Banana Nut Pancakes with Blueberry Compote

Long ago, when I lived in Southern California, my friend Rebecca and I went on a valiant search for the best pancakes. We ate lots and lots of pancakes. Many a Saturday or Sunday morning was spent squished into a booth or patiently waiting in line at a diner, wondering if we’d find the pancakes.

For a while, the pancakes at Babalu’s in Santa Monica were contenders, but then we discovered Coyote Grill in Laguna Beach and knew we were home. See, we adored banana pancakes. The ones at Babalu had bananas sliced on top, which was good. But Coyote Grill cooked bananas into their cakes and that was the best. Plus, Coyote Grill was located just a few doors down from my boyfriend (now husband). What could be better?

Recently I’ve been playing around with different flours and almond flour is emerging as a favorite. I enjoy its nutty flavor and moist texture, plus it’s loaded with protein. Perfect to start the day! So when a pancake craving hit, I started stirring some batter with almond flour.

This is a simple batter to mix up. Some almond flour, eggs, milk (I use either whole or almond), maple syrup, vanilla and olive oil come together quickly and you’re frying in no time. Of course, there are mashed bananas in there, too!

Hot out of the skillet, these pancakes are tender and infused with banana goodness. I like to drizzle mine with pure maple syrup or sometimes a dollop of thick yogurt. This time, though, I made blueberry compote to accompany them since my second favorite kind of pancakes are blueberry. A happy morning indeed!

Banana Nut Pancakes
Makes 6 - 4 inch pancakes

1 1/4 cups almond flour (I use blanched almond flour)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup milk of your choice (I use whole or almond milk)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons maple syrup (preferably Grade B)
1/4 cup ripe banana, well mashed
Butter or coconut oil for frying pancakes
Blueberry Compote for serving (recipe follows)
Greek Yogurt for serving

In a medium sized mixing bowl, stir the almond flour and baking powder together. In a 2 cup glass measuring cup, measure the milk and then add the eggs, vanilla, olive oil, maple syrup and mashed banana. Whisk the wet ingredients together until well mixed and then stir into the almond flour until just mixed.

Heat a skillet over medium high heat and melt a bit of butter or coconut oil in it. Scoop 1/4 cup amounts of batter into the pan (as many as will comfortably fit) and fry the pancakes until they are golden and beginning to bubble, about 3-4 minutes. The pancakes are a bit delicate, so very gently lift around the edges of each one and flip to cook on the other side, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from pan and finish frying any remaining batter. Serve with Blueberry Compote and Greek yogurt.

Blueberry Compote
Makes 2/3 cup

2 cups organic blueberries, fresh or frozen (if using frozen, do not defrost)
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat and let simmer for about 5-6 minutes, until it thickens slightly. Serve warm or room temperature with the pancakes.

This recipe is featured at Foodie Friends Friday.

Blackberry Compote

Blackberries are still in abundance, ripening and available at the farmer’s markets (as well as on bushes by the roadside, in parking lots and along sidewalks...I’m seeing them everywhere!). These blackberries call out to me and the desire to make something with them is strong.

I recall seeing a recipe of Heidi Swanson’s (of 101 Cookbooks) for a blackberry compote sweetened with maple syrup. Anything involving maple syrup sticks in my memory. I think this must be due to my New England roots, plus its distinct sweetness adds such a depth of flavor to both sweet and savory dishes. I prefer to use Grade B syrup for its darker color and more concentrated taste. With a flat of blackberries and jug of maple syrup in hand, I head to the kitchen.

These gorgeous berries are huge! I chop them roughly in half, just enough so that they blend into more of a sauce but retain some texture. A word of caution, when cutting them they will splatter juice everywhere! I hardly went crazy chopping, but ended up wiping drips and dribbles of juice off the counter, from the sides of the cabinets and up on shelves. A worthwhile endeavor, though!

As the blackberries and maple syrup simmer together, my kitchen fills with a fabulous aroma. After stirring in some lemon zest and freshly grated ginger, I begin sampling. Is it tart? Is it sweet? Just one more taste...totally addictive.

The compote is a delightful mix of summer and fall flavors. It is perfect to eat straight from the jar, stir into oatmeal, top pancakes or add to a cheese plate. I plan to serve it for dessert this week alongside homemade honey thyme ice cream. Enjoy some blackberry bliss!

Blackberry Compote
Inspired by Heidi Swanson
Makes 1 1/2 pints

4 very full pints of blackberries, cut in half
4 tablespoons pure maple syrup (Grade B if possible)
2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
1 lemon, zested
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
3/4 teaspoons salt

In a medium size sauce pan, bring 2 cups of the berries, the maple syrup and sugar to a simmer. Let cook for 10 minutes. Remove pan from the heat and stir in the remaining fresh berries, lemon zest, ginger and salt. Let cool.

Ladle into jars or a sealed container. Spoon out as desired! It will keep in the fridge for a week.