A moment of honesty. 

I sometimes throw minor fits when someone asks me to adapt perfectly wonderful, gluten-filled, animal-dependent recipes into alternative, allergen-safe recipes. 

I might slam the refrigerator door, or just stare at a vegan cookbook with much sass and great disrespect, while eating eggs cooked in butter and topped with cheese. 

I am anti-preservative, anti-MSG, anti-GMOs - I like eating healthfully, but I do not turn my nose up to any truly natural resources.  If it comes from the land and has not been touched by the dubious hands of chemists, I will likely approve.  

Some of my recent pursuits have called me to lay aside my butter *sniff, sniff,* and delve into another realm that lies entirely beyond my sphere of comfort.  

It has resulted in some truly nauseating egg-less muffins, and some positively delicious pancakes.

I will be no means be reverting to veganism, but through some careful study and much practice, I have found that even vegan recipes can have their charm. 

I will even go another step further and say candidly that these egg-free/dairy-free pancakes lack nothing to be desired.  

They are light in texture, but their edges are crispy from being fried in coconut oil. 

The batter begins like most pancake batters, with leavening and flour.  Sugar and cinnamon add a bit of interest, and a pinch of salt brings balance. 

Mashed bananas act as the binder in these pancakes, taking the place of eggs.  Almond milk, coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla form the rest of the "wet" team. 

In a matter of moments the batter will have come together. 

I like to allow the batter to rest for a few minutes before I begin frying.  This gives time for any overlooked pockets of flour to work themselves out.

I fried my pancakes in coconut oil because I love the nutty flavor, but you could use vegetable oil, or even a light olive oil.  

Your kitchen will smell pretty amazing at this point. 

While the pancakes are still hot, it would be a really good idea to slather them with homemade cashew butter.  Of course, first you have to make it. 

Once you realize the simplicity of nut butters you are going to lose your mind.  I did.  A whole new world opens up. 

You might make more nut butter than you can actually use, but that's okay because if all else fails it makes a really nice dip for pretzels. 

Cashews require but a few minutes of toasting before they are ready to be spun around in the food processor, along with coconut oil, cocoa powder, salt, and a teeny bit of sugar.  It is basically like cashew Nutella. 

If you are a topping-lover, you will probably enjoy sliced bananas, coconut chips, and maybe a pinch or two of cinnamon on these pancakes.  Oh, and maple syrup too.  But use the good stuff please.  Get outta here with that butter-flavored sugar water.   

Okayyy... so maybe veganism isn't always a bad thing. 

Sincerely, 

Pedantic Foodie

Vegan Banana Pancakes with Cocoa Cashew Butter

pancake recipe adapted slightly from Vegan by Food 52

for the chocolate cashew butter

- 1 cup raw cashews 

- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder

- 1/4 teaspoon salt

- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

In a medium saucier pan, toast cashews over medium heat until fragrant and slightly deepened in color; about 5 minutes.

Combine the cashews, coconut oil, cocoa powder, salt, and granulated sugar in the work bowl of your food processor.  Pulse until cashews are completely pulverized and the mixture is smooth and homogenous.  This will take several minutes. 

Serve the prepared butter atop warm pancakes or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use. 

for the pancakes

- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

- 1 tablespoon baking powder

- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

- 1/2 teaspoon salt

- 2 cups almond milk

- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

- 3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

- 1 cup mashed bananas (2-3 ripe bananas) 

toppings (optional, but why wouldn't you?)

- fresh banana slices

- coconut chips

- maple syrup

- ground cinnamon 

- cocoa cashew butter

In a large bowl, sift to combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. 

In a measuring cup, combine almond milk and apple cider vinegar and whisk until frothy.  Stir in the vanilla. 

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth.  Stir in bananas and coconut oil.  The batter should be smooth with no lumps visible.

Cook's Note: The bananas may give the batter a lumpy effect, but that is not anything to worry about.  Pockets of flour are the real enemy.  It should be fairly easy to tell the difference between the two.

Place a large, nonstick frying pan over medium heat and coat lightly with coconut oil.  When the oil is simmering, place 1/4 cup of the pancake batter in the pan.  Depending on the size of your skillet, you should be able to cook 3-4 pancakes at a time.  

The tops of the pancakes will quickly begin to bubble.  When the bubbles have burst and stopped forming, your pancake is ready to flip.  Cook on the opposite side for 1-2 minutes; until golden. 

Repeat with the remaining batter, re-coating the pan with coconut oil as needed. 

Serve with cocoa cashew butter, fresh banana slices, coconut chips, ground cinnamon, or maple syrup!  Enjoy!