Collegiette’s Kitchen: Heart-shaped, Low-cal, High-protein Pancakes

Fluffy on the inside, crispy on the outside, and delicately flavored with blueberries, banana, and a touch of vanilla. These pancakes are also wonderful with a drizzle of maple syrup or topped with fresh sliced bananas, strawberries and a dusting of powdered sugar. This was my first time making pancakes from scratch for a fun breakfast treat. After watching a couple of YouTube videos, I discovered how simple they are to make. If you are into fit food and healthy eating, you’ll probably love these. This is such a perfect pre or post workout combo. They’re low calorie, high protein, and the flavor and texture is like the center of a piece of french toast—kind of eggy and crepe-ish. 

For pancakes:

1 ½ large ripe bananas

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons low fat milk (optional)

1 cup whole-wheat flour (optional)

For cooking:

Vegetable oil or coconut oil

For Serving:

Maple syrup, sliced bananas, strawberries, powdered sugar or other fresh fruits

1. Use a fork to mash the over-ripe banana until almost smooth. Whisk the eggs in a separate bowl and set aside. In a larger bowl, measure 1 cup of whole-wheat flour (optional) to add a bit of thickness to the batter. Do not add too much, as it can be too floury and difficult to mix. 

2. Add the mashed banana, eggs, and vanilla extract to the bowl of dry ingredients. Milk is optional, but I add about a cup of low-fat almond milk to make the mixture less thick and lumpy.

3. Add a tiny pinch of baking powder and a few dashes of brown sugar.

4. For the heart shaped pancakes, I use aluminum foil that I already have in my kitchen drawer. Since I don’t have any actual heart-shaped molds, I cut and fold the foil into strips to make heart shapes.

5. After I heat the vegetable oil in a non-stick pan, I place one of the heart molds in the pan, over medium heat until hot. Then I spoon the pancake batter onto the griddle and cook until I see some bubbles appear on the top. While it’s cooking, I add some blueberries into the batter.

6. Once I see bubbles forming on the tops of the pancakes, I quickly flip the pancake and cook the other side until golden brown and crisp. As tempting as it is to make one giant pancake – it’s actually really tricky to flip! I’ve figured there is no way that I can flip my pancake without a spatula.

7. I make sure I don’t burn my pancake. When the top looks puffy, I use a spatula to transfer the pancake to a serving plate. Then I try to remove the molds.

8. Here’s my hearts! (Brief happy dance). Are these not the most adorable pancakes ever? Way too pretty to eat.

9. I also make extra, regular shaped pancakes with the remaining batter.

10. Serve the pancakes while still hot. Now it’s time to dress them up. Just need a little somethin’ somethin’. 

Topping suggestions: sliced bananas, butter, pure maple syrup, powdered sugar, strawberries, coconut shavings, raisins, chocolate chips. For a healthier option, try agave or honey.

This time, I sprinkled my pancakes with a little powdered sugar and poured my favorite good old fashioned maple syrup over top to add some sweetness. Blueberries added some extra ‘cuteness’ to the meal. 

That’s it for this plate. Enjoy!

On a separate plate, I placed sliced bananas and strawberries on top in addition to the powered sugar and maple syrup. It’s honestly delish.

The best way to describe the flavor and texture is like the center of a piece of french toast.  Kind of eggy and crepe-ish. 

Look at these cuties. They look pretty thick and cakey to me. And I fully admit, I’ve made plenty of them.

I made more pancakes than I originally intended, so I just put them in the freezer for another quick breakfast and shared some with my roomies.

These pancakes are ridiculously easy and come together in no time, not to mention that you will find these simple ingredients in your kitchen without having to make a trip to the store. I can’t wait to make them again. Next time, I’m thinking apple pancakes.

P.S. After a few times of practice pouring the pancake batter on the hot pan, I’ve learned how to make heart shaped pancakes without using the foil molds. Just use a spoon to slowly pour and draw V of batter in center of hearts. Basically dropping the batter from the tip of the spoon, as you would a regular pancake, making the rounded portion of the two hearts. When pancakes are slightly dry around the edges, the shape will be nicely formed.