These banana pancakes have a great texture and are totally banana-sweetened. They’re 100% whole grain and naturally gluten-free and dairy-free with vegan option. Check out the rave reviews below!
I’m pretty picky with my pancakes. I don’t like bready ones. Especially whole grain bready ones.
So don’t worry – these aren’t your usual cardboardy whole grain pancakes! They’re soft and slightly moist.
I often make my Swedish pancakes or paleo buttermilk pancakes when I have some berries I want to use, but these banana oatmeal pancakes are my all-time favorite.
If you’ve got some bananas that are about to go bad, this is what you want to do with them (though these paleo chocolate banana muffins would also be a great choice!).
The bananas don’t need to be banana bread ripe, though. It’s fine as long as the peel has some black spots on it.
Even with just bananas and no added sugar, these gluten-free banana pancakes are nice and sweet and maple syrup is totally unnecessary (but it’s always nice, isn’t it? ;)) Same goes with chocolate chips!
If you need to make some gluten-free pancakes but don’t want to buy any specialty flours, these are a great choice. They just use oat flour, which is nothing but ground up oats.
If you don’t have oat flour on hand, you can whirl some quick or rolled oats in a food processor, high-powered blender (like a Blendtec or Vitamix) or an electric coffee grinder until it’s very fine and powdery. It works just as well as store-bought oat flour.
My favorite way for small amounts is the coffee grinder and if I need more, a high-powered blender. Both get the oat flour really fine.
And if you’d like to use a blender to make pancakes, try these banana Blender Pancakes!
If you have a large food processor, you’ll probably need to grind more oats than you need for this recipe to get it to grind the oats finely enough. I have a large food processor and need at least a cup or two of oats for them to reach the blade.
Just make sure to use gluten-free oats / oat flour if you need these pancakes to be gluten-free! (read here: are oats gluten-free? if you’re new to gluten-free and unsure about oats!)
Overall, these gluten-free banana pancakes are easy to make but one thing that I’ve noticed is that they’re pretty difficult to flip in a cast iron skillet. You can definitely do it but I needed a lot of coconut oil.
My pan isn’t very well seasoned but still… I thought I should warn you. As soon as I switched to a regular non-stick pan, this wasn’t an issue.
School isn’t even out yet here in Bavaria for another two weeks but I know school is starting up soon in some parts of the US. These banana oatmeal pancakes are great to make-ahead for busy mornings as they reheat well and they’re also delicious when cold so they’d be a super dessert for the lunchbox.
These banana breakfast bars from Crazy for Crust also look like a tasty option! And for something without banana, try these protein pancakes, which can be made with whole wheat or gluten-free flour.
I originally posted this banana pancake recipe in 2013 but am re-sharing them today with new pictures and a video because they’re just so darn good (check out the reviews if you need convincing!). Here’s an old picture for reference (for the people wondering if this is really the recipe they’ve been making).
Questions about these gluten-free banana pancakes?
- How can I make these grain-free? I’ve been working on a grain-free version. I’ll post it once it’s as tasty as the oat flour version!
- Can I use something other than flour? Oat flour absorbs liquids differently than other flours so I can’t really suggest anything. If you decide to experiment, let us know how it goes!
- Can I use something in place of the bananas? I wouldn’t really recommend trying something else like pumpkin as nothing else is kind of sticky and really sweet like bananas.
Since it’s the base of the recipe, I think a different recipe would be better if you don’t want to use bananas.
Banana Pancakes (gluten-free, 100% whole grain, dairy-free)
- Prep Time:
- Cook Time:
- Ready in:
- Yield: 8-9 medium pancakes
Ingredients
- 3 small or 2 medium overly ripe bananas (270 grams / 9.5 ounces total, without the peel), mashed
- 2 tablespoons (28 grams) coconut oil or unsalted butter (for a dairy-containing version), melted
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice or vinegar (I've tried both white and apple cider vinegar)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs (50 grams each, out of shell) or 2 chia eggs1 for vegan
- 1 cup (95 grams) oat flour (make sure to use GF oat flour, if needed)2
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, optional
Directions
- In a large bowl, combine the wet ingredients (bananas through eggs) and stir until well combined.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients.
- Pour the dry ingredients over the wet and stir just until combined. There might still be some lumps.
- Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat a non-stick pan over medium-low heat. Spray it lightly with cooking spray or lightly butter it.
- Pour 1/4 cups of batter onto the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes until bubbles start to form around the edges of the pancake.
- Flip it and cook for another 90 seconds or until golden brown on the bottom.
