Ever wish you were a kid again?

As much as I love the independence and opportunities that are given to us as we get older, I can’t help but think back to childhood. When my only worry was practicing my piano enough before lessons or doing well at a summer swim meet.

Lately, I’ve been thinking of that childhood mentality. Eating food simply because it tasted good, and then running around all day barefoot. Wasn’t that the life? My mom has been making the same buttermilk pancake recipe since before I was born. As a kid, I ate them plain - no butter - and a drizzle of maple syrup.

Flash forward to my 27-year-old adult self, who has read way too many health related books and lives a grain-free and dairy-free lifestyle, for the most part.

But you know what?

Every once and a while, pancakes just sound really really good. Plus, they remind me of childhood.

Now, these aren’t my mom’s buttermilk pancakes (I’ll share that recipe soon!). But, these are pancakes I always feel good about making because not only do they taste good, but these are good for you too.

After completing the whole 30 program, my sisters and I swapped tips for making a grain-free pancake (basically just bananas and eggs). I recently saw a similar pancake recipe in the April issue of Shape Magazine and I quickly adapted it to my own. The result - a pancake that’s delicious enough you forget how good it is for you.

I highly recommend topping these pancakes with fresh strawberries! And eating them on a nice, slow Sunday for brunch. With lots of good coffee.

Grain-Free Banana Pancakes

Recipe adapted from Shape Magazine. Makes about 8 pancakes.

2 bananas mashed

2 eggs

¼ cup coconut flour

1 tsp. coconut oil

1 tsp. baking powder

few dashes of cinnamon

pinch of salt

fresh strawberries, sliced (for topping)

optional toppings: powdered sugar, pure maple syrup, honey

- Directions:

- Mash the bananas. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and add in the bananas and mix until combined. Add in the coconut flour, oil, baking powder, cinnamon and pinch of salt. Add more coconut flour if the batter seems too runny.

- Using an ice cream scoop, scoop the batter onto a skillet on the stove-top over medium high heat. I put coconut oil in the pan so the pancakes do not stick.

- After a minute or two, flip over the pancake and cook for a minute longer.

- TIP: I find it easier to use a small skillet and do one pancake at a time. It’s okay if you mess up in the beginning, you will get the hang of it with practice. These cook a bit differently than traditional pancakes.

- Remove pancakes from pan. Serve on a plate sprinkled with powdered sugar, fresh strawberries and pure maple syrup.

(These are whole-30-approved if you don’t top with maple syrup and powdered sugar.)

It’s about time we all felt like a kid again… and enjoyed some pancakes. :)

banana pancakes {grain-free}