Fat-Free Date and Banana Pancakes

Today I thought I would share with you a recipe I stumbled upon recently for Fat-Free Date and Banana Pancakes. The recipe can be found in a book called 'Eat Yourself Thin' by Gill Paul, which holds host to a variety of (literally) delicious yet nutritious meals. Let's jump right into it then.

For the batter you will need:

125g (4oz) dried dates, pitted and finely chopped

150ml (1/4 pint) boiling water

75g (3oz) wholewheat or buckwheat flour

75 g (3oz) plain flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tbsp golden caster sugar

1 large egg

150ml (1/4 pint) skimmed milk

2 tbsps olive oil

2 tbsps coconut oil

To serve you will also need 2 ripe bananas, thinly sliced, and maple syrup.

Okay so as you may be able to see I made some alterations to the ingredients. I substituted skimmed milk with rice milk, wholewheat flour with gluten free plain flour and caster sugar with agave nectar. I only did this because of my intolerances, and just to make it that tiny bit more healthy!

First of all, seeing as pitted and chopped dates apparently don't exist, you must measure...

...pit, and chop them. WARNING: this takes forever and is not easy. If you have a mum kicking about beg her to do it (I hate the boring baking tasks).

After you have ruined your arms from cutting up the dates, place the dates in a jug with the boiling water and leave to soak. Meanwhile, place the flour in a mixing bowl with the baking powder, cinnamon, salt and sugar. Beat the egg with the milk and olive oil, then slowly add to the flour mixture, stirring constantly to form a smooth batter. Drain any excess liquid from the dates and stir them into the batter.

Next of all, heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat and add a little coconut oil. When it starts to sizzle, pour in a little pancake batter. Cook for about 2 minutes until bubbles begin to appear on the surface...

...then carefully turn over with a spatula and cook the other side for a further minute. Transfer to a plate and keep warm in the oven while you cook the remaining pancakes. 

Top with the sliced banana and (the recipe says drizzle) smother with maple syrup. I am a massive fan of maple syrup and could not agree more with Buddy the Elf in the sense that maple syrup goes with EVERYTHING.

I can't explain in words how good these pancakes actually are, so you'll just have to make them yourself to experience the yumminess. They're definitely a good alternative to American pancakes - I certainly didn't feel guilty after eating them! Enjoy x