A Month of MoFo: Banana Bread Pancakes with Cacao, Pecan & Walnut “Butter”

Banana Bread Pancakes 1

So a month of VeganMoFo begins.  I’m imaging the Internet staggering under the blow of vegan bloggers submitting their first posts today and I kind of like the thought.  I’m aiming for 20 posts this month, something I haven’t done for a long while – at least I think I haven’t done for a while – so wish me luck.  Here’s hoping inspiration hits and carries me through to October 31.  Which reminds me.  The vegan madness doesn’t end with the Vegan Month of Food.  The Virtual Vegan Potluck is scheduled for World Vegan Day, November 1.  I’ll be posting the details soon on how to enter.

Vegan MoFo Logo

It feels appropriate, somehow, to begin Vegan MoFo with a breakfast recipe.  Breakfast went from being my least favorite meal of the day – as a kid I could only just get down a bowl of Frosted Flakes – to being my absolute favorite one.  Though the first meal of the day Monday through Saturday is great, what I really look forward to is Sunday.  That’s when I roll out the big griddle or the waffle iron, warm up the almond butter, maple syrup and the plates (nothing like hotcakes on a warm plate), prepare big, steaming cups of chai tea and settle down with knife and fork in hand.  These pancakes are two-for-one, really.  You get a tasty breakfast, but you also get dessert.

Banana Bread Pancakes w/ Cacao, Pecan & Walnut “Butter”
Makes ~15 pancakes

Pancakes:
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup almond meal
1/4 cup unsweetened, flaked coconut
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
dash cardamom
2 cups coconut milk (or your favorite nut milk)
3 seriously overripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
8 dates, chopped and soaked overnight in 1/2 cup of orange juice, divided

Butter:
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup pecans
2 tbsp. cacao nibs
2 tbsp. hempseeds

Soak the chopped dates in orange juice the night before you plan to make pancakes.  The next morning, process the dates/OJ until smooth, then divide the mixture in approximately equal parts.  Half will go into the pancake batter and half will go into the nut butter mixture.

In a large bowl, whisk together the whole wheat pastry flour, almond meal, coconut, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cardamom.  Set aside.  In a medium-sized bowl or large measuring cup, combine the mashed bananas, milk, half of the date/OJ mixture and vanilla extract.  Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and whisk in the wet ingredients.  Stir just to combine.  Set aside for about 15 minutes.

To make the nut butter, chop the walnuts, pecans and cacao nibs in the bowl of a food processor until chunky, but not finely chopped.  Add in the other half of the date/OJ mixture and the hemp seeds and process to combine.  Make it as smooth or as chunky as you desire.

Cook up your pancakes and top with the nut butter and generous amounts of sliced bananas.  (This batter would also work in a waffle iron.)

Nut Butter

Pancakes, Plain

65 thoughts on “A Month of MoFo: Banana Bread Pancakes with Cacao, Pecan & Walnut “Butter”

  1. Somer

    Yes! I’ve been waiting all morning for this! After a weekend toss-a-thon, these might be my first real solids. See, you were inspired! LOVE!

    Reply
      1. Somer

        Um, both, for me at least…..I’m rethinking all my stinking planned posts. I don’t know if they’re MOFO standard, if you know what I mean…. Crap!

      2. Somer

        I’m just so drained from the weekend and now the kids are tossing. I’m really wishing I could just cut and paste from GCF, but I feel like that would be cheating, so what I am transferring, I’m re-photographing and adapting. Ugh.

      3. An Unrefined Vegan

        Give yourself a break, woman!! Most of the folks visiting your blog will not have seen your posts on GCF. It’s not worth wearing yourself out to have all new and fantastically photographed posts. The message remains the same, right?!

  2. Mary

    Oh wow, this sounds really delish! I love pancakes in the morning, but only on special days. The “butter” sounds fantastic, too. I’ll make it soon, I’m sure. :)
    Greetings from Germany!
    Mary

    Reply
  3. Joshua Parker

    I haven’t had pancakes in a while, but these look delicious, and I loooooove bananas. Thanks for this great recipe.

    Reply
  4. Choc Chip Uru

    I AM SO EXCITED FOR THIS MONTH! The vegan range is incredible :)
    Loving your morning addition today, a little unhappy I can’t taste it 😉

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru
    P.S. Come check out my international giveaway for my Blogiversary :)

    Reply
  5. the second serving

    Your pancakes look beautiful! That “butter” looks smooth and delicious. I’m in looove with all these ingredients you’re using.

    Reply
  6. Gnoe

    I hear ya! I’m aiming for 20 posts this month as well while I haven’t accomplished something near that amount for a long time… So I’m a bit worried – but excited! And those pancakes look awesome! :) I just find it too much work in the morning… don’t want to get up extra early 😉

    Reply
    1. An Unrefined Vegan

      That’s why Monday-Saturday we have oatmeal – a complete no-brainer breakfast! Hey – thanks for visiting and commenting. So nice to meet you! Hope you’ll join us for the Virtual Vegan Potluck on Nov. 1. Details coming soon!

      Reply
  7. Kristy

    Oh man, I love these pancakes. And that butter looks so beautiful- I bet topped with maple syrup, nothing you ate for the rest of the day (or week) could even come close to comparing! And I’m with you- Sundays are Brunch Days. :-)

    Reply
  8. Veganosaurus

    Looks like a scrumptious breakfast, Annie! I’m especially drooling over the walnut ‘butter’. Yum!!

    Reply
  9. JENNA

    I just read the title to this recipe to my husband and he got really excited. I’ll be making these once mofo is over.

    Reply
  10. * Vegan Sparkles *

    Breakfast is the perfect place to start and oh helllooooo banana pancakes! I can practically smell them through the screen. They look amazing!

    Reply
  11. Shira

    These look out of this world Annie – wow! I am enjoying this MoFo so far – I can’t wait to see what else you’ve got up your sleeve! Good luck! X

    Reply
  12. 40 Fit In The Mitt

    Annie, are you going to still allow non-vegans to join in on the Potluck as long as they feature a Vegan recipe? If so I have a great tofu appetizer:-)

    Reply
      1. erika

        This is why I will have to try your pancakes. Mine had a slight bit of a taste difference because I used chia seeds, which my sister wasn’t the biggest fan of…I thought it added a nice crunch, like a poppyseed!

  13. Rithika

    That looks positively delicious and something I am going to make for breakfast soon! Thank you for an awesome recipe!

    Reply
  14. Pingback: Mango Lime Pancakes with Ginger & Coconut. Sugar- & Oil-free | anunrefinedvegan

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