- Continue with the remaining batter and serve the pancakes immediately.
- Cover and refrigerate any leftovers for up to 4 days. They're great reheated and cold.
Notes
- To make 2 chia eggs, mix 2 tablespoons ground chia with 5 tablespoons water and let sit for 5 minutes.
- To make your own oat flour, grind quick or rolled oats in a coffee grinder or food processor until it resembles flour.
Adapted from King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking
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227 comments on “Banana Pancakes (options for gluten-free/vegan)” — Add one!
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I was searching frantically this morning for a milk free pancake recipe because we are out and I had four hungry kids! I stumbled on here, with your other GF milk free pancake recipe, and I’ve made recipes of yours before so I knew it had to be good! I truly appreciated your honest remark that they weren’t healthy though, as I was looking for more of a hearty breakfast i was led here. I will say, this was so easy and extremely forgiving considering I was also lower than I thought on other things as well. I only had 1.5 bananas so I added a cup of applesauce, an extra egg, and a dash of water to try and make the right consistency. They still turned out lovely! I will say if you are short on bananas like me an added tablespoon or two of sugar would probably be even better. This is my new go to “Hail Mary” breakfast recipe base! Thank you!
You’re welcome! I’m so glad that you enjoyed these healthier pancakes. :) Thanks a bunch for your tip on how to make them if you only have 1.5 bananas. I like how experimental you got. :D It’s great that it worked out! I’m also happy to hear that you’ve made other recipes of mine before and felt confident to make another. That is always so nice to read! And yeah, those milk-free pancakes (and any typical pancake recipe) just put me in a carb coma. 😂 Thanks for your feedback!
These were delicious and I’ve made them a few times now. I do add a tablespoon of sugar since I never have the patience to wait for bananas to get to the really really ripe stage. We love waffles too. Do you know if this recipe can be used in a waffle iron?
These are sooooo good! Everyone Loved them!
I’m so glad to hear that! Thanks for your comment. :)
I have made these from time to time over the years and they are amazing and easy to make! Have tried a bunch of other comparable pancake recipes but tend to find myself back here. Have tried with real eggs and flax eggs and both are great. Thank you!
I’m so sorry for just now seeing your comment! It landed up in spam for some reason and with my son home the last 2 months, I haven’t been diligent with checking that. I’m so glad that you’ve been enjoying the recipe! It’s good to know that you keep coming back after trying other recipes. :) Thanks again for your feedback and sorry again for my ridiculously slow reply!
Oh my goooooosh. I’ve made a lot of banana pancakes with alternative flours, etc and these are THE BEST. Shocked at how tender they are. I did add about 2 tablespoons of water because mine were a little thick. I topped with toasted coconut and maple syrup. Thanks for a great recipe!
Woohoo! I’m thrilled to hear that! And toasted coconut sounds super yummy. Thanks for your comment and sorry for my slow reply (I just got back from vacation!).
I love these pancakes! I’ve been making them for years. I’ll make a big batch and then freeze them. It’s so easy to heat up in the toaster in weekday mornings. Delicious!!!
In the toaster?! The oil doesn’t drip down? What a great idea! I’m so glad you’ve been enjoying the pancakes. :) Thanks for your feedback and sorry for my slow reply! I just got back from vacation.
I should clarify – I make a big batch and use up all the batter by making the pancakes in a pan, and THEN I freeze them. Super easy to put them in the toaster after that to heat them up!
Haha. Yes! I understood that you don’t cook the batter in the toaster. :D I was just assuming they might be too oily to go in the toaster. I think I have some in the freezer now and will try toasting one tomorrow! Thanks for coming back to answer. :)
Just love this recipe! Who doesn’t love banana pancakes and a healthier version at that!
Thanks! :)
Have you tried making them with another gf flour? I am gf because of Celiac and I still have reactions with gf oats.
You can use tigernut flour! 1 cup or 120 grams.
Thank you!
Yummy! These look so moist and delicious!
Thanks so much!
Fantastic recipe! Thank you!
You’re welcome! I’m glad you liked them. :)
I made this today and they are amazing!! I didn’t have oat flour on hand so I threw old fashioned oats into the magic bullet and used that. They were fluffy, flavorful and sooooo easy! Next time I’ll throw some toasted walnuts in for variety. Thanks for the great recipe!
I’m sorry for just now seeing your comment! I’m happy that you liked the pancakes. :) I do the same to make oat flour! Much cheaper than store-bought. Thanks for your comment!
