CHOCOLATE BANANA PANCAKES: National Pancake Day

Today is National Pancake Day! There are actually several pancake days, but I celebrate them all! This recipe for Chocolate Banana Pancakes is slightly adapted from TheComfortofCooking, This recipe is special because these pancakes can be frozen. Just put a few pieces of wax paper between each pancake, throw them in a plastic bag and freeze! Take them out of the freezer, and you have pancakes on a school or work day! Add some sliced bananas and syrup, and you have a great meal! You'll love the texture of these, too!

CHOCOLATE BANANA PANCAKES

Ingredients
1 cup flour
4 Tbsp DARK cocoa powder
3 Tbsp sugar
1-1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
Pinch of salt
2 large ripe bananas (mushy is best)
1 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
 Banana slices and syrup to add after...

Directions

Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar in large bowl.
In another bowl, mash banana. Mix in buttermilk, egg, vanilla, and vegetable oil until well combined. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix until just combined (should be lumpy).
Spray large pan with nonstick cooking spray and set to medium heat.
Cook pancakes until bubbles form on surface and edges are just cooked, about 2 minutes.
Flip and cook for an additional minute.
Serve with sliced banana and syrup.

Chocolate Chip Blueberry Pancakes

Today is Pancake Day. There are actually two or three pancake days on the calendar, but let's celebrate today! Enjoy Chocolate CHIP Blueberry Pancakes--two ways-- to celebrate this fun food holiday.

This first recipe is from Cooking Light for Perfect Buttermilk pancakes. I've added blueberries and chocolate to tweak the recipe! I usually have fresh blueberries around, but if you don't, you can use frozen blueberries. Trader Joe's has great wild blueberries that go great in this recipe. The second recipe is for Blueberry Chocolate Chip Pancakes in a Jar.

BUTTERMILK BLUEBERRY CHOCOLATE CHIP PANCAKES

Ingredients
1 cup all purpose flour
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cooking spray
1 cup Blueberries (less if frozen.. I like the frozen Wild Blueberries from Trader Joe's)
1/2 cup Dark Chocolate chips

Directions
Spoon flour into dry measuring cup; level with knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (flour through salt) in large bowl, and make well in center of mixture. Combine buttermilk, oil, and egg; add to flour mixture, stirring until smooth.
Spoon about 1/4 cup batter onto hot nonstick griddle or nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray.
Fold in Blueberries and Chocolate Chips. Turn pancakes when tops are covered with bubbles and edges seem cooked.
***

So that's what you'll make fresh today! I'm also fond of Mixes in a Jar. Here's a quick and delicious recipe for Chocolate Blueberry Pancakes in a Jar. You can have this on hand or to give as a gift. One helpful hint, when making mixes in a jar, really pack the ingredients in. Use a tamper, if you have one...except for the dried blueberries and chocolate that you'll put on top.

CHOCOLATE CHIP BLUEBERRY PANCAKES IN A JAR

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
4 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup dried Blueberries
2/3 cup mini dark chocolate chips

Layer flour, then sugar, then baking powder mixed with baking soda and salt in 1-quart wide-mouth jar.
Add blueberries, then chocolate chips.
Seal Jar.
Cover jar with burlap or other fabric and tie with raffia or a bow.

Attach gift tag with the following instructions:

Chocolate Blueberry Pancakes 
Makes 25 pancakes
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1-1/2 to 2 cups whole milk (or buttermilk)

Mix eggs and melted butter in large bowl. Add contents of jar. Stir until well blended. Add 1-1/2 cups milk. Stir until dry ingredients are moistened.
Heat griddle or skillet.
Pour batter onto hot griddle 1/4 cup at a time.
Cook pancakes until golden on both sides.

Chocolate Cherry Pancakes in a Jar: National Pancake Day!

