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My healthy banana pancake recipe is so simple that my family is obsessed with it! They’re made in one blender and yield thick and fluffy pancakes every time.
Need more healthy breakfast recipes? Try my healthy breakfast muffins, overnight steel cut oats, or cottage cheese eggs next.
Table of Contents
I make pancakes for my family at least once or twice a week, and when I need a tried-and-true recipe, I make my classic banana pancakes.
But they’re not just ANY banana pancakes. Rather, they’re made with a shortlist of wholesome and healthy ingredients, though you’d never guess by how fluffy they are and how sweet they taste!
Why I love this recipe
- Diet-friendly. They’re naturally free of gluten, eggs, AND dairy.
- The perfect texture. They’re light, fluffy, and golden brown, with a subtle bite and caramelized banana flavor.
- Make a bunch at once. I usually double or triple my recipe so I can have backup pancakes in the freezer ready to go.
Key Ingredients
- Ripe bananas. Normally, I suggest overripe bananas, but for this recipe, I suggest you avoid them. I tested overripe bananas and found they made the batter too thin. Stick to relatively firm, spotty bananas.
- Rolled oats. Thanks to their coarser texture, rolled oats work better for this pancake batter. Use gluten-free oats if necessary.
- Milk. I used almond milk to keep this recipe dairy-free, but any milk will do.
- Baking powder. It helps the pancakes rise.
- Apple cider vinegar. Baking powder reacts with the vinegar and provides a better rise for the pancakes. Lemon juice also works.
- Sweetener. I used a drizzle of maple syrup, but any granulated or liquid sweetener will work. Alternatively, you can skip the sweetener altogether and rely on the bananas’ natural sweetness.
- Vanilla extract. To deepen the flavor of the pancakes.
How to make healthy banana pancakes
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Blend. Combine all dry ingredients and wet ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Let the batter rest briefly.
Cook. Pour the pancake batter into a skillet over medium heat and cook for several minutes. Flip, then continue cooking until golden brown.
Repeat. Continue cooking the pancakes until all of the batter is used up.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Know when to flip. Look for bubbles on the surface of the pancake to know when to flip. The spatula should easily slide under the pancake, too.
- Cover the pancakes. This is my (not-so) secret trick to guarantee fluffy pancakes every time. Covering the pan traps in all the heat which forces the pancakes to rise considerably.
- Adjust the consistency. The batter should be slightly thicker than regular batter, but it should still be pourable. If it’s too thin, add extra oats and blend. If it’s too thick, add a splash of milk.
- Make sure the pan is hot. If the pan isn’t preheated, the batter is more likely to stick to it.
Frequently asked questions
It depends. Banana pancakes can still have plenty of sugar and other less healthy ingredients, which is why I prefer actual healthy pancake recipes–like this one!
Banana pancakes tend to fall apart when there are large chunks of banana in the batter. This is why I suggest using a blender or a food processor to achieve a smooth batter.
I recommend making the batter right before making the pancakes. The baking powder will become less effective as the batter sits in the fridge. Additionally, the oats may absorb too much liquid.
More healthy banana recipes
Healthy Banana Pancakes
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats gluten free, if needed
- 1/4 cup milk I used almond milk
- 1 large banana
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Combine the oats, milk, banana, baking powder, vinegar, maple syrup, and vanilla in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Allow the batter to rest for five minutes, giving the oats time to absorb liquid and thicken.
- Preheat a nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, pour in about ¼ cup of batter.
- Cook for 1-2 minutes covered. Flip and Cook for another 1-2 minutes on the second side.
- Repeat until all the batter is used up.
Notes
- Mix-ins. Add ¼ cup of chocolate chips or a few tablespoons of peanut butter or almond butter.
- Don’t blend the bananas. I prefer having the banana flavor blended into the batter, but if you prefer chunks of banana slices, reserve half to gently whisk into the batter.
- Spices. Add a dash of cinnamon or nutmeg to bring out the warming banana flavor.
- Garnish. Top the pancakes with fresh berries or a dollop of Greek yogurt for a more satisfying breakfast.
- To store: Store leftover pancakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- To freeze: Let the pancakes cool completely, then freeze them in a freezer bag for 3 months. I like to separate the pancakes with squares of parchment paper to keep them from sticking.
