We’ve all seen every kind of food trend there is -from microwave mac n cheese to whipped coffee- but one trend that I am fascinated by is the pancake cereal trend. Somehow, the idea of being completely extra and making 50 small pancakes instead of one large one is strangely intriguing. So I decided to make my own pancake cereal, but twist it up with a healthy, colorful, and flavorful recipe: space-blue blueberry pancakes.
The first thing necessary for pancakes is some sort of flour, but y’all already know i’m not using regular all purpose flour. Usually I would go for almond flour in pancakes, but since I was making smaller ones and I wanted them to be able to hold their shape, I used oat flour instead. I blended some oats until they became a fine powder, and put the flour into a bowl.
Next, for a source of fat, I melted coconut oil. Along with being healthier and less fatty than regular butter, coconut is one of my favorite flavors.
I added in an egg to act as the binding agent, as well as baking soda and baking powder to help the pancakes rise.
Of course pancakes need to be sweet, so I added 1 overripe banana. This is a great way to get rid of those nasty-looking bananas that are more brown than yellow — they are actually great for baking.
Next was the fun part: the dye. I wanted to give these pancakes a vibrant color and flavor, both of which are present in blueberries. I heated up some frozen blueberries in the microwave and then pureed the berries until smooth. I heated the puree on the stove until the liquid evaporated into half the original volume.
I added this purple mixture to pancake batter and stirred it in. However, the resulting batter was a sort of indigo, space blue- completely different from the regular purple I was expecting. The color was soft and gentle, and the result was a unique and flavorful batter.
I spooned the batter onto a pancake griddle on medium heat, and flipped the pancakes once they became golden brown around the edges. Then I removed the pancakes from the pan to cool once they were done cooking.
For the last step, I put my finished pancakes in a large bowl, drizzled honey and blueberries on top, and added a bit of softened butter for flavor.
The pancake “cereal” (which, by the way, I don’t actually recommend drowning in milk- the name is nothing more than a comparison) was not only striking in appearance but uniquely delicious as well. The powerful blueberry flavor added sweetness as well as tanginess, and made the pancakes taste fresh and light. The oat flour added a nice bite to the pancakes, making them taste more filling and rich. And the best part, the galaxy blue color, was unique and delightful — something I had never seen before in pancakes.
Of course, like all of my recipes, these pancakes can be customizable to any taste. The pancakes can be made sweeter simply by adding a tablespoon of honey or sugar. Along with this, a sprinkle of cinnamon or vanilla extract will make for a rich flavor of your choice. Finally, if you want to change up this recipe completely for a different look and flavor, try pureed strawberries instead of blueberries to achieve a bright pink look and a strong strawberry flavor. Anything of these will turn out absolutely delicious, I promise!
Ingredients:
1 cup oats
1 teaspoon coconut oil
1 egg
⅛ teaspoon baking powder
⅛ teaspoon baking soda
1 overripe banana
¾ cup frozen blueberries
Recipe:
Blend oats in a blender until a fine powdered flour is formed
Combine oat flour with the melted coconut oil, egg, baking soda, baking powder, and banana. Mash banana into the mixture with a fork and combine until smooth.
Defrost blueberries in the microwave for 40 second.
Blend blueberries until smooth.
Heat blueberry puree in a pan over medium heat for about 7 minutes, or until the volume halves. Stir every minute.
Add cooked blueberry puree to pancake batter and mix until combined.
Spoon batter in dolops onto a pancake griddle, and cook over medium heat until the edges turn golden brown. Repeat on the opposite side of the pancake.
Once cooked, put the pancakes in a bowl and add any desired toppings! Enjoy!