Chocolate Banana Pancakes

It is Valentine’s Day and what better way is there to start your weekend than with these amazing Chocolate Banana Pancakes with a Chocolate Hazelnut Sauce?! ❤️🥰❤️

These pancakes are possibly one of the best recipes I have ever created, and I thought this weekend would be perfect for sharing the recipe with you. They are fully plant-based and you likely have all the ingredients already at hand. Unlike many other pancakes I have tried, these remain light, fluffy and springy. I added the Chocolate Hazelnut Sauce on a whim, because I was having a craving for a certain hazelnut spread (😉😆) but wanted to create my own, good-for-you, version.

Out came this delight 🥰(if you are not into banana – you can barely detect the taste in these ones). The best part about it? They virtually come together in minutes and then you only need to fry them off. All of my friends love them. Whether they are into healthy eating, or not – it actually makes no difference because this chocolatey delight convinces and delivers on TASTE. Which is kind of the most important thing about food anyways – am I right?! (Sidenote: I hope all my recipes primarily do that!! 🤗).

Why are these Chocolate Banana Pancakes good for?

Banana

I love bananas! They are a great natural sweetener and can be used in so many versatile ways. A lot of nations also use cooking banana (or plantain) in savory dishes. Sadly, getting these types of bananas is less common here in Germany. Bananas contain a good dose of Vitamin B6, Potassium, Magnesium, Manganese. Magnesium helps with keeping your nervous system calm and aids in relaxing your muscles. Potassium has been shown to support your heart health, as it helps with controlling your blood pressure levels. Bananas also contain quite a bit of fiber, however, the fiber content tends to reduce the riper the banana gets.

Hazelnuts

Who does not love the nutty flavor of Hazelnuts?! On their own, they sometimes can be a bit bitter, but I find that in (sweet 😉) dishes they give great depths of flavor and are simply delicious.
Hazelnuts contain a good dose of antioxidants – the most abundant one probably being one called “phenolic compounds”. These antioxidants have proven to decrease both blood cholesterol and inflammation. They may also help to protect against cancer. The majority of the antioxidants are concentrated in the skin, so it makes sense to consume raw, whole Hazelnuts from time to time.

Cocoa

Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate. By now – you likely know that I am a chocoholic 🍫🥰. Cocoa powder is stocked with antioxidants called “polyphenols”. They have been linked to a number of health benefits, including the reduction of inflammation, improved cholesterol levels, and lower blood sugar levels. Polyphenols have also shown to improve your brain function and blood flow. This, in turn, helps to reduce your risk of neurodegenerative diseases. How cool is that?! Another sub-group of the polyphenols (also an antioxidant) is called “flavanols”. These have been found to increase your blood vessels and thereby lowering your blood pressure and improving your heart health.

How can I adjust this recipe to my dietary requirements?

This recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free and can easily be adjusted to be made vegan. If you would like to make this recipe vegan, simply swap the ghee for coconut oil when frying and use coconut oil for the chocolate hazelnut sauce. Be sure to use hot water for the sauce then, as else the coconut oil will clump and get gritty whilst blending. Due to the grains used, sadly this recipe is not suitable for the paleo lifestyle.

So… grab your spoon and blender and head off into the kitchen. Whether you are making this recipe for loved ones or for yourself (🙋🏼‍♀️) – do not miss out on this amazing, delicious recipe!! Happy Valentine’s Day to you all. Thank you for being a part of this community, reading my blog posts and making the recipes. It fills my heart with great gratitude and joy ❤️. Do let me know how you get on in the comment sections and over on Instagram under @life_and_lemons_foodblog and we will speak next week 🤗.

Chocolate Banana Pancakes

5 from 1 vote

Recipe by Ann Robejsek Course: BrunchCuisine: Pancakes, gluten-freeDifficulty: Easy

Servings

2

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

These fluffy divine chocolate banana pancakes are a dream! They come together in minutes, are made of whole food ingredients and taste absolutely delicious.

Ingredients

• For the Pancakes

• ½ cup (55 gr.) oats

• ½ cup (95 gr.) buckwheat

• 1 cup (240 ml) non-dairy milk

• 1 ripe banana

• 2 tbsp cocoa powder

• 1.5 tbsp chia seeds

• 2 tbsp maple syrup

• 1.5 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• Pinch of salt

• Ghee or coconut oil for frying

• For the Chocolate Hazelnut Sauce
  

• ¼ cup of each

• Hazelnuts (40 gr)

• Cocoa powder (20 gr.)

• Maple syrup (60 ml)

• Ghee (50 gr.)

• Water (60 ml)

How to

• For the pancakes: In a small blender, first grind the oats and buckwheat into a flour. Then add the remaining ingredients and blend until combined
• Heat a pan over medium heat with a bit of ghee or coconut oil. Add scoops of batter and cook on one side until little bubbles are forming at the top. Flip over and continue to cook on the other side for ca. 2. Minutes. Repeat until all the batter is gone (you may want to heat up the oven on low so that they do not get cold).
• For the chocolate hazelnut sauce: Simply add all the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.
• Serve alongside fresh fruit, nut butters, yoghurt and extra maple syrup (or whatever your heart contents!) and ENJOY!!