Mindful Eating: Hemp Seed Banana Pancakes
We really, really wanted to do a fun seasonal recipe for the middle of winter. Something that is slow-cooked and hearty, a real stick-to-your-bones type of meal.
However, we had to throw that recipe out. Something else has stolen our heart this month: pancakes.
We’re in the last few weeks of Kelly’s second pregnancy, and Kelly is a woman whose taste gets very specific with every stage of pregnancy. First trimester? Not a single pepper allowed in the house. Second? Soups only for three months. Third trimester: serious sweet tooth.
That’s not to say we’re indulging irresponsibly, of course. We have been making this recipe, which makes a handful of health-minded swaps over the traditional pancake recipe. While we’re still using a traditional flour, we of course are using an organic one without any additives. Instead of eggs and milk, our binder and liquid are a banana and almond milk (side note: not all almond milks are the same, so look for one that is only made with almonds, water, and salt— no sweeteners or additives here either). We also swap out the standard granulated sugar for coconut sugar. As always, look for organic labels everywhere you can.
The most exciting healthy twist in these pancakes? Hemp Seeds.
The Benefits of Hemp Seeds
Hemp seeds are one of our favorite ingredients. They’re an incredible superfood with a mild flavor that fits into any recipe. There are a ton of great things about hemp seeds, starting with their protein content. One of the challenges in a plant-based diet is that while many plants contain protein, they often lag behind meats on percentage protein per-calorie and amino acid content. That’s not the case with hemp: hemp seeds are a complete protein with all of the essential amino acids and each calorie is 25% protein— that’s on par with beef and lamb. Hemp seeds also contain amino acids that are shown to reduce the risk of heart disease.
While “fat” is a scary word in a lot of diet circles, we shouldn’t run from it. Fat, in the correct forms, has a number of health benefits including supporting the brain and nervous system. That’s why we seek out foods like hemp seeds— they’re 30% fat, but they’re extremely good fats: omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Studies have shown that the immune system needs these two fatty acids to function properly.
While these pancakes don’t have a massive serving of hemp seeds, there’s enough in there to give you a head start on your day.
These hemp seed banana pancakes are extremely easy to make with just a few ingredients!
Hemp Seed Banana Pancakes
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1/3 cup hemp seed
2 tablespoons coconut sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 pinch salt
1 banana (smashed)
2 cups almond milk
Coconut oil (for frying)
Equipment:
Small bowl
Medium/large mixing bowl
Fork
Whisk
Large spoon or ladle
Medium/large Non-stick pan
Hemp Seed Banana Pancakes Recipe:
1) In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking soda, hemp seed, and salt. Whisk lightly.
One nice thing about coconut sugar— you can tell when it’s evenly mixed into flour because of its brown color.
2) In a separate small bowl, smash the banana with a fork. You are going for a pureed texture, like baby food.
Your banana should have an even color, but it’s going to work fine if you mash it by hand. You don’t need to break out the immersion blender for this!
3) Add the almond milk and banana to the large bowl and whisk to combine with the dry ingredients. You should do this by hand so you don’t over-mix the ingredients. Work until there are no clumps.
Whisk by hand! You can do it!
4) Add a small spoonful of coconut oil to a nonstick pan and turn the burner to medium heat. Melt the coconut oil and move the pan around to make sure it is evenly coated in oil. You want to let the pan preheat a good amount so the pancakes don’t stick.
5) Using a large spoon, pour pancake batter into the pan. You can either go for one large pancake at a time as we did here, or a bunch of small ones. The process and cook time will be the same either way— just make sure you have a spatula capable of flipping big cakes if you’re going that route.
Resist the urge to check the cook— you’ll break up the pancake and ruin that beautiful texture when you flip it.
Now this is what you’re looking for. Beautiful!
6) Cook time will vary depending on your stove and how thickly you poured the batter. Expect it to take 2-4 minutes a side. Watch for bubbles to show up, that will let you know it’s time to flip. The next side should take about the same amount of time, use the pictures in this blog as a guideline for what a “perfect” cook looks like and try to match that. Once both sides are looking good, scoop the pancakes onto a plate and serve immediately.
7) Repeat until all of the batter has been used up. Serve with some fresh fruit and syrup or honey. Any uneaten pancakes can be saved for 2-4 days and reheated in the toaster for a quick snack.
Garnish with some fresh hemp seeds and all of your favorite fruit. Feel free to indulge a bit on the syrup too.