Banana & Toasted Pecan Buckwheat Almond Pancakes

I usually try to start the day with a protein-rich meal. Much as I love pastries, muffins, and the like, they leave me feeling empty too quickly, veering into second breakfast territory. Some days, though, the temptation is too great. That’s how these buckwheat almond pancakes came to be. I’ve been working my way through a bag of buckwheat flour, amongst many other pantry items. I’m determined to use up as much as possible rather than have to pack it up for our move in six weeks. Hence, you’ll be seeing a couple of buckwheat flour-based recipes in the coming weeks!

And then this craving for pancakes hit, which really never, ever happens. I make amazing pancakes, but they’re generally my least favorite breakfast food. I think I was just craving something different, and a few glances around the kitchen, scrounging through the fridge and cupboards led me down this road. See, that’s the important part of the food waste conversation. Leftovers aren’t simply remnants of the food we’ve eaten. It can be that bag of buckwheat or almond flour you bought for one recipe, the pecans lingering in the back of the fridge, and the bananas you want to use up before they get too ripe (my freezer is overflowing with overripe bananas already!).

I love the earthiness the buckwheat flour lends these pancakes. I tend to keep almonds in my purse, the car, and the snack drawer, as a quick, healthy protein boost, so it felt natural to add some almond flour to these pancakes, too. I was torn about how to incorporate the fruit and nuts. Mikey loved bananas and pecans inside his pancakes. I knew this approach wouldn’t fly with our girls. They pretty plain Janes when it comes to stuff like this. While they love bananas, and Virginia likes pecans, Isabella isn’t a fan of either, and both of their heads might’ve exploded had I added them to the batter.

So, fate had deemed them toppings to my buckwheat almond pancakes.

Feel free to swap in whatever fruit and nut combination you like best. Toasted almonds would obviously be great here, and once berries come into season, it’s bye bye bananas for me. Leftovers make for an easy weekday breakfast. Tuck the cooled pancakes into a ziptop bag or container, and store them in the fridge or freezer (depending on if you’ll eat them in a couple of days or day, or not). Heat them in the toaster directly from the freezer, no thawing necessary. The other lesson learned here is that I prefer pancakes with substance. These are a perfect balance—being light and fluffy with some real nourishment to satiate my hunger.

Okay, folks. That’s it for me today. We’ve been doing a lot of trips to NY—three roundtrips in less than a week. Yesterday’s visit was an early birthday gift for Isabella to see her favorite YouTube stars, Dan & Phil at The Beacon theater on the Upper Westside. I know it’s cliched to say, but words can’t truly express the emotions she felt seeing them, or the way I felt watching the sheer joy on her face during the show. As I told her last week, I don’t need to understand something to understand how important it is to her. And now, it’s time for us to pack up our things, and swing through Brooklyn (I need fresh mozzarella!!!), on our way back to Maryland.

 

Need some ideas to use up leftover pancakes? Take a look at my recent slideshow for Parade magazine. Click here to view recipes.