Autoimmune Anti inflammatory Recipe: Green Banana Flour Pancakes and Muffins

Green Banana Flour Muffins offer a delectable and nutritious breakfast option that is both gluten-free and anti-inflammatory, suitable for vegetarians or vegans.

About two Christmases ago, my brother gifted me a pack of green banana flour, which initially didn't excite me much, akin to receiving a mundane pair of Amazon socks or generic underwear. I stowed it away in my kitchen cupboard, where it remained untouched for several months. However, one day, feeling a tinge of guilt upon spotting it, I decided to search for a recipe for pancakes using this unusual ingredient. To my surprise, the resulting pancakes turned out to be some of the best I had ever tasted. Moreover, I discovered that green banana flour is incredibly nutritious and serves as a fantastic anti-inflammatory breakfast option.

Dried green banana flour acts as a prebiotic, benefiting the gut microbiome by modulating oxidative stress and preventing intestinal inflammation. Essentially, it promotes the growth of healthy bacteria in the gut, enhancing intestinal tissue protection and reducing inflammation.

I experimented with various additions to the pancake batter, such as walnuts, chocolate chips, and blueberries, all of which complemented the recipe well. However, I did encounter some variability in the quality of the flour between different batches and even within the same brand. Occasionally, the batter failed to cook properly, resulting in a wet mush instead of forming pancakes. Rather than discarding the batter, I found that adding an additional cup and a half of almond milk and baking the mixture in ramekins in the oven for 50 minutes to an hour produced delicious muffins. I found these muffins to be almost as enjoyable as the pancakes themselves.

I encourage you to try out the original pancake recipe I used and feel free to experiment with your own additions. If you encounter any issues with the consistency of the batter, consider transforming it into muffins using the method I described. Please share your feedback in the comments; I'm confident you'll find this recipe as delightful as I did.

Recipe

Here's the equipment and ingredients you'll need to make Banana Flour Pancakes:

Equipment:

- Whisk

- Frying pan

Ingredients:

- 1 cup banana flour (green banana flour or plantain flour)

- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar ( anti-inflammatory alternatives are pure maple syrup, and coconut sugar)

- 2 teaspoons baking powder

- ½ teaspoon salt

- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

- 2 large eggs

- 2 tablespoons oil (extra virgin olive oil, canola oil, or vegetable oil)

- ½ cup unsweetened almond milk (vanilla or plain)

- 1-2 tablespoons oil for greasing the pan

- ½ cup Optional Garnish: pecans

Instructions:

1. Mix the dry ingredients together.

2. Slowly add the wet ingredients and mix until smooth.

3. Heat a frying pan with oil over medium-high heat.

4. Pour ¼ to ⅓ cup of batter onto the pan for each pancake.

5. Cook for 1-2 minutes on each side until golden brown.

6. Optionally, add toppings like pecans, walnuts, bananas, or syrup before serving.

Original Recipe: https://aubreyskitchen.com/banana-flour-pancakes/

1.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7669818/#CR26

2.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7669818/#CR27

3.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7669818/#:~:text=Dried%20green%20banana%20(GB)%2C,in%20animal%20models%20of%20colitis.

4.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10644147/

5.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0271531712000176