chocolate chip banana pancakes

I'm on a breakfast kick these days.  Breakfast for lunch, breakfast for dinner, breakfast for... well.. breakfast..

And I have been really into pancakes.  Flap jacks.  Hot cakes.  Hot flips...  Vegan pancakes, eggy pancakes, wheat-y pancakes, crepey pancakes, apple pie pancakes, pancakes, pancakes, pancakes.  There was a point where my kids actually almost started to get sick of pancakes.  

Almost...

Then I pulled out these babies.

And that's really all I have to say about that.  I mean, come on!  Bananas, chocolate, and cinnamon!  In a pancake!!  With syrup!!!!!  Oh, and did I mention that they are dairy free?  Magical....

Yeah, ok, I'll see you later, I'm off to make some more of these....

chocolate chip banana pancakes

1 1/4 c. flour, whichever kind you like

2 tbs granulated sugar or coconut palm sugar (if you like, you can also substitute honey or maple syrup for the sugar, but if you do so, add it to the wet ingredients)

1 1/4 tsp. baking powder

big pinch of cinnamon

pinch of salt

1 1/4 c. oat milk

1 egg (if you want to make this vegan, substitute the egg with 1 tbs flax seed and 2 tbs water, or 1 tbs or so of vegetable oil)

1 banana, smashed

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

3-4 tbs melted earth balance butter

1/4 c. enjoy life chocolate chips

1 tbs flour

Heat your skillet over low heat. 

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl, and mix well.  In another bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, smashed banana, and vanilla.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and mix until just combined.  Let the melted butter sit for a minute or so and then very slowly, while whisking the batter, drizzle in the butter.  To avoid cooking the egg, don't add the butter in all at once.

Turn the heat up to medium low.

Meanwhile, combine the chocolate chips with 1 tbs flour.  Make sure the chips are all nicely dusted.  I never really realized how effective this technique is in preventing the chips from sinking to the bottom of the batter.  Adding a bit of flour keeps those chips afloat in the sea of my soul....  

Hm, what?  Oh yeah, the pancakes.

Yeah, so add the chips to the batter and gently fold them in.  When the skillet is nice and hot, pour about 1/4 cup size circles.  Let them cook for about 4 minutes, or until little bubbles start to form and pop on the surface.  Flip the flips and cook for another 2-3 minutes, and you are that much closer to yummmm.....