Chocolate Banana Pancakes and Signs of Hope.


Dear Noah.

I’m confused. I’ve had you pegged as a picky eater for some time now, but it seems like lately you’re toying with the idea of becoming a foodie.

What is up? Is this a ploy to give me false hope or are you really tuning over a new leaf?

Tonight at dinner, you devoured two shrimp and avocado summer rolls like a seasoned eater (peanut sauce included) and not at all like the finicky three-year-old of the past. Sure, you suspiciously inspected the mango and cilantro inside, but they didn’t seem to deter you and you asked for thirds–a request that made my heart beat a little faster, I have to admit.

Now that I think about it, you’ve been slowly evolving in the food department; I’m remembering that entire chef’s salad you ate recently. Salad!

“Look, Mom, I’m just like Benjamin Bunny!”

you said, as a bowl full of lettuce disappeared down the hatch.

Oh, and don’t think that we haven’t noticed that you are calling us “Mom” and ‘Dad” now, instead of mommy and daddy. Humph.

Yes, I know, you’re getting to be a big boy now. You can count to a hundred, write your name and do simple math, so have you also decided not to be picky anymore and eat your dinners like a man?

I’ve always told you, life can’t be all-pancakes-all-the-time, but just in case this recent progress doesn’t last, I’ll keep this recipe handy.

Love Mom(my)
xoxoxo


Chocolate Banana Pancakes with Nutella and Fresh Banana Slices

1 cup sour cream or yogourt
1 ripe banana

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup milk
or buttermilk
2 eggs

pinch of salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

2 Tablespoons cocoa

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

2 Tablespoons coconut (optional)

2 Tablespoons wheat germ

1/4 cup butter, melted

Combine sour cream, banana and vanilla in a large bowl and pulverize with a hand blender until smooth. Add milk and blend some more. Crack in the eggs, add a pinch of salt and mix thoroughly.

In another bowl, sift together flours, cocoa, and baking soda. With a wooden spoon, stir in coconut and wheat germ, if desired, then add entire dry mixture to the sour cream wet mixture. Fold gently together. Pour in melted butter and mix just to combine.

Heat a cast iron pan and grease with vegetable oil. Ladle a few tablespoons of batter onto the pan to make several small, round pancakes. Add a slice of banana in the middle if you like, but be sure to dab more batter on top so they don’t stick to the pan when you flip the pancakes. Cook on even medium heat until bubbles start to form. Flip pancakes and continue cooking.

Remove from pan and layer with Nutella and fresh banana slices. Serve!

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38 Comments

  1. All pancakes all the time huh? Are you sure our boys aren’t related? That was such a fun post and will be super fun to show him when he can read too!

    As for those pancakes… well, they are bookmarked to go into my rotation since my 5YO is still too stubborn to eat much else.

  2. A little tear just shed from my eye when I saw those banana slices in the pankcake batter. I love chocolate, I love bananas, I love pancakes. You my dear Montrealer have put these together into the ultimate meal. Thank you from the bottom of my tummie!

    That was a really cute post. Just be thankful that he doesn’t have that cilantro gene that makes it taste like soap!

  3. Yeah! Kudos for trying new things. I’ll need to introduce Benjamin Bunny to my baby when the time comes.

    We are still in the first phase of solids and I have secret fears that my son only likes fruit!

    Pancakes look scrumptious.

  4. Such a sweet post. My younger son is more picky than my older one and yet he will eat olives all night if I let him and loves tamago and pickled ginger. I don’t think mothers of truly picky children would swap places with us!

  5. i want to make these NOW!

    my kids are quite picky with food, and i am still waiting for the day when we can have a meal without any “I dont like this” or “I dont want to eat that.”

  6. Yes! These are totally healthy.

    Oh wow, I need some Nutella pancakes now.

    I can’t believe he ate salad. That’s pretty good. My eighteen year old sister won’t eat salad.

  7. I like the creative little note, as well as the back-up plan. I’ve had pancakes on the brain lately, so this morning I’m making buttermilk-oatmeal pancakes—I can’t wait.

  8. I loved this post. Tell Noah Grandpa has another suprise for him and it has nothing to do with airplanes!

  9. If I were a picky eater, I’d have a hard time not devouring these as well. And avocado shrimp rolls with peanut dipping sauce – what a mom!!

    Cheers,

    *Heather*

  10. WOW, seriously… those look too yummy to eat. We do pancakes every Wednesday, but those look like a weekend treat. Mmmmm…. you’ve got me all Homer.

  11. Uh, these aren’t pancakes . . . this is the most decadent, dreamy breakfast I’ve seen in a long time! Mmmmm, I’ve added it to my breakfast menu. Thanks for sharing!!

  12. Hahaha Noah’s playing the mind games! We have a saying in my house “Sometimes, yes. Sometimes, no”. By “we”, I mean the kids (5 and 3 years-old) and that’s their way of describing how they feel about certain foods, just so we don’t get too comfortable serving them those. I tell you, toddlers are not predictable!
    These pancakes, howere, I’m sure would please anyone, at any time! They look great!

  13. So Noah did get some of your foodie genes! Hooray! I bet it won’t be long till he’s kicking you out of the kitchen and making dinner himself. And I’m sure at the first skinned knee you will quickly return to Mommy status.

  14. wow chocolate pancakes, I adore your blog I have an 8 month old daughter who also loves pasta and eats in her chair, so far she has had french, Indian, Italian and more!! lol

  15. Hurray for foodies in the making! You know that can be a double edged sword.

    Sounds good though I think I’d like a non chocolate pancake with the banana and nutella. While you’re on the subject of pancakes. I recently made homemade pancakes (banana pecan) and they weren’t fluffy though I followed the recipe. Is there some secret I haven’t heard about? Thanks!

  16. I loved this letter. It’s so sweet. Your little boy is growing up… But I’m sure he’ll still be a pancake fan, especially when you make those! 🙂

  17. I think in a little while Noah will be using that math and counting to add up how many pancakes he can eat. Eventually comes the older years when he has a pancake eating contest with his brother. Yes, it will happen. I can see it now, and he’ll probably blog about it too!

  18. Mine is at the age still where he’ll eat anything I put in front of him. I mourn the day that changes. I hope he’s like, Noah, however and changes his mind one day!

    The pancakes look INCREDIBLE.

  19. Yum yum is all she wrote, well maybe just a few more words. You combined three of my favorite foods into one food that looks absolutely delicious. Looking forward to making for my choco-holic, picky-picky nephew and myself. Thanks!

  20. Aw… He really is growing up! It’s amazing how fast that happends 🙁 I have to try those pancakes…yum!

  21. How incredibly cute! He was bound to become a foodie, with you as a mom(my)!! And those pancakes — um, is it ok to make them for grown-up kids? Like people in their 30s??

  22. It’s just the best compliment in the world when one of your own children enjoys something you’ve made for them – and if it’s salad leaves … well, I haven’t experienced that particular joy with any of my three yet, but I can imagine!! (although it’s still a little bit sad that life can’t be pancakes all the time. Can I stop being all “growed up” for a moment and have a tantrum about that observation? 😉 ).

  23. Wow! Noah is becoming quite the foodie. No matter how broad his tastes become, though, there’s always room in the ole food repertoire for some banana nutella chocolate pancakes 🙂 They look so great! Sorry that I’ve been an absent commenter; I just finished up my law school exams and am finally getting around to my google reader.

  24. Wonderful letter. My daughter is 22 months, and I’m currently refered to as “mum-mum”…I’m going to enjoy it while it lasts!