It's been almost exactly a year since I made my very first trip to Europe. A life-changing trip to Spain and Italy (Barcelona, Florence, Rome, and Cinque Terre, to be exact) that I will always remember. Something in particular I've thought about since I left those beautiful, historical cities were... these matcha banana pancakes.
I know, right. How on-brand (or maybe basic) that in a place filled with breath-taking scenery, incredible architecture, and traditional Spanish and Italian cuisine, I remember matcha pancakes. Ok, ok TRUST ME. I fondly remember walking in the cobblestone streets, stumbling upon little chapels, hearing beautiful Spanish and Italian being spoken all around me, and I have a special place in my heart for those memories. Being immersed in the culture was truly life-changing, and I should not undermine that.
BUT I'd be remiss not to mention these matcha banana pancakes among the rest of my list of amazing meals I had abroad. The focaccia in Cinque Terre, the ravioli in Rome, the pizza in Florence, and the matcha banana pancakes in Barcelona. Of course I had the traditional stuff there, too: paella, pan con tomate, calçots. But it was at a quirky spot called Brunch and Cake, that I unexpectedly had one of my favorite meals that was not traditional at all.
Since I left, I said I was going to try and recreate them, but I never have until now. They tasted kind of like banana bread but in the form of a pancake. They were fluffly, slightly sweet, and tinged with green from the matcha. They tasted amazing with the bonus of antioxidants and a little caffeine. What more could you want out of brunch, right?
The recipe I came up with is super easy, with just 5 ingredients, and a couple of optional ones for some extra flavor and toppings (which we highly recommend). They are naturally gluten free and dairy free, leaving you feeling light even after havin' a big stack.
Ingredients: makes ~5 4-in pancakes
1/4 C + 1 Tbsp gf pancake mix (we used Simple Mills, because they have minimal and super clean ingredients)
1 ripe banana
1 egg
2 tsp coconut oil
2 tsp matcha (ceremonial grade, we like Trader Joes or any organic ceremonial grade matcha)
2 tsp water
optional tsp vanilla extract
optional dash of cinnamon
suggested toppings:
coconut flakes
almond butter
cacao nibs
slivered almonds/chopped pecans
pure organic maple syrup/coconut nectar
(OR Treehive maple and honey blend)
Instructions
1. Heat a pan over stovetop on medium heat.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all ingredients.
3. Spray your pan with coconut oil or avocado oil, and spoon desired amount of batter into the pan (we did 1 heaping tablespoon)
4. When you see the the batter on the top side start to slightly bubble, it's time to flip. Spray the pan again in between pancakes.
5. Stack 'em up, add your toppings, and enjoy!