This chocolate cake will remain a secret that you added beets. Amazingly rich, deep, and fudgy. Even kids adore it. This is a mistake you’ll keep making. Also fantastic at freezing!
| Prep Time: | 15 mins |
| Cook Time: | 40 mins |
| Additional Time: | 5 mins |
| Total Time: | 1 hr |
| Servings: | 6 |
| Yield: | 18 small pancakes |
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 dash ground nutmeg
- 2 cups 2% milk
- 2 eggs
- ½ banana, mashed
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 apple, finely chopped
Instructions
- Combine whole wheat flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, ginger, and nutmeg in a mixing bowl, ideally one with a lip for pouring the batter later. Mix with a fork or whisk.
- Combine milk, eggs, banana, oil, and vanilla extract in another bowl. Beat together using a hand mixer until frothy.
- Heat a griddle or frying pan to 350 to 375 degrees F (175 to 190 degrees C), depending on altitude.
- Pour milk mixture over the flour mixture and mix until just combined and most lumps have incorporated into the batter. Fold in apple. Let batter rest for 5 minutes.
- Pour or ladle 1/3 cup of batter onto the griddle. Cook until edges are dry and bubbles form on the edges, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook until bottom is golden brown, about 2 minutes more. Repeat with remaining batter.
- I grind flour fresh every Sunday morning and make bread with it. With what is left, we make these pancakes Monday or Tuesday morning while the flour is still fresh and hasn’t oxidized. If you lack a wheat grinder, you could try a high speed blender or coffee grinder to get the goodness of freshly ground.
- You can omit the sweetener, or substitute if you wish, especially if topping with butter and natural maple syrup! I’ve used white sugar and agave nectar as well.
- You might try a few tablespoons of vanilla yogurt instead of the banana.
- My kids love the apples bits as-is and don’t notice the skins. Sometimes we toss in some blueberries with the apples as well for an extra-chunky, fruity flapjack.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 274 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 42 g |
| Cholesterol | 69 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 6 g |
| Protein | 11 g |
| Saturated Fat | 2 g |
| Sodium | 521 mg |
| Sugars | 10 g |
| Fat | 9 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |