Healthy Banana Pancakes

WHAT BETTER WAY TO CELEBRATE VALENTINE'S DAY THIS SATURDAY MORNING WITH SOME DELICIOUS AND HEALTHY PANCAKES!?! 

WHEN I SAW THIS RECIPE ON ALYSSA QUILALA'S FITNESS INSTAGRAM, I KNEW I HAD TO TRY IT. MY HUSBAND ABSOLUTELY LOVES PANCAKES SO EVERY SATURDAY WHEN WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING MAJOR GOING ON I TRY TO MAKE HIM A YUMMY BREAKFAST. LATELY I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO NOT EAT ANY STARCHY CARBS OR SUGAR SO IT HAS BEEN REALLY HARD RESISTING A GOOD OLD FASHIONED PANCAKE WHEN I MAKE THEM FOR HIM.  SO WHEN I FOUND THIS RECIPE FOR HEALTHY BANANA PANCAKES THAT HAS NO SUGAR AND NO FLOUR, IT WAS THEE PERFECT SOLUTION! OF COURSE RYAN HATES THEM BUT AT LEAST WHEN I MAKE HIM PANCAKES I AM NO LONGER TEMPTED TO EAT HIS BECAUSE I HAVE MY OWN! :)

IT REALLY IS SUPER EASY AND ONLY HAS 5 INGREDIENTS! SCROLL BELOW FOR THE RECIPE AND BE SURE TO FOLLOW FITMAMAQ FOR MORE HEALTHY RECIPES!

BELOW ARE THE PANCAKES THAT I MADE FOR RYAN. IT'S PROBABLY BETTER TO POUR PANCAKE BATTER INTO A METAL HEART COOKIE CUTTER THAT IS ON THE GRIDDLE SO YOU COOK IT AS A HEART INSTEAD OF ACTUALLY CUTTING OUT A HEART SHAPE AFTER THE FACT, BUT I ONLY HAVE PLASTIC COOKIE CUTTERS SO I IMPROVISED :)

INGREDIENTS

2 EGGS
1 BANANA
1 TBLSP FLAX OR CHIA SEEDS (I USED FLAX)
1/2 TSP PURE VANILLA EXTRACT
1/4 TSP BAKING SODA
PINCH OF SALT

DIRECTIONS

1) SMASH THE BANANA AND BEAT THE EGGS AND COMBINE

2) ADD THE FLAX OR CHIA SEEDS, BAKING SODA AND VANILLA AND MIX TOGETHER

3) SPRAY HEATED PAN OR GRIDDLE WITH COOKING SPRAY

4) POUR A LITTLE LESS THAN 1/4 CUP ONTO GRIDDLE (YOU DO NOT WANT THEM TOO BIG BECAUSE THEY ARE KIND OF HARD TO FLIP)

5) LET SIT FOR A WHILE AND THEN A LITTLE BIT LONGER THAN YOU THINK AND THEN FLIP. TRUST ME, THEY DO GET MUCH BROWNER THAN YOU THINK THEY ARE GOING TO GET BUT THEY AREN'T BURNT! IT REALLY IS HARD TO FLIP THEM WHEN THEY AREN'T DONE ENOUGH.

6) SERVE WITH YOUR CHOICE OF FRESH BERRIES AND PURE/ORGANIC LOCAL MAPLE SYRUP! I USED MAPLE SYRUP FROM NONE OTHER THAN THE FINEST COUNTRY HOME AND GARDEN STORE IN THE AREA, SWEET MEADOWS. I ALSO DON'T USUALLY PUT BUTTER ON THEM BECAUSE THEY DON'T NEED IT. I DID IT MORE OR LESS FOR THE PICTURE. :P BUT ONCE I TRIED PEANUT BUTTER ON THEM AND THEY WERE HEAVENLY! THE POSSIBILITY OF TOPPINGS ARE ENDLESS! IT'S UP TO YOU!