Happy Pancake Day! I usually have pancake ingredients in the cupboard, but sometimes I spend the weekend at the Beach, and I don't always have everything to make pancakes from scratch. So lately I've taken my Pancakes in a Jar to the Beach. I just mix up a batch, put it in jars, and have them ready--they're also handy for home and for last minute gifts. How cool is that?

One hint for great Mixes in a Jar is to really pack the ingredients in. Use a tamper, if you have one...except for the dried cherries and chocolate.You can also substitute dried blueberries or other berries for cherries. I like Chukar's Dried Cherries, but I also use Trader Joe's.

Chocolate Cherry Pancakes in a Jar

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
4 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup dried cherries
2/3 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions
Layer flour, then sugar, then baking powder mixed with baking soda and salt in 1-quart wide-mouth jar. 
Add cherries, then chocolate.
Seal Jar.
Cover jar with burlap or other fabric and tie with raffia or bow.

If you're giving this as a gift--or you don't think you're remember, attach tag with the following instructions:

Chocolate Cherry Pancakes 
Makes 25 pancakes
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup sweet butter, melted
Contents of Jar of "Chocolate Cherry Pancakes"
1-1/2 to 2 cups whole milk

Mix eggs and melted butter in large bowl. Add contents of jar. Stir until well blended. Add 1-1/2 cups milk. Stir until dry ingredients are moistened.
Heat griddle or skillet. Pour batter onto hot griddle 1/4 cup at a time. Cook pancakes until golden on both sides.
Enjoy!

National Pancake Day: Chocolate Banana Pancakes

Today is National Pancake Day! There are actually a few pancake days, but I celebrate them all! This recipe for Chocolate Banana Pancakes is adapted slightly from TheComfortofCooking, a really great site. This recipe is special because these pancakes can be frozen. Just put a few pieces of waxpaper between each pancake, throw them in a plastic bag and freeze! Take them out of the freezer, and you have pancakes on a school or work day! How cool is that. I love bananas and chocolate, and I know you will, too. Add some sliced bananas and syrup, and you have a great meal! You'll love the texture of these, too!

CHOCOLATE BANANA PANCAKES

Ingredients
1 cup flour
4 Tbsp DARK cocoa powder (I like Scharffen Berger)
3 Tbsp sugar
1-1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
Pinch of salt
2 large ripe bananas (mushy is best)
1 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
1 tsp Madagascar vanilla extract
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
 Banana slices and syrup to add after...

Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar in large bowl.
In another bowl, mash banana. Mix in buttermilk, egg, vanilla and vegetable oil until well combined. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix until just combined (should be lumpy).
Spray large pan with nonstick cooking spray and set to medium heat.
Cook pancakes until bubbles form on surface and edges are just cooked, about 2 minutes.
Flip and cook for an additional minute.
Serve with sliced banana and syrup.

National Pancake Day: Chocolate Chip

Today is National Pancake Day, and, of course, you'll want to be making Chocolate Chip Pancakes. I had several links to Chocolate Chip Pancakes during Pancake Week including Healthy Chocolate Chip Pancakes, Double Chocolate Pancakes and Viennese Chocolate Pancakes.

Here's a simple Chocolate Chip Pancake Recipe.

Pancake batter
Chocolate chips

Make a batch of your favorite pancake batter. For every cup of dry pancake mix, use 1/4 cup chocolate chips. Mix the batter. Stir in the chips. Lightly grease and heat the griddle or skillet. Pour a little less than 2 tablespoons of batter for each pancake. When bubbles appear all over the uncooked side of the pancake, it's time to turn it over. Cook the second side until light brown.

or, if you don't have your own pancake recipe:

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

1 1/2 c. sifted flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. sugar
3 eggs, separated
4 tbsp. melted butter
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 2/3 c. buttermilk
1 1/3 c. chocolate chips

Put dry ingredients in bowl. Combine well beaten egg yolks with buttermilk and stir lightly into dry ingredients. Add chips. Stir in melted butter. Beat in stiffly beaten egg whites. Cook on griddle or in skillet. Makes 10-12 pancakes.