It’s hard to be Canadian without valuing maple syrup, says executive chef Paolo Vasapolli — the country produces 85 per cent of the world’s supply.

He is sharing a recipe with DailyNews readers that will allow them to observe National Maple Syrup Day in style on Thursday, Dec. 17. His maple banana oatmeal pancakes are gluten-free and simple to prepare: just mix up the batter in a blender.

Maple Banana Oatmeal Blender Pancakes

Ingredients

• 2 ¼ cups of rolled oats
• 1 cup of coconut milk
• 2 large ripe bananas
• 1 tablespoon of Canadian maple syrup
• 1 large egg
• ¼ teaspoon of sea salt
• ½ ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
• Coconut oil

Instructions

1. Place all ingredients in the blender and blend on high until completely mixed together and oats have broken down, about 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Heat a griddle or pan over medium-low heat and melt a teaspoon or two of coconut oil. Once the pan or griddle is hot, pour or scoop ¼ cup of the batter onto a pan.
3. Cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side and serve hot, garnish with sliced bananas or other fresh fruit. A sprinkle of icing sugar is optional!

Share your pictures and smiling faces on social media by tagging #NationalMapleSyropDay and #UWindsor.