Pancakes are a favorite weekend breakfast in our house. They are fun, versatile and nutritious. I love to mix it up, either by adding different items mixed in like chocolate chips or blueberries, or by changing up the base by blending in fruits and vegetables.
Versatile to Meet Everyone’s Needs
You can make pancakes to accommodate intolerances or boost nutrition. I have made a version of our pancakes with dairy removed and replaced with almond milk and avocado oil. You can also easily replace the wheat flour, with gluten free options, like using all oat flour (make sure it’s gluten free), almond flour or buckwheat flour. And I love to use the opportunity of making my own pancakes to boost nutrition. I use whole grain flours or ground flaxseeds to add fiber. And I usually sweeten pancakes with fruit so my kiddos get the added nutrient boost.
Convenience for Big Kids and Babies
I also love pancakes for on-the-go snacks and for little ones learning to eat. I make a full batch of any type of pancake, then freeze the leftovers to be used throughout the week. These pancakes can be used for an easy weekday breakfast, an after school snack, or for a breakfast in the bar heading up to go skiing. And if you are starting to give your baby solids, pancakes are a great food, when cut into strips for baby to learn to pick up and eat. Plus you can change up flavors, and introduce allergens. I recommend doing one at a time. So you may start with a simple egg and banana type base, then you could add dairy, then wheat.
Make Them Fun to Celebrate Valentine’s Day
This is what keeps pancakes from getting boring for my kids - I make them different all the time, and when there is a holiday or theme I can embrace, we definitely mix things up. I love making these pink delicious pancakes to show my kiddos love on Valentine's Day. And it’s just a few extra steps to turn regular old pancakes into these brightly colored treats. I don’t find that using a medium size beet alters the taste drastically, but you can always put a little less beet in, because even a small amount adds lots of color.
Banana Beet Pancake Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 medium beet roasted, peeled, and chopped into chunks
- 2 1/4 cups flour (1/2 whole wheat, 1/2 oat flour)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 Tbsp butter
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 eggs
- 1 ripe banana
Directions:
- Mix dry ingredients together
- Melt butter
- Mix buttermilk, milk and eggs together
- Put chopped beet into a mini food processor or blender. Add banana. Blend with liquid ingredients
- Add to dry ingredients
- Mix in melted butter
- Let stand 10 minutes
- Heat up griddle or pan over medium heat
- Cook until edges dry out and bubbles appear on sides and on top. Flip pancakes and cook a couple more minutes
Enjoy these pancakes with lots of berries, whipped cream, chopped nuts or maple syrup!
