Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Pancakes

These chocolate chip oatmeal pancakes have become my go-to breakfast to make on the weekends, and they're even great warmed up for a quick weekday breakfast. You use bananas rather than sugar, and the oats kick up both the fiber and the protein content over a traditional pancake. I tend to use dark chocolate chips rather than milk chocolate to keep the sugar down as well. Plus don't they say now that dark chocolate should be part of every well-balanced diet?  :) Ok, maybe that goes too far, but once you try these pancakes you may never want a regular pancake again.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Pancakes
Makes 5 pancakes - Serves 2-3
Adapted from here *

1 ripe banana
1 tsp baking powder
1 egg
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp canola oil
3 Tbsp milk
1 Tbsp peanut butter
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup oats
1 handful chocolate chips

1. Mash banana and baking powder together with a fork.
2. Add egg, cinnamon, vanilla, oil, milk, and peanut butter. Mix well.
3. Add flour and oats. Stir together.
4. Add chocolate chips.
5. Spoon into nonstick pan and cook as you would regular pancakes.
6. Serve with syrup (or not) and enjoy!*

Tips and Tricks:

• The recipe I adapted this from is a vegan recipe. I am not a vegan so I changed it to use items I have on hand and added a few things like the cinnamon.
• Feel free to make ingredient substitutions. For example, if you don't drink cow's milk, use almond milk or something else. You can use any sort of nut butter you'd like, I just happen to have peanut butter.
• I like these pancakes with no syrup. I just don't think they need it. Lars, however, puts both butter and syrup on his. I will put a bit of butter on them if they are reheated the next day though. Try them both ways and see which way you prefer.
• This recipe doubles (and triples!) easily so if you want to make a bunch of pancakes to last you through the week go ahead. Just wrap each serving in plastic wrap and refrigerate until you're ready to eat them.