Recipe: Chocolate Oatmeal Pancakes

With Valentine’s Day tomorrow, I guess I have chocolate on my mind. These Chocolate Oatmeal Pancakes really help satisfy my chocolate cravings. And guess what? They’re super healthy and vegan.

Usually you think of pancakes as being a pile of empty calories, completely devoid of any nutritional value. But change up the ingredients, and you can create delicious, satisfying pancakes that will fuel your body. This is the second pancake recipe I’ve made recently that uses a mashed ripe banana in the batter. It works wonderfully well (so long as you use a VERY ripe banana), adding both sweetness and moisture plus lots of vitamins and minerals.

Using  ground flaxseed instead of an egg is another good trick for adding nutritional value. Flaxseeds are loaded with fiber, antioxidants, and Omega-3 fatty acids. The addition of almond butter adds a little more sweetness, plus some protein and rolled oats add lots of wholesome goodness.

Chocolate Oatmeal Pancakes

• 1 very ripe banana
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
• 1 tablespoon canola oil (or coconut oil)
• 3 tablespoons almond milk
• 1 tablespoon almond butter
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 3 tablespoons dark chocolate chips (for vegan use dairy free)

1. Mash together the banana and baking powder in a large bowl.
2. In a small bowl, mix together ground flaxseed and 2.5 tablespoons of water. Let sit 3-5 minutes.
3. To the bowl with banana, add flaxseed, oil, almond milk, almond butter, salt, and vanilla extract. Stir in oats and flour just until combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
4. Preheat griddle or large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Pour 1/4 cup of batter on griddle for each pancake. Cook 2-4 minutes per side, until set in the middle.

Yield: 5 pancakes; approximately 150 calories per pancake

Recipe Source: minimalistbaker.com

More Healthy Pancake Recipes

Blueberry Almond Protein Pancakes

Cinnamon Apple Protein Pancakes

Whole Wheat Pancakes