I’ve been waiting all week to share these. They aren’t some of the best gluten-free pancakes I’ve ever had, or vegan or banana. They’re just some of the best pancakes I’ve ever had—period. The banana sweetens these perfectly without added sugar, and the cinnamon adds a nice warm touch. They go especially good with a dollop of melting butter toffee peanut butter.

Like my other pancake recipe, these use chickpea flour, which is a great gluten-free alternative to wheat flour. It has high protein and fiber contents making it a healthy breakfast that will fill you up and not have you crashing by 10am. I’m able to find it cheapest in my regular grocery store(Hannafords) in the natural/organic section for less than $4 a bag.

Gluten-Free Banana Pancakes

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients(makes 1 serving):

• 1/3 cup mashed banana(about 3/4 a medium-sized banana)
• 1/2 cup chickpea flour
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4-1/3 cup water

Method:

1. In a mixing bowl combine the mashed banana, chickpea flour, cinnamon, baking soda and 1/4 cup water and mix.
2. Add more water if necessary to get the consistency somewhere between thick-runny and runny.
3. Preheat a non-stick pan over medium heat.
4. Scoop about 1/4 cup batter into the pan for each pancake. Only cook 1 or 2 at a time to avoid overcrowding.
5. Cook on one side until the top is bubbly, then flip and cook for about another minute. Repeat until all the batter is used.

Serve with maple syrup, peanut butter, bananas, blueberries—whatever, it will all be good.

I’m careful never to overuse superlatives, so believe me when I say this is the best omelet I’ve ever had. It’s filling and meaty with a salty-sweet kick. The maple syrup takes this to a new level that other omelets just can’t compete with. In fact, if chocolate and peanut butter didn’t exist, I’d probably eat this for dessert, too. You could add melted goat cheese or cuts of smoked bacon but honestly this omelet doesn’t need either of those; it has so much flavor on its own.

Caramelized Onion, Mushroom, and Maple Syrup Omelet

Ingredients:

• 1/2 yellow onion, julienned
• 1/3 cup sliced and washed mushrooms
• 1 Tablespoon oil
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 eggs, beaten together
• Extra oil for greasing

Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat.

Add in the onions, mushrooms, maple syrup, and salt and sauté the vegetables until the onions have caramelized and mushrooms cook a golden brown. Move the vegetables to a plate and heat enough oil in the same pan for the omelet.

Beat together the 3 eggs and pour them into the pan. Add the cooked vegetables on top of the omelet and cover the pan to let the eggs cook. When the omelet egg has mostly cooked, fold it over once and let it rest in the pan for a minute. Plate and serve hot.

I’ll start heating up the pan; how many should I make?

Pancakes make me happy. My guess is that they make you happy, too. But it’s been years since I’ve made pancakes for breakfast; they’re not the most gluten-free friendly food. But after my first experiment with chickpeas flour, I realized just how much this would improve my life.

But first, a lesson on cake:

“Young man, you’re not having cake for breakfast. You’re having fried cake with syrup for breakfast.”

Done.

These were just as easy to make as “real” pancakes and tasted among the best I’ve had. They absorb moisture really easily, so have the maple syrup standing by. And they don’t get soggy! Perfect.

Gluten-Free Pancakes

Ingredients(Makes 4 medium-sized pancakes):

• 1/2 cup chickpea flour
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 (heaping) Tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• Butter or oil for greasing

Top with maple syrup, nut butter, coconut shreds, fruit sauce, or whatever else you can think of.

You can bet what’s on the menu for tomorrow’s breakfast.