Rating the recipe
Thank you. :D
Thanks much for the wonderful recipe, Erin! I made these (baked them on a sheet pan in the oven, am lazy 😛) and they are soooo good. My kids loved them too. The pancakes are all gone within 10 minutes. Had to stop myself from finishing off the last two, saved them for my hubby. And I kept telling myself these are guilt free so I could eat more 😊
Yay! I’m happy that you all enjoyed them. :) How did you bake them?! I’ve been wanting to try that. I keep a big batch of these in the freezer and it’s a pain to stand at the stove and make them one by one. Thanks so much for your comment!
I follow CCK’s method for baking pancakes: https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2017/08/06/how-to-make-pancakes-not-stick-to-the-pan/
I use parchment lined sheet pan. Parchment paper is a must. My pancakes were thin as the batter spread in the oven, but very light and fluffy and they were all done baking in 10 mins. Maybe next time I would probably just pour all the batter in a smaller baking tray and bake like a cake and cut squares out of it.
Thanks so much for the reply! I doubled the recipe, used a jelly roll pan, and tried it using those directions. I poured it all into the parchment-lined pan but it took forever (maybe 45 minutes?). They came out pretty dense. I’ll have to maybe try two pans next time! Thanks again. :)
You are welcome, Erin!
Used 15 by 21 inch sheet pan when I baked the pancakes. As you mentioned, using two pans might work out since you doubled the recipe. Also, I added a 1/4-1/2 tsp baking powder to get fluffier result. Last night I baked the whole thing in an 8 by 8 glass pan. Was definitely denser than the baked pancakes on sheet pan, but this is my new go to breakfast, the lazy but tasty way 😊
I tried to think how big 16 pancakes would be and thought a jelly roll pan would be about right but yeah… I was very wrong. ;) Thanks for the tip on the baking powder! Will also try that. I can’t wait to get these down perfect. The oven way saves so much time!
I wish I could share with you a picture of my pancakes on sheet pan. They glued to one another, I didn’t use parchment paper the first time I baked, but after they cooled down, I was able to take them off the pan and they tasted awesome!
Your pancake recipe is the reason I get excited whenever there are ripe bananas in the house. I’ve experimented with adding millet, quinoa, buckwheat, and/or hemp flour to the oat flour (most of the time at least 50g of oat flour, then whatever other flour(s)), and they’ve all turned out well. The buckwheat blend had a stronger taste, but consistency-wise they’ve all been fine. Your recipes are fool-proof!
Oooh, you’re experimental! I’ve never tried any of those flours in these. I’ve been making these with tigernut flour recently and that works really well. Thanks for your tip and nice comment! :)
I must compliment you on these awesome, flavourful (sugarless) pancakes. I find internet recipes generally don’t turn out very well, but these are absolutely great. A keeper!
Thanks for your compliment! I’m happy that they came out better for you than other internet recipes. :) Thanks again for your comment!
How different do these taste with the chia eggs instead of regular eggs?
Not at all different! I make them that way all the time.
Looks yummy! what can you replace the banana with?
Thanks! Check out the question section. ;) I’m on my phone or I’d copy and paste it.
I just made these and they are awesome! So delicious, fluffy and wonderful! It has been a long time since I have enjoyed a pancake (since having to go GF & Dairy Free!) Thank you for sharing! I have made many of your recipes and they have all been great!
I’m so happy that you’ve liked all the recipes so much! And aww. Sorry that you went a long time without pancakes! I’m happy this recipe could help you out with that. :) Thanks for your comment!
Just made them. They turned out great. Fluffy. Flavorful and Healthy. Excellent recipe. Honestly, all the recipes that I have tried from you, are great.
Aww, yay! I’m thrilled to hear that. And you’ve been busy with my pancake recipes! That’s great. :) Thanks again for your comment!
I just finished making (and devouring) these pancakes. This is the best pancake I’ve ever had, and I’ve had a lot of them in 45 years! They are fluffy, light, moist, and taste like sweet banana bread straight from the oven. There’s not even a hint of a gluten-free texture….when topped with loads of butter, maple syrup, and walnuts, this is a food coma waiting to happen.
Wow! I sure was happy to read your feedback. :) I’m so happy that you enjoyed them! And yeah… pancake carb comas are tough to deal with. They’re the reason I can rarely make pancakes. ;) Thanks for your comment.
Is there a calorie count on these?
I don’t have that info but could use this recipe analyzer if you’d like for the nutritional profile. :)
These look really good! I might have to try them soon!
