Fluffy Banana Pancakes

I worked a 2-day conference in Park City this weekend. It was, well, completely exhausting. Today I have literally taken three separate naps. The rest of the time was spent bundled up on the couch, watching Vampire Diaries and then, when I was still feeling slug-like, every trailer for practically every movie coming out this month. And seeing as how I just stuffed myself with sushi, I feel another nap coming on......good thing it's Sunday.

So I dragged myself out of bed woke up this morning craving pancakes. Well, scratch that, I woke up this morning thinking about The Incredibles. It's possible I dreamed about it. But I woke up REALLY WANTING to watch that movie and guess what? We don't own it. And Pixar has some kind of ego complex, because I tell you, those movies never go on sale. And I refuse to spend $20 on a DVD, so...guess we won't be watching The Incredibles anytime soon.

So back to the pancakes. I blindly shuffled into the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, and realized with a shock: we have no milk. I hurriedly rushed to my computer and proceeded to look up 29837461 pancake recipes, all of which called for milk. Or soymilk. Or coconut milk. None of which I have. So, I made pancakes with Greek yogurt + water. And guess what?

They were amazing. Fluffy, moist, and the perfect consistency. The bananas just make them taste even more phenomenal. Gosh, I love pancakes. In case you didn't know.

I think there are a lot of ways you could tweak these pancakes to experiment with different results. In hindsight, I'm guessing the baking soda isn't really necessary (the original recipe called for buttermilk, and the acid from the buttermilk is what would interact with the baking soda. Since no buttermilk is used in this recipe, I'd bet that you could omit the baking soda all together). You could try replacing the sugar with honey or maple syrup. You could use whole wheat flour to give them a slightly healthier composition. Add a sprinkling of chocolate chips if it strikes your fancy. Throw in some cinnamon and I dare say they'll taste like banana bread.

Fluffy Banana Pancakes
Adapted from: 17 and Baking
Yield: 8 pancakes

1 cup all purpose flour
2 Tbsp. white sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup Greek yogurt (I used fat free plain Chobani)
2 large eggs
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 large ripe banana, mashed
Oil or butter (for greasing)

Whisk together dry ingredients. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, combine water and Greek yogurt, gently whisking together until no visible lumps remain. Add in the eggs, butter, and vanilla. Whisk vigorously until foamy. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and gently stir by hand until the batter comes together (it will be lumpy; that is ok). Don't overmix!

Heat a griddle or large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Brush with a little oil or butter. Just before making the pancakes, fold the mashed banana into the batter. Drop batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto griddle. Cook until bubbles appear and edges are set, 2-3 minutes. Flip and cook another 2-3 minutes. Serve with butter, syrup, and a sprinkling of powdered sugar.

The only downside to these pancakes? If you're making them, chances are you're out of milk like I was, which means no milk to drink while you eat them! Sad.