Oat & Banana Pancakes with Warm Blueberries

Method

1. Put the oats into the blender and blitz for about 30 seconds, until they look like coarse flour.

2. Break the bananas into the blender and add the eggs, milk, baking powder, cinnamon and vanilla. Blend until completely smooth, then leave the batter to rest for 5 minutes while the oats soak up some liquid and thicken it.

3. Meanwhile, tip the blueberries into a small saucepan with the water and lemon juice. Warm over a low heat for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring now and then, until some berries burst and the juices turn syrupy. Turn the heat to its lowest setting to keep it warm.

4. Heat a large non-stick frying pan or griddle over a medium-low heat and brush lightly with a little of the oil.

5. Pour about 3 tablespoons of batter per pancake straight from the blender jug, or from a small jug if the blender is heavy. Cook three at a time, leaving space between them.

6. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until bubbles appear on top and the edges look dry, then turn with a wide, thin spatula. Cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, until golden and springy with no wet batter in the middle. Banana browns quickly, so lower the heat if they colour too fast.

7. Keep the finished pancakes warm on a plate in a low oven, about 200°F / 90°C, while you cook the rest, brushing the pan with a little more oil each time.

8. Serve three pancakes per person, topped with a spoonful of yogurt and the warm blueberries.

Why it suits later years

There is no sugar in the batter at all: the sweetness comes from ripe bananas and the berries, so a serving has around 19 g of naturally occurring sugars and no syrup is needed. Oats bring a type of soluble fibre called beta-glucan, and together with the fruit you get about 6 g of fibre per serving.

Eggs, milk and yogurt add up to roughly 14 g of protein, which is generous for a sweet breakfast. The pancakes are thick, soft and tender, so they are easy to cut with the side of a fork and comfortable to chew.

• No whisking: the blender does all the work, which is a real help if your wrists or fingers are stiff in the morning.
• Lighter lifting: pour from a small jug rather than the full blender, and use a wide spatula that slides under the whole pancake.
• Cooked through: a medium-low heat ensures the egg in the centre sets fully before the outside darkens.
• Batch-friendly: leftovers freeze well, so one cooking session can cover several breakfasts.

Swaps & variations

• Gluten-free: use oats labelled gluten-free and check that your baking powder is too.
• Dairy-free: any unsweetened plant milk works in the batter; serve with a plant-based yogurt.
• Different fruit: try raspberries, chopped soft pear or a spoonful of stewed apple instead of the blueberries.
• Extra fibre: blend in 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed along with the oats; add a splash more milk if the batter gets too thick.
• No blender? Mash the bananas very well with a fork, use quick-cook oats and stir everything together in a bowl. The pancakes will be a little more rustic but just as good.
• Nutty finish: a thin drizzle of smooth peanut or almond butter, loosened with warm water, is lovely with the berries.

Keeping & reheating

Let leftover pancakes cool completely, then keep them in an airtight box in the fridge for up to 3 days. To freeze, lay them on a tray lined with baking paper until firm, then stack with paper between them in a freezer bag for up to 2 months.

Reheat straight from the fridge or freezer in the toaster on a low setting, or on a plate in the microwave for 20 to 40 seconds until hot through. The blueberry compote keeps in a covered jar in the fridge for 4 days and can be warmed gently or eaten cold with yogurt.