7) ENJOY!

Healthy PB & J Cookies

RYAN AND I ARE ON A BET TO SEE WHO CAN LOSE MORE WEIGHT FIRST. WHOEVER WINS GETS A CHUNK OF THE OTHER PERSON'S ALLOWANCE! THOSE OF YOU WHO KNOW ME, KNOW THAT I AM VERY MOTIVATED BY MONEY! SO ONCE I DECIDED TO NOT DO THE JUICE FAST LAST WEEK (IT WAS DISGUSTING + I'M A WIMP) I DECIDED TO GO BACK TO NOT EATING SUGAR OR ANY STARCHY CARBS (BESIDES OATS) WHICH IS WHAT I DID WHEN I LOST A LOT OF WEIGHT LAST YEAR. RYAN ALSO DECIDED TO CUT OUT A LOT OF SWEETS AND JUNK FOOD TOO. I HAVE TO SAY FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE 3.5 YEARS OF OUR MARRIAGE WE HAVEN'T HAD ICE CREAM IN OUR FREEZER FOR OVER 2 WEEKS. (I DEFINITELY FEEL LIKE WE SHOULD GET AN AWARD FOR THAT!) SO BECAUSE I AM SO PROUD OF MY HUSBAND FOR GIVING UP SWEETS (FOR THE MOST PART) I DECIDED TO MAKE HIM SOME HEALTHY PB + J COOKIES. RYAN LOOOOOVES PB + J AND WHEN I SAW THIS RECIPE ON SKINNYTASTE, I KNEW IT WAS PERFECT. THERE IS NO FLOUR OR SUGAR IN THESE COOKIES AND THEY ARE STILL VERY TASTY! 

BELOW IS THE RECIPE WITH ONLY 4 INGREDIENTS! I'VE ADDED LOTS OF PICTURES FOR YOU TO ENJOY. THE JAM THAT I USED IS MADE BY JOHANNA BROWN USING NONE OTHER THAN THE AMAZING BLUEBERRIES FROM THE INGALLS BLUEBERRY HILL FARM! ALSO YOU CAN SEE MY HANDSOME MAN ENJOYING THE COOKIES AT THE VERY END. =)  SO IF YOU ARE IN THE MOOD FOR A QUICK, EASY, AND HEALTHY TREAT- HERE YOU GO! ENJOY!

NOTE: 2 COOKIES = 91 CALORIES. THEY HAVE THESE ALREADY LISTED IN THE MY FITNESS PAL APP! I GOT PRETTY EXCITED WHEN I WENT TO PUT IN MY CALORIES FOR THE DAY. 

HEALTHY PB + J COOKIES:

YIELDS 16 COOKIES

INGREDIENTS:

- 2 MEDIUM RIPE BANANAS, MASHED (THE RIPER- THE SWEETER!)

- 1 CUP UNCOOK QUICK OATS (I USED HALF STEEL CUT QUICK OATS AND HALF REGULAR QUICK OATS)

- 2 TBLSP NATURAL CHUNKY PEANUT BUTTER

- 3 TBLSP JAM OR JELLY OF YOUR CHOICE

DIRECTIONS:

PREHEAT OVEN TO 350°F. EITHER SPRAY A NON-STICK COOKIE SHEET WITH COOKING SPRAY OR LINE IT WITH PARCHMENT PAPER. 

COMBINE THE MASHED BANANAS AND PEANUT BUTTER IN A BOWL. ADD THE OATS AND MIX WELL. DROP THE BATTER BY TABLESPOONS ONTO THE COOKIE SHEET, MAKING AN INDENT WITH YOUR FINGER OR THE BACK OF A MEASURING SPOON. 

BAKE FOR 15 MINUTES OR UNTIL GOLDEN BROWN. REMOVE FROM OVEN AND TOP EACH WITH 1/2 TEASPOON JELLY OR JAM AND ENJOY!