Lately, I’ve been trying to make healthier choices when it comes to eating and exercise. And while I’m not always successful, I have been starting to incorporate some good-for-you ingredient swaps in our everyday meals. One of my recent successes was inspired by the banana muffins in The Family Cooks, a great healthy cookbook full of inspired ideas and standout recipes.

To make my usual pancakes more nutritious, I made some simple changes. Whole wheat flour replaced white, and mashed banana stood in for oil. Last, but not least, raw honey took the place of sugar.

With all of those changes, I didn’t think they’d be very good, but I actually liked them more than my usual recipe, which is saying a lot.

Despite my glowing review, I have a few disclaimers. First, the batter is really sticky. I used a non-stick skillet and still had some issues when trying to flip them. If I were you, I’d give your non-stick pan a little spray with cooking oil before you start to make the cooking process a little easier. Secondly, if you happen to have a little helper working for you, mash more banana than you need. I found that mine was disappearing rapidly every time I turned around. So did my lemon.

Blueberry Banana Pancakes

Makes about 7 pancakes

Non-stick cooking spray

1 egg

1 c. buttermilk

2 tbsp. ripe banana mashed

1 tbsp. raw or regular honey

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Zest of half a lemon

3/4 c. and 2 tbsp. whole wheat flour

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

2 – 3 tbsp. frozen or fresh blueberries

Spray a non-stick pan and heat it over medium low.

In a large bowl, beat the egg. Next, add the buttermilk, mashed banana, lemon zest, honey and vanilla extract. Whisk until combined.

To the bowl, add the remaining dry ingredients, stirring until just combined.

Add your berries, folding them gently. If your berries are frozen, don’t worry about thawing them. Just add them as is. The batter will be lumpy. Do not over mix.

Now, pour the batter, a 1/4 cup at a time into the hot pan. (I use a measuring cup for this.) Tiny bubbles will appear on the surface of your pancakes as they cook. When the bubbles slow down, they’re ready to flip. The second side cooks faster than the first, so keep an eye on them. You’ll know they’re done when they start to set-up. If you’re making these for a group, slide them into a low oven (200 or so) on a baking sheet to keep them warm.

All that’s left to do now is stack them, spread them with butter, drizzle the whole thing with syrup and enjoy.