Ready for a cozy Sunday brunch? You can whip these luscious, nutritious banana pancakes up in less than 30 minutes! I love them because they really stay with you for a while, but not in a heavy way. They’re very satisfying and filled with a trio of some of the best plant-based sources of omega-3s: chia, flax, and hemp seeds. Omega-3s are “essential” fatty acids because the body isn’t capable of producing them on its own. Therefore, we must rely on foods in our diets to supply these amazingly anti-inflammatory nutrients.
My daughter first introduced me to chia seeds years ago when she was in high school. She’d make herself a single portion size of chia pudding the night before and enjoy it for breakfast. It took me a long time to even want to give it a try; it just looked weird and unappetizing. Once I finally took the plunge, I started to love chia and began making puddings, smoothies, and desserts with them all the time. Bonus: the fiber in chia seeds helps stabilize blood sugar and they are relatively high in protein too.
Hemp seeds, or hemp hearts, are the seeds of the hemp plant that have a deliciously nutty taste and a creamy texture. In case you’re wondering, they don’t contain the THC found in marijuana. These little gems contain high levels of zinc, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, iron, and fiber.
I honestly don’t use flax seeds very often, but I really prefer flax eggs over chia eggs, especially in these pancakes. Flax just seems to bind slightly better than chia, and I like their nutty flavor. Combined with the chia and hemp, flax seeds complete this anti-inflammatory, omega-3 powerhouse of a pancake. Add some walnuts to these yummy pancakes for even more omega-3’s along with your favorite whipped topping! Please leave a comment if you have a chance to enjoy these!
- 4 ripe bananas smashed
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 4 tsp ground flax seeds mixed with 2 Tbl water (flax eggs)
- ½ c brown rice flour
- 4 tsp chia seeds
- 4 tsp hemp seeds
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- Coconut oil
- Mix all dry ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
- Add the water to the ground flax seeds in a small bowl.
- Add mashed bananas and vanilla to a large bowl, then add the flax seeds.
- Add the dry to the banana mixture and mix to combine.
- Heat a skillet or large non-stick fry pan on low to medium heat and wipe with a little coconut oil.
- Cook for about 4-5 minutes on one side, then flip for another 4 minutes. These take a little longer to cook than traditional pancakes, slow and steady.
- Repeat and make as many as you can until you run out of batter, you should get 8 pancakes.
- Enjoy with your favorite toppings!
My 5 year old decided to become a vegetarian so I was googling recipes with omegas when we discovered this. We don’t typically eat gluten-free or vegan but my girls LOVED this. They ate them with no maple syrup. We did put a bit of yogurt on one batch and it was also amazing. Our changes to the recipe: added two eggs (on top of the flax eggs because we have a surplus) and used regular flour (because I didn’t want to open a new bag of flour).
So great to hear that Mallory. Thanks for commenting!