or kefir
3 large organic free range eggs
1 T neural, healthy oil
1/4 cup freshly ground flax seeds
1.5 cups gluten free flour mix  (I made my own with 1/2 c. brown rice flour, 1/2 c. buckwheat flour and 1/2 cup tapioca starch/flour)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1-2 T neutral oil for the pan(s)
*Your choice of maple syrup, butter, etc. for your favorite pancake topping.

In a large bowl, combine mashed bananas, brown sugar, cinnamon, yogurt/kefir, eggs, oil, and freshly ground flax seeds. Give a good whip so they are evenly mixed. In a medium bowl, whisk together gluten free four mix, baking powder, and salt. Add this dry mix to the wet banana mixture and give a good stir. Let sit for 10-15 minutes while you sort your pan(s).

Preheat a good cast iron skillet (or skillets) over medium high heat. Once hot, place a little oil either directly in the pan or on a paper towel, (you will continue to reapply a little bit of oil before each pancake). Give pancake batter a stir and keep in kind that thicker the batter, the thicker the pancakes. So, if you like them a little thinner, add a little bit of a milk (rice or almond works great) to thin the batter down. Add 1/2 cup of batter to hot pan and let sit for a minute or so before taking a peek on an edge to see how brown it is. Flip the pancake after some bubbles appear on the edge and let cook for a couple minutes on the other side. Remove and enjoy with your own ration of male syrup and butter.