Two-Ingredient Pancakes

Everyone has probably heard of banana pancakes.  There are tons of recipes floating around as substitutes to the original highly-caloric breakfast option.  But a lot of them use a bunch of different oats or grains or other ingredients that I don’t have on hand on a daily basis.  Then came the two ingredient version.  Brilliant.  My problem was solved, I always have eggs and bananas at my house.  And there really is no way to make combining two ingredients difficult.

Breakfast For Dinner?

One of my favorite ways to use this recipe is actually not even as a breakfast, but instead for my dessert.  It is the perfect cure to a late-night sweets craving.

I like to keep my bedtime snacks around 100 calories when possible, because it is not good to eat too much right before going to sleep.  However, the typical banana pancake recipe found on the internet contains at least about 200 calories between the banana and the egg.  Double what I am striving for.  So I decided to try to get creative and make an important modification that would almost cut the calories in half.  Taking a healthy substitute and making it even healthier.  That is a job well done in my book.

The Secret Ingredient

The secret to this recipe is actually not found by adding an ingredient, but instead by removing one.  Yolk.  Yolk contains all of the fats and saturated fats found in eggs and is what makes people nervous about their cholesterol.  It also accounts for most of the calories (about 55 in the yolk versus 17 in the white for a large egg).  However the egg white contains the bulk of the protein, which is beneficial to keep you full, whether eating this as a breakfast or dessert.

Therefore I only use the egg white from my eggs when making this recipe.  Separating the white from the yolk can be hard the first few times you try, but once you get a hang of it, it becomes quite simple.  Just crack your egg, and transfer the yolk from side to side of the shell, while allowing the white to fall in a small bowl or cup.  Then the hardest part is done!

Preparing the Pancake

Peel your banana and place it in a medium sized bowl.  Using a fork, mash the banana until most lumps are gone.  Add your egg white and mix it until combined, and you are ready to cook!

I like adding some cinnamon into my mixture to add more flavor while providing extra health benefits to the meal.  This is optional but I highly recommend it.

The only other tricky part to making these pancakes is flipping them.  They are a little more fragile than normal pancakes.  Therefore, it is better to make more smaller-sized pancakes than fewer larger-sized ones.  Also be sure to spray your pan with cooking spray or oil so that they do not stick.  Let the pancakes cook for 5-10 minutes before attempting the first flip.  They should look almost cooked through, and you will be tempted to flip sooner, but I assure you it is better to wait, even if they get a little burnt.  I actually like them better that way, the edges are crispy and the inside is perfect. (Note: if using cinnamon they will be a darker color and look burnt when you flip it even if they are not, don’t let this discourage you, they will still be delicious).

I have found using the egg white rather than the entire egg also actually helps them stay together better and makes for an easier flip.

Customize Your Pancakes

Lastly, feel free to top with whatever you like best!  I tend to stick with a sugar-free syrup on top of my pancakes, syrup is a guilty pleasure of mine.  But we have also tried fruits and jams, PB2 or other nut butters, chocolate puddings, even nutella.  Don’t feel too guilty about adding something that is not the healthiest option.  This recipe already cuts down on so much fat, sugar, and calories you could be having, you deserve to treat yourself a little.  You need to make it satisfying for you so that you don’t go back to the snack drawer afterwards!

Please let me know what you try and like on top of yours, I’d love to experiment new ideas!