Banana Buckwheat Pancakes

Two ingredients is all it takes to have what you thought you couldn’t have if you eat raw! The processed white flour and sugar, the milk, and who knows what else (I’ve never made any common pancakes) have all been replaced by some really popular fruit and less known seeds ground into flour. I’ve talked about the health benefits of buckwheat before but bananas are a different story so here we go…

Bananas’ Health Benefits
Famous for being really rich in potassium, these monkeys’ favorites are also very high in vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) which helps efficient metabolism and prevent heart disease, is important for brain function, and is a “mood lifter”. Wait, does that mean pancakes would help if I’m depressed??? Yep, these kind sure would! That’s not all though, since the most popular fruit in North America is very high in vitamin C, manganese, magnesium, and fiber too. Strong bones, healthy nerves and heart, along with good digestion, are all some of the good side effects of consuming bananas. They’re definitely not an eco-friendly choice if you live in the U.S. because all of them are imported but let’s focus on the positives…it’s still an unprocessed food that comes individually wrapped by nature and ready to hop into your lunch box (or your pancake batter).

Raw Banana Buckwheat Pancakes
Ingredients:
(Makes 2 of the traditional size or 6 mini pancakes)
3 very ripe bananas*
½ cup buckwheat flour
optional:
pinch of salt
sweetener
dash of cinnamon
maple syrup

*A ripe banana is, at a minimum, completely yellow but even better if it has some brown speckles already. There should be no sign of green areas for sure.






Directions:
In a food processor, make a batter by mixing sliced bananas, flour, and salt (and if you choose to, cinnamon and some sweetener). Pour the batter onto a teflex sheet just pouring enough at a time for the size of pancakes you prefer. Dehydrate for a couple of hours at 130 °F (54 °C) then lower the temperature to 115 °F (46 °C) and continue dehydrating for a few more hours. It will take at least three but it depends on how “dry” you would like them. Check periodically and flip them over whenever they peel off the teflex sheet somewhat easily. Be careful doing this, if you’re doing it too early. I didn’t dehydrate mine for too long because I was too impatient : ) so they were barely dry on top when I flipped them. It’s doable but requires care. Or just wait long enough! Good luck with that, when your house smells like a giant cookie or something of that sort…
Once they’re ready, serve them with maple syrup (not raw) or fresh fruit, jam, melted coconut butter, etc. The possibilities are endless. Ready for a raw Sunday brunch? What to serve is taken care of so make a list of friends to invite!