Thanks! I hope you will. :)
These were delicious will definitely do again
Yay! So happy to hear that. Thanks for your comment. :)
I’ve seen so many versions of these type of pancakes…but your particular pics are SOOOOO yummy looking.
I am WAY more inclined to make these…oh…and I will be making these
Thanks for sharing:))))
Aaah. So sorry for just now seeing your comment! It was in the spam folder for whatever reason. :( I hope you enjoyed the pancakes if you got a chance to try them out!
These are THE BEST. I have been making these for years!!!!!❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Yay! So happy you like them! Thanks for all the hearts. :D
what does it mean Vanilla? Essence?
Sorry im poo at baking!
Vanilla extract. But vanilla sugar would be fine, too. :)
This is the best pancake recipe that I have ever tried! Absolutely delicious! I added 1/2 cup of ground walnuts. This made the pancakes a little thick. What can I add to make the batter a thinner consistency? Will definitely make again!
So happy that you like them! You could add a little milk but I wouldn’t add too much. Thanks for your comment. :)
I tried your recipe but I found that the texture in the mixing bowl was too pasty and intact it seemed like drop biscuits when I tried to make the first pancake. What did I do wrong? I decided to add some almond milk. This was the right consistency for me. Aside from that, these are the best gluten free pancakes I’ve ever had. My husband loved them too.
It’s hard to say what went wrong but as long as they worked out well, I guess all is good. :) Were your bananas super ripe? If you used not very ripe bananas, I could see that happening. Thanks for your comment!
I’ve been making these pancakes for years now. I’m here again because I need to print out a fresh copy of the recipe as ours is covered in ingredients that have splashed onto it! This is seriously the most delicious and healthy pancake recipe ever. My family prefers these pancakes over all other pancakes. My 4 year old loves them with chocolate chips added. My husband and I love them with peanut butter and maple syrup. I am so so so happy that you created this fabulous recipe!!
And I’m so happy that you’ve been enjoying them the last few years! That’s awesome that your family prefers these over other pancakes. :) Thanks a bunch for your nice feedback!
We have a banana pancake recipe that we “like” but I found this recipe today because I wanted to try something different. Well, it turns out we don’t actually like that other recipe, we just didn’t know what we were missing. These pancakes are so much fluffier and not bread-y. Home run again!
Haha. But it’s good that you thought that you liked the other recipe all this time. ;) Thanks so much for your feedback! I’m happy you found something you like more. :)
These are the best pancakes I’ve ever made! My family of hungry males LOVE these pancakes. We just top with a little honey. Last fall I made these every time with an added large dollop of pumpkin and topped with maple syrup. I e given this recipe out so many times. So thankful for such an awesome oat flour recipe!
Oh, wow. So happy that you’re liking them so much! I love the idea of adding pumpkin and maple syrup. Sounds delicious. :) Thanks so much for sharing the recipe and for your comment!
I added pecans to the recipe and they turn out great. I used a blender to make the oat flour. Taste like banana nut bread.
Walnuts is a great addition! Thanks for the tip and your feedback. :)
Just made these. No problem flipping them, they held together fine but I did increase the heat a bit. I used frozen bananas defrosted in the microwave and it worked fine, in case anyone was wondering.
Good to know that frozen works just as well! Thanks for the tip. :) I’m happy you enjoyed them!
Thank you! Recently diagnosed with MS. Now living gluten,sugar and diary free. I love pancakes can’t wait to give these a try.
I hope that you’ll enjoy the pancakes!
thank you for the recipe!! I added chia seeds/topped with blueberries and it tasted delicious!!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you liked them! Thanks for your comment. :)
What are the nutritional values of these pancakes?
I don’t have that info but you can copy and paste the recipe here for the nutritional profile, if you’d like. :)
I got about 195 calories per pancake …. anyone get something different?
I stumbled across this recipe this morning looking for something filling to make with 2 overripe bananas. I regularly make myself an individual oat flour pancake using flax seed instead of egg since it’s just 1 serving, and my mom always put P.B. on top of our pancakes, so I had a feeling I would love this recipe. It is GREAT! I will be exploring your site for more great recipes. This one is a keeper for sure!
I’m so happy you gave it a try and that you liked the pancakes! I hope you’ll find some other recipes to try out. :) Thanks for your feedback!
