Banana Blueberry Pancakes (For One)

Breakfast foods are my favorite. Pancakes. Muffins. Coffee Cake. Yogurt. Granola. Banana Bread. Pop-Tarts. Avocado Toast. Omelettes. All of the above. Growing up, breakfast for lunch day at school was one of the few times I really looked forward to school lunches. What’s better than a mid-day french toast sugar high? Blueberry  pancakes were a staple of a relaxing weekend morning in our house. Back then it was a box of Bisquick, some frozen blueberries and Saturday morning cartoons, but I’ve come a long way since. When the craving for pancakes hits, I want to make something fast and delicious that won’t undo my morning workout. And being a party of one, I don’t want leftovers. I’ve tested this Banana Blueberry Pancake for a few months and have finally perfected the recipe to yield three small, delicious, no-sugar added pancakes that hit the spot no matter what time of day you decide to eat breakfast.

Back in my twenties (you know, like all of three years ago) when my metabolism was a little faster and I could crush the dance floor at Luckys until 2am on the regular, my roommate Kieffah Jamz and I discovered one of the most satisfying (and deadly) things: single-serve-brownie-in-a-mug. That meant with just a few pantry staples, you could satisfy a brownie craving any time of night in less than FIVE minutes. And since it’s frowned upon to eat mug-brownies for breakfast, this single-serve-ready-in-under-10-minute-pancake recipe is my new jam.

I had tried my hand at a few of the “three ingredient banana pancake” recipes I saw on Instagram a few times,  but those pancakes were too flat and bland for me. Baking soda is key to getting these pancakes so fluffy that you won’t stop saying IT’S SO FLUFFY! I mean just look at that stack of pancakes. Stacks on stacks on stacks. 

When you think about the actual ingredients here, it’s really quiet low-cal and healthy: banana, egg white, a little flour (which my nutritionist says is negligible calorie wise), a dash of vanilla, some cinnamon and baking soda. Bam. Which also means, you can load it up with some butter and syrup and still feel good about this breakfast choice, right? If you’re actually wanting to stay semi-healthy, you can always drizzle these with some peanut or almond butter for a little extra flavor, but without the sugary syrup.

The other great thing about this recipe is you can modify it to fit your taste. The fresh bluebs can be substituted with raspberries or sliced banana if you want. You can also use the gluten-free cup for cup flour. I have tried homemade oat flour here, but it’s just not starchy enough to keep the shape for a good fluff factor.

My favorite thing about making pancakes (in the comfort of my own home, alone) is being able to sing Missy Elliott’s “Work It” every time I flip these flapjacks. You know … I put my thing down flip it and reverse it. “Ti esrever dna ti pilf, nwod gniht ym tup.” I never knew that so-called jibberish in the song is actually just Put my thing down flip it and reverse it, reversed. Genius. So the next time a pancake craving hits, morning, noon or night, whip up a quick batch of these good-for-you Banana Blueberry Pancakes and work it!

Print Recipe

Banana Blueberry Pancakes (For One)

Yield: 2 Medium or 3 Small Pancakes

Prep Time: 5 Minutes

Cook Time: 5 Minutes

Total Time: 10 Minutes

A lightened up version of traditional pancakes with lots of fruit flavor, ready in less than 10 minutes.

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe banana, mashed
• 1 egg white, beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup fresh blueberries

Directions:

1. Using a fork, mash the banana in a mixing bowl. Beat an egg white and mix into the mashed banana along with the vanilla extract.
2. Add in the flour, cinnamon, and baking powder and mix together until the dry ingredients are incorporated.
3. Fold in the blueberries, setting a few aside to top the pancakes with.
4. Heat a large skillet to medium heat and spray with nonstick spray. You can test to see if the pan is hot enough by dropping a small dollop of batter on the pan. If it starts to stick and not spread, you're good to go.
5. Spoon about 1/3 cup of batter into three small pancakes, leaving a little room in between so they don't spread into each other. Top with a few extra blueberries before flipping.
6. After about two minutes, or when you see a few bubbles in the batter, use a spatula to flip the pancake. Cook for another two minutes, then use a spatula to flip the pancake onto a plate.
7. Serve warm with butter and syrup, or top with almond butter for a healthier topping. Enjoy!