Whole Wheat Avocado Pancakes

Yields: about 15-18 pancakes Prep Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes
Any butter or oil used in traditional pancakes is replaced with avocados, filled with potassium and healthy fat. Whole wheat flour also brings in B vitamins and fiber, making this a great pancake to start the day!
Ingredients
1/2 medium avocado
1 egg
2 T. brown sugar
2 t. vanilla
1 c. whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 c. brown rice flour
2 and 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
2 c. whole milk
1 t. butter, coconut oil (or preferred oil for cooking, if needed to ensure pancake does not stick)
Directions
1. Combine avocado, egg, brown sugar and vanilla in a food processor and process until combined.

2. Combine dry ingredients, whole wheat pastry flour, rice flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl.
3. Mix in avocado mixture to the dry ingredients bowl. Add milk and stir until well combined.
4. Heat 1 t. butter or coconut oil in pan on medium heat. Pour about 1/4 c. of batter in pan and cook on one side until bubbles gently start coming through (about 2 minutes). Flip to other side and cook another 1-2 minutes, until pancake is cooked through. Serve with syrup, or enjoy alone!

At first my husband was a bit skeptical, as avocado flavor is not his favorite. He was pleasantly surprised that the avocado “flavor” is hardly detectable. Although, I don’t even mind the avocado taste, sometimes it can be overpowering in baked goods, so I understand the skepticism. Cooling also helps reduce this flavor element when cooking with avocado.
When I initially made these pancakes, I used a whole avocado, which can be done, it just makes for a mushier cake. Ironically, our toddler enjoyed them the most when they were softer with the extra avocado. However, for the rest of us, we preferred a little more fluff. The rice flour helps even out the density of the avocado and whole wheat flour. I have made them with just wheat flour, and they were great that way, too. Again, it comes down to texture, and we have some picky palates who prefer a little fluffier and less dense pancake.

Overall, these were a hit, which warms my health-minded heart! The vitamins and minerals from the whole wheat flour and avocados increase the nutritional value substantially from your traditional flapjack.