Cranberry Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Raise you hand if you like pancakes on the weekend (or after a long run...)

Hint: my hand is definitely raised!

After wrapping up my last long training run of the season this past Saturday (major sad face), we thought it necessary to celebrate appropriately with some delicious pancakes. Of course, said pancakes had to have chocolate chips. I love chocolate and, to be honest, I would just eat chocolate after all my runs if I thought it was an ideal recovery food. Dark chocolate does have antioxidants, which aid in recovery, right? :P

In all seriousness, one thing I love about a "runner's diet" is there's always some wiggle room to indulge. All foods can fit into a healthy diet when moderation is considered, pancakes and chocolate included.

Since our run took the majority of the day, our pancakes were pushed off until the next morning. What's better than a chilly fall Sunday morning with nothing to do, sleeping in and then enjoying a stack of pancakes with warm coffee? Not much!

Ingredients

3/4 c. whole wheat flour
3/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp ground flaxseed
1/8 tsp salt
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp pumpkin spice
1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 ripe banana, mashed
1-1/3 c. vanilla soy milk or 1% milk
1/2 c. canned pure pumpkin
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. each dark chocolate chips and dried cranberries, or to taste :)
Optional: 1/2 cup pecans
​

Directions

Mix your dry ingredients and wet ingredients in separate bowls. Combine your wet ingredients into your dry and stir just until mixed. At this point you can fold in the chocolate chips and dried cranberries, or you can choose to sprinkle them onto each pancake separately. Pour 1/4 c. batter per pancake over a griddle and cook at medium-high heat. Healthier topping suggestions include almond butter or vanilla greek yogurt. These fall more into the "indulgent" category and really don't need much extra to be delicious!

Makes 10-12 pancakes, depending on how big you like them!
Recipe adapted from Meal Makeover Moms