This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.
Make my low calorie pancakes are ultra thick and fluffy and perfect for any diet. They’re under 150 calories per serving and DON’T taste low-cal!
Need more low-calorie breakfast options? Try my low calorie cereal, low calorie bagels, and low calorie muffins next.
If you think ‘pancakes’ and ‘low-calorie’ have nothing in common, my recipe will convince you otherwise.
That’s because I don’t skimp on the elements that make pancakes, well, pancakes. What I do skip are the unnecessary fillers and heavy-handed sugar. With a host of healthy ingredients, the results are soft, fluffy pancakes with tons of flavor and natural sweetness.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- They’re not just low-calorie. They’re also full of fiber from the bananas and flour, plus protein from the egg whites.
- Quick and easy. They’re as easy (if not easier) as any regular pancake recipe.
- Fluffy, soft, and chewy. Don’t let ‘low-calorie’ fool you. These pancakes are anything BUT boring.
- Easy to customize. Add any toppings you desire, or drench them in sugar-free maple syrup and call it a day!
Ingredients needed
- Whole wheat flour. I opted for white whole wheat flour, which has extra fiber from whole grains. Use gluten-free flour (with xanthan gum added) if necessary.
- Baking powder. The leavening agent that helps the pancakes rise.
- Salt. Balances out the sweetness.
- Granulated sweetener. Optional, but only add this if you prefer sweeter pancakes. I personally think the bananas add enough sweetness.
- Ripe banana. The browner the bananas, the sweeter they’ll be.
- Egg whites. Our replacement for oil. This greatly reduces the calories AND adds extra protein. Feel free to use fresh egg whites or ones from a carton.
- Vanilla extract. For flavor.
- Milk OR water. Either works just to mix the batter. I used unsweetened almond milk.
How to make low calorie 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.
Step 1- Mix. Combine the dry ingredients in one bowl. In a second bowl, mash the bananas and add the remaining ingredients. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and whisk until smooth.
Step 2- Cook. Pour portions of batter into a well-oiled, warm griddle. Cover the pan with the lid, cook until bubbles form, then flip, cover again, and cook for a few more minutes. Repeat with the remaining pancake batter.
Step 3- Serve. Let the pancakes cool briefly, then serve as desired.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Use a blender. While optional, it’s important that the bananas be mashed until very smooth. If you don’t mind dirtying an extra dish, just blend everything in the blender.
- Cover that pan! This is my favorite hack for promising pillowy pancakes. By covering the pan, steam builds and helps the pancakes rise even more.
- Add mix-ins. Like nuts, sugar-free chocolate chips, or fresh blueberries.
- Play around with spices, like cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, or cocoa powder.
Storage instructions
To store: Keep any leftover pancakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
To freeze: Let the pancakes cool, stack them in a freezer bag (with sheets of parchment between each), and freeze for up to 2 months.
Reheating: Microwave pancakes for 30-45 seconds or warm in a non-stick pan.
Frequently asked questions
Pancakes can be a part of a weight loss diet so long as they’re enjoyed in moderation and ideally made with healthy, nutritionally-dense ingredients.
Yes, you can! I tested this using a 9 x 9-inch square pan and baked the mixture for 15 minutes or until springy.
More healthy pancake recipes to try
Low Calorie Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour I used white wholewheat flour * See notes
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon allulose optional
- 2 medium bananas mashed
- 1/2 cup egg whites approximately 4 egg whites
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup milk I used unsweetened almond milk
Instructions
- In a small bowl, add your flour, baking powder, salt, and sweetener, until combined. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the mashed bananas, egg whites, vanilla extract, and milk, until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet and mix well, until a thick batter remains.
- Grease a large non-stick pan and place it over medium heat. Pour scant 1/4 cup portions of the batter onto the pan and cover. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until bubbles form around the edges. Remove the lid, flip and cook for a further 3 minutes. Repeat the process until all the pancakes have been cooked.
- Serve the pancakes immediately or let them cool completely.
Usually I never buy or drinkk milk. Can I have water in the recipe instead? Would it still be good?
If I put instant oats instead of regular flour, you think it would turn out good?
My husband said these were sure a keeper. yum!
Thanks, Sheri!
The recipe itself is great and the pancakes are delicious. However, I’m not sure who’s brilliant idea it was for the cooking method. The whole medium heat covered for 3 minutes, it’s just dumb. Don’t double your cooking time and just cook them like normal pancakes. They come out way better.
I’m on weight watcher’s, so I made these on Pancake Tuesday instead of full-calorie pancakes. I used Swerve brown sugar substitute as my sweetener. They were easy to make and delicious!
Hej ile naleśników w porcji?
I tried these out, they were delicious and very filling !!
I loved the flavor of this recipe! This is a recipe I will use again and again.
Hi I tried your recipe and it was delicious! Wondering if this same batter can be used to make waffles? Any thoughts on that?
I don’t see why not 🙂
How many pancakes do you get from this recipe? Thank you
It depends on how big or small you make them. I sometimes get 9 small ones or I sometimes get 5 large ones 🙂
Hi, can apple or pear sauce be substituted for the bananas?
Yes it can 🙂
So yummy! I had leftover egg whites from baking and was looking to bake something with them that I could eat for breakfast other than omelettes. This paired well with Greek yoghurt and is delicious! No longer will be wasting egg whites 😌
Very delicious! I made 6 pancakes, added to MyFitnessPal, 1 serving is 115 calories, does that mean 3 pancakes is that much?
Hello! I was wondering if I could store the batter. How should I go about it and for how long should I keep it stored? Thank you!
Hi Yuviana, I haven’t tried!
Super awesome
Super recommend
I use wheat flour and berries was good had to add some cornstarch, baking powder, and flour but turned out soooo… good.
Thank You… so much for this awesome recipe!!
Thanks for the feedback, Chippy!
These were super easy and delicious! I used one banana and paired it with the equivalent amount of pumpkin purée. The batter made about 9.5 1/4c pancakes. I also made them in a cast iron skillet so the burner temperature was a medium low. Thank you for the recipe!
Thanks, Justin!
I need to try this recipe! Thank you! If we don’t want the pancakes to taste like bananas, what can we use instead of bananas? Thank you so much for your recipes! 🙂
Haven’t tried anything to replace the bananas 🙂
Because I’m a big guy so I have to limit calories. Thank you for your low calorie recipes I can eat pancakes every morning. It’s a yummy healthy pancakes.
Great!