Banana Pecan Pancakes

More pancakes!  In case you missed it, I've already made three kinds: pancakes with blueberry compote, strawberry banana pancakes, and blueberry pancakes with a secret ingredient.  So, there's been no shortage of pancakes around here--but you can never have too many pancakes, right?

These pancakes feature toasted pecans.  Pecans are one of my favorite nuts, and they are totally transformed when toasted, becoming sweeter, crunchier, and more flavorful.  I love the combination of pecan and banana flavor in these pancakes.

For this recipe, I made my own almond flour by grinding blanched almonds in my food processor.  It didn't end up quite as finely ground as the store bought almond flour--I was afraid of grinding it too much and turning it into almond butter.  However, the coarser texture of the flour didn't seem to impact the pancakes at all.  Grinding your own almonds is an easy option if you can't find almond flour or want to save a little money.

Ingredients (serves 2-3):

1 and 1/4 cups almond flour

1/4 cup tapioca starch/tapioca flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Pinch of allspice

Pinch of salt

1/3 cup mashed banana (about half a banana--slice the rest to serve with the pancakes)

4 eggs

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted, plus extra for serving*

Butter or coconut oil for cooking

Combine all ingredients except the pecans in a food processor and pulse until smooth.  Stir in the pecans by hand.

Heat some butter or coconut oil (enough to cover the bottom of the pan) in a large skillet over medium heat.  When the pan is nice and hot (a drop of water will dance across), it's time to add the batter.  I use 1/3 cup of batter to make one large pancake or a scant 1/4 cup to make three or four smaller pancakes at a time (like I did for these photos).  When the pancakes are brown on the bottom and have lots of bubbles on top, flip them and cook for a minute or two longer on the other side.

Serve with reserved banana slices and pecans.

*To toast pecans, place them in a dry skillet over medium heat.  Cook, stirring frequently, until darker brown and fragrant, about 4-5 minutes.  Watch carefully since they can burn.

You might also like:

Almond Pancakes with Blueberry Compote

Blueberry Pancakes with a Secret Ingredient

Strawberry Banana Pancakes