If you ask me, all weekends should include pancakes. Or, at the very least, the opportunity to make breakfast with a person you love, and then sit down and enjoy said breakfast. 
Before we talk about these simple, fluffy, cinnamon-spiked banana pancakes, let’s chat about bananas.
I’ve been away since Thursday at Equal Exchange’s Food Systems Summit, and over the past few days my passion for small farmer-grown, fairly traded bananas has definitely grown.
I have a deep love for farmers, and believe in the work Equal Exchange is doing; they support small farmers across the world through their commitment to real fair trade and doing what’s right by the hardworking people who help feed the world.
Long story short, buying conventional bananas directly supports plantation farming, environmental destruction, and extreme poverty. By purchasing fair trade and/or organic bananas, you are helping to challenge the traditional system of banana farming, and helping to empower small farmers and heal their communities. Plus, if you haven’t noticed, bananas are cheap. Like, ridiculously cheap. Even fair trade, organic bananas are typically less than $1 per pound in the grocery store. For a product that is grown in South America, loaded into a temperature-controlled container on a steam ship, shipped up the Atlantic, and then put into massive ripening facilities before hitting the shelf, it’s mind-boggling that bananas are so cheap. So, if you are someone who doesn’t think purchasing organic or fairly traded products is in your budget, bananas are a great place to start.
If you’re interested in knowing more about this history of the banana industry and why I seek out only organic, fair trade bananas, check out Equal Exchange’s bananas. There’s also an incredible documentary called “Beyond the Seal” that’s linked on their site, and it is definitely worth the watch. 
Okay, let’s talk pancakes! Banana pancakes are pretty famous- at least as far as the internet is concerned. The original, magical, incredible, life changing, recipe uses just bananas and eggs. Spoiler alert: they may look like pancakes but taste like a gummy, banana-y omelette.
Despite knowing that a recipe comprised of just eggs and bananas couldn’t actually taste like a pancake, I kept trying them, over and over. For some reason I was intrigued, and couldn’t get the idea of a pancake made in the blender with bananas as the base.
So, I experimented. Much to Kevin’s dismay, we ate lots of pancakes that were…interesting. Not entirely bad, but not a recipe I’d go back to every Sunday for breakfast. 
Then, one day I decided to add almond butter, and everything changed. I had already decided that oats were a mandatory ingredient, along with baking powder (those babies need to rise!), vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Again, if I’m making a batch of pancakes for breakfast, I want them to be full of flavor. Just eggs and bananas won’t cut it. 
I narrowed it down to a recipe that makes the perfect amount of pancakes for two people. Just enough for me and Kevin to make together on a lazy Sunday morning. The measurements for all the ingredients make it easy to cut in half for just one person, and to double or triple for a crowd. 
I really hope you love these pancakes. Believe me when I say, I took a long time working these ones out. They’re made with real, simple ingredients (including those fair trade and organic bananas you’re now buying- right?!), and can literally be made in less than 10 minutes, from start to finish. So, let’s buy some quality bananas, and sit down to a meal with someone we love. To me, that’s what Sunday mornings are all about.
Banana Oat Blender Pancakes
Ingredients
- 2 large ripe bananas*
- 2 eggs
- 2/3 cup oats
- 2 Tablespoons almond butter
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- 1. Put all ingredients into a blender or food processor, and blend until smooth. Let sit while you preheat a skillet to medium-low heat.
- 2. Grease skillet with butter or oil. I used a 1/4 cup measuring cup to yield 6 total pancakes. Cook for 1-2 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Keep an eye on them, as they will burn more quickly than traditional pancakes.
Notes