- To reheat: Microwave 1-2 pancakes for 15-20 seconds, or reheat multiple in a toaster oven at 350F for 8-10 minutes.
Nutrition
Originally updated March 2023, updated and republished December 2024
With my clean diet and a ton of food allergies (gluten, dairy, almonds, eggs, etc.), I thought I’d never get to eat another fluffy, spongey delicious pancake again! Hands down my favorite recipe! Thank you, Arman!
Hi!!! I love this recipe sooooooo much. Thank you for such an amazing easy flourless pancake recipe! I never thought healthy pancakes could be so good. If I were to double the recipe, are there any modifications I should make? Thank you so much
Thanks Abby- Nope, just double the ingredients 🙂
I mixed in some chocolate chips to the batter and omg these were fantastic! Felt like I was eating banana bread <3
How good 🙂
These pancakes are delicious! This is my new go-to vegan pancake recipe! Thank you so much!
Thank you!
I’ve made a lot of GF pancake recipes and this one has the best fluffy texture. It was a hit 🙂
😀 love it!
Linda wasn’t it 2 teaspoons of baking powder not tablespoons or did I read that wrong
These are amazing. I needed a pancake recipe that was low points for weight watchers, and these are zero points and sooo good! They are both fluffy and substantial. I did add a pinch of salt and a dash of cinnamon and a splash more almond milk. These will definitely be a go to recipe in my house, everyone loved them!
Thanks so much, Charlie! 🙂
Wow, these were delicious! I tried vegan pancakes for the first time last weekend – using a recipe off a different blog and was disappointed with the results as they kept sticking to the pan. However, someone else recommended these and I am so glad I gave them a go! They were absolutely delicious and so easy to cook! I doubled the recipe, but forgot to double the banana, but it worked just fine – I just had to add a few extra dashes of milk. Will definitely be making these again! Thanks!
Thanks so much for the feedback, Lorraine!
Finally a gluten-free pancake recipe that is delicious and doesn’t crumble! And putting all ingredients in the blender is genius. Thanks! I’m definitely sharing this recipe and website with my GF friends.
Thank you- that means so much! 🙂
My husband and I loved these pancakes! I added a little apple and cinnamon as well, which was great. This was the first recipe I’ve tried from Arman and I can’t wait to try more!!
That sounds great Stacie- Great to hear it! 🙂
how would this work with soy milk instead of milk?
That is completely fine 🙂
The recipe should recommend mixing the wet ingredients first, then adding the dry ingredients. Otherwise the oats get clumped up at the bottom and burn out the motor on my $600 Vitamix.
I use it the same way and it’s fine 🙂
Ok Here’s what I did. I used honey for my sticky sweetener. I had to add a little more milk, about 1 or 2 TBS. I used a very ripe, almost completely brown skin banana (more flavor!).
I cooked these on a cast iron circle flat pan, and YES I lightly greased it before cooking the pancakes.
These cooked beautifully, dense but not crepes! The oat flavor definitely comes through, but so does the banana (very strongly).
I am GF, so used GF oats. I am not supposed to have grains though, so I may try these with almond flour. I do not like coconut flour because sometimes it tastes like soap (rancid). These made 6 4-inch pancakes.
hahahaha like soap. Some brands are like that unfortunately! Yes, try almond flour as a potential substitute for it 🙂
Those were fantastic! Just finished making a batch. I’m not vegan or vegetarian but I do eat clean! I just didn’t have an egg and am staying away from gluten products. Stumbled upon your pancake recipe and decided to give them a go! I will try adding cinnamon….maybe chocolate chips for my boys…blueberries would work great….AND I will definitely check out your other recipes! Thanks!
Karen 🇨🇦
😀 LOVE IT!
These turned out perfectly! I made these for my husbands birthday (he was a skeptic at first) and he loved them – his exact words were “I could eat another 5 of those”. Next time I’m making a double batch! I increased the almond milk to 1/4 cup and added 1 tsp cinnamon & nutmeg spice mix.
Topped it with sliced bananas, maple syrup and a small dollop of SunButter. I’m on a new diet of dairy/soy/egg/peanut free because of my daughters intolerances, and I’m so happy to be able to enjoy pancakes again :).
🙂 I love this!!! Thanks for the feedback and the recipe addition suggestions!