After 4 years of being grain free, we are slowly adding some traditionally prepared grains back into our diet a few times a month, but still not having wheat. I found a company that makes sprouted oats, and am trying this recipe with the oat flour. Previously, I had been making pancakes out of squash and eggs, or for a sweeter pancake, banana and eggs. I know that I used 1 egg per banana when I just made banana (no flour at all) pancakes. So, that might be your issue on why your pancakes are not holding together, not enough binder. For “regular” flour pancakes, the gluten is a very strong binder. For gluten free pancakes, there is no binder, so you have to find a way to bind the ingredients. Egg is not as strong as gluten, but it works. I followed your recipe, with the exception that I used a total of 5 eggs. I also mixed everything with a stick blender, rather than mashing the banana, in order to get a smoother texture to help bind. A few more tips would be to make sure you are using enough oil in the pan. I use a stainless steel pan and add a bit of oil each time I add pancakes to the pan. Lastly, since again, these pancakes will not hold together like pancakes that contain gluten, the size needs to be smaller than typical pancakes. I use a 1/4 cup measuring cup and pour out 1/2 to 3/4 of it for each pancake. This also helps the pancakes hold together better when flipping. I did all of these things and even added blueberries to the top, before flipping, and had no issues. Thanks for posting your recipe, and best of luck!
These pancakes sound delicious! I love making healthier pancakes. I usually use whole wheat flour and add banana. (And my kids love it when I add chocolate chips 😊) I’ve used Greek yogurt and/or almond milk too but I’ve been wanting to experiment with out flour. I’m excited to try your recipe. Thanks!
I love whole wheat pancakes, too, but prefer the milder taste of oat flour. And it’s still 100% whole grain so I’m doubly happy. ;) I hope you’ll enjoy the pancakes! Thanks for your comment.
Haven’t been able to try this recipe yet, but just wanted to say that I LOVE that you posted the weight of the bananas without the peels – “2 large banana” recipe listings are so annoying, and I love that you’ve made it easy for me to make sure to do this correctly! Thank you! :)
Oh my gosh. Don’t even get me started on those recipes. ;) I won’t even make recipes with measurements like that because my final product won’t be anything like theirs! I’m happy you appreciate the gram measurements. :) Thanks for your comment!
These pancakes are delicious! I made them for the first time following the recipe exactly and poured maple syrup over top. Next time, I plan on trying the suggestion of substituting the butter for applesauce in order to reduce the fat. I don’t eat gluten free, but I am trying to cut way back on the wheat in my diet. It’s nice to find delicious, easy to make recipes like this gem instead of buying processed pre-made foods or mixes. Thank you!
I’m happy that you enjoyed the pancakes! They sure are delicious with maple syrup. I’m not GF, either, but GF recipes really are delicious sometimes. :) Thanks a bunch for your comment!
These were SO good! I made them for my husband and I this morning and added a few chocolate chips to the batter after I poured the pancakes onto the skillet. One slight modification that I made – I did about 1 tbsp. coconut oil and 1 tbsp applesauce and I thought it was perfect. Will definitely be making again!
Adding chocolate chips is always a good idea. :D I’m so happy you enjoyed them! Thanks a bunch for your comment.
As someone who is allergic to dairy and not a fan of the flavor of coconut oil I decided to experiment with 2 TBSP of plain applesauce and it worked all the same! Just about 25 less grams of fat ;) delicious and so easy to modify! Thanks!
Awesome! That’s great to know. :) Thanks for your tip and the feedback!
These were great! I usually keep bananas on hand explicitly to freeze and keep for smoothies but wanted something more today. I love the texture of oat flour. I ground my own in the food processor and left some pieces so the texture looked very similar to yours. And added some walnuts for extra crunch. Thanks – these will be a great go-to pancake recipe!!
Yum! I love that you added walnuts for some extra texture. I’m so happy that you gave these a try and enjoyed them! Thanks for your comment. :)
How much is one serving? It says it makes 8-9 pancakes…but is that more than one serving? Thanks for your help, I can’t wait to make these!!
That’s hard to say because it depends on how much you want to eat! I wouldn’t suggest a serving of 8-9 medium pancakes for one person, though. ;) I think 2 or 3 pancakes would be more reasonable. I hope you’ll enjoy them!
My kids love these (as do I)! So easy and they’re just delicious. You have such a talent!! I always look forward to seeing what recipes I can try next!
Aww, thanks! What a nice thing to say. :) And I’m so happy you and your kids enjoy the pancakes so much! Thanks a bunch for your comment and feedback.
These are just fantastic and were delicious! And we’re so quick to whip up for eveyone at breakfast. thanks for sharing :)
And thank you for your feedback! I’m so happy you enjoyed them. :)
These pancakes are so delicious! It’s a hit in my family every time I make them.
Yay! So happy to hear that. Thanks for your feedback. :)