Banana Oat Pancakes with Cheeky Chia Raspberry Sauce

As much as I ADORE proper naughty pancakes (particularly smothered in Nutella, mmm…), sometimes I want the comfort food without the side order of guilt.

My top YouTuber for at-home fitness, Cassey Ho of Blogilates, swears by using just egg and banana for a super clean pancake (recipe here), but I like my batter with a bit more substance. So, I turned to my holy-grail breakfast booster: oats. Blitzing these is a really simple trick to get a wholesome, hearty flour, full of protein and fibre. Plus, any cooked breakfast brought together by whizzing it up in one go is a winner with me.

These would be delicious alone, with a drizzle of honey or syrup, or any fresh fruit. But I’m throwing in a quick, tangy raspberry chia sauce to make a complete breakfast treat. (Plus, this is a great fate for those slightly sad squishy raspberries in the reduced section at the shops.)

So keep reading for for banana pancakes that fill you up, get you pumped and don’t leave you in a state of post-meal guilt. And hey, if Jack Johnson has written a song about it, you know it’s gonna have some pretty feel-good vibes.

 

Serves: 1                                                          Time: 20-35 mins total

 

Ingredients & Method

For the pancakes:

• 1/4 cup or 20g oats (proper rolled, wholegrain oats have the most benefits)
• 1 small/medium ripe banana
• 1 egg
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt
• a couple of drops of vanilla extract (optional)
• a pinch of cinnamon (optional)
• a dollop of low fat Greek yoghurt to serve (optional)

Ultimately, you need to whiz everything together. You could use a proper blender, but the amount is so small I usually use a stick blender and a jug. For a nice smooth batter, I recommend blitzing the oats to a fine flour first, then adding the rest. Leave to rest for 10-20 minutes – the baking powder will make the mixture thicker and fluffier. I use this time to get started on my sauce.

You need to make sure you oil the pan: remember there’s practically no fat in the batter, so these have a tendency to stick. I used some coconut oil – which adds a nice subtle flavour – and a non-stick pan.

I went for smaller, easier to flip pancakes – around a heaped tablespoon each. Cook them through on a medium heat until quite firm before flipping, or they might break! I find about 3 minutes one side, then 90 seconds on the other, works well.  When done they should be lightly browned and fluffy. Pile them up on a warm plate, top as desired and grab a fork!

 

For the sauce:

• 1/2 punnet (about 1/2 cup or 75g) raspberries – fresh or frozen
• 1/2 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 tbsp water (if using fresh raspberries)
• a splash of cranberry or orange juice
• about 1/2 – 3/4 tbsp honey, or agave/maple syrup

Gently heat everything in a small saucepan for about 5-10 minutes (or the microwave for 1 – 2) and mash it all together, adding more water or sweetner to your preference. Now, this is a seedy sauce, but I like the chunky texture and healthy fibre.

This sauce adds a lovely punch of tangy flavour, an extra boost of fibre and antioxidants, as well as some healthy fats and protein from the chia. I love it paired with creamy Greek yoghurt and a little drizzle of syrup on my pancakes. Lush!

 

Tasty tweaks: add a few dark chocolate chips in the batter for a sligjtly naughty twist. Also, subbing raspberries for strawberries in the sauce with a splash of lemon juice is a delicious alternative.