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!
3 comments are awaiting moderation!
I ran out of coconut milk to make our usual coconut flour pancakes so searched the net for a gf/milk free option and stumbled upon your recipe.
These are so fragrant and fluffy AND they were so delicious, both kids ate them without maple syrup!!
THANK YOU!!!!!
It’s great to hear that the kids ate them without maple syrup! That’s awesome. I don’t even do that. ;) So happy that you all enjoyed them! Thanks a bunch for your feedback. :)
These pancakes are lovely, sweet enough not to add honey or syrup, and the oats flour gives them a lovely texture.
So happy that you enjoyed them! And I agree. I love what oats do for the pancakes! Thanks a bunch for your feedback. :)
OH MY WORD I adore your recipe…. it is the most perfect pancake I have come across in a long time. Be sure to come and see my post about it! http://www.rubyellenphotography.com/blog/2014/4/12/pretty-clean-pancakes-pinterest-kitchen
Oh, hey! I recognize your name from the IG posts. :) Thanks for the feedback (and the rating!) I’m off to check out your post!
My husband & I love these pancakes. They taste great! We add 2 tbsp of chia/buckwheat/hemp cereal for a little nutritional boost.
I’m so happy that you both enjoyed them! And I love your addition. They sound even better that way! Thanks so much for the feedback and the rating. :)
I love that these don’t have refined sugar in them AND are wheat-free. Made them for my parents/sister this weekend and we LOVED them. My question is: have you ever baked these as muffins? I’d love to make these ahead and have them be portable.
I’m so happy that you all enjoy them, Diana! I haven’t baked these as muffins because I think that they’d be kind of dense. Or do you mean to just pour a tiny bit in each muffin cup so you’d have something like silver dollar pancakes? That sounds fun and might work! I do have a grain-free chocolate banana muffin recipe coming in the next week or so that you may want to check back for. ;) Thanks so much for your feedback!
I decided to just go for it and try them out as muffins. I figured that pancakes are a quick bread and so are muffins so they should be somewhat compatible. I baked them at 375* for 12-15 minutes. It made 8-10ish muffins. I did add 1/4 c. of whole oats since my bananas seemed to make the batter extra wet this time. They are perfect and delicious. I will be making a triple batch asap! :) THANK YOU for making an easy recipe! It’s hard to find exactly what I want: wheat-free AND sugar-free that doesn’t have a list a mile-long of ingredients. I will DEFINITELY be checking back for your chocolate banana muffin recipe.
It actually worked?! That’s awesome. Good for you for trying it out! :) I’ll have to try it out now, too. I’m not sure if they’ll be sweet enough for me (I have quite the teeth tooth!) but it’s worth a try. Thanks so much for coming back to let me know that it worked out!
will these work without the milk? I’m thinking the batter will be too thick. I’m making them at lunch time anyway. i have not got any lime juice so can i use orange juice instead. I will let you know how they turn out.
I hope they turned out well, Joy! I’m a little confused because there’s no milk in this recipe. So you don’t need milk. :) This recipe has quite a few reviews and they’ve all been positive so no need to worry if you were thinking I had left off the milk from the ingredients. ;)
Hi erin! I just finished devouring these are they are to DIE for! Yummy! Scrumptious! And as the BFG would say:
SCRUM-DIDDLY-UMPTIOUS!
Yes, I thought you had left off the milk because most pancake recipes have milk in (as well as eggs). I still don’t know how it works without milk or some other biggish amount of liquid, but it does. So can you shed any light on that? Why is it liquidy when there is no 1/2 cup or one cup of milk to make it liquidy?
I made one little boo-boo though. The vanilla I used was vanilla concentrate and I think maybe that was too strong. Even if it was vanilla extract, I think I would still probably dilute it down. I am not accustomed to using large amounts of vanilla. As soon as I put the stated amount into the batter, I thought: “That’s ALOT of vanilla!” So you know what I’m going to do? I’m going to make pancakes again for dinner TODAY with the vanill adjusted because if they tasted so good with too much vanilla can you imagine how they wil taste when I put the amount I like in?!
Thanks for a SCRUM-DIDDLY-UMPTIOUS recipe!
I think I will use some ginger and cloves in it also (and I used orange juice because I did not have any lemon.
Ooh! A winter-time variation. Love it! :)
am gonna add raisins too! can u see I am smitten?! :-)
That sounds good, too! I love all the changes you’re making to the next batch. :)
Thank you for your comment! It really made me laugh. :D I’m so happy that it worked out. The batter gets its liquidy-ness from the bananas and the 2 eggs. That’s it! It seemed odd, I know but it works out. And haha. I personally thought 2 teaspoons of vanilla was on the low end. Maybe I need to make some new vanilla? ;) I hope you’ll enjoy the pancakes tonight in your reduced-vanilla version! :) Thanks again for the feedback and the rating!
I tired these again today, Erin, with ripe plantains. it was definitely delicious. This time i kept it KISS Keep it simple stupid). i didn’t bother with all the nuts raisins etc, but I had my lime juice this time. My mum loved them. I loved them. I know my nephew would have loved them too. (and I used our vanilla concentrate at 1/4 the bottle strength.) Is it not store bought vanilla that you used? Sounds like you made your own. . . ?? I will certainly be making these when I want something SCRUM-DIDDLY-UMPTIOUS to eat!
Wow! You’ve become a banana pancake expert. Awesome. :D I do make my own vanilla! We don’t have vanilla extract over here in Germany so I have to make my own. I buy a huge amount of beans off of eBay (quite cheaply!) and then just put the beans in vodka and let them soak. Thanks for coming back to let me know that the plantain version worked! :)
Hey, Erin,
it’s pancakes again tomorrow! Just using your recipe as is tomorrow. Dreaming about breakfast even as I go to bed. Hmm. I might get chased by a giant pancake in my sleep! :-)
Haha. As is? But that’s so boring! ;) I hope you’re sleeping well and that you enjoy your pancake breakfast! :)
No, yours are beautiful as is. Really! Once the original tastes fab, you have a platform to do other things with it, though. But what i did anyway, today, I added a spot of red wine (that we usually use in cakes) and a teeny spot of brandy and Jamaican white rum. I’m not supposed to have cinammon, so i ut cloves and ginger instead. and someone passed by the kitchen and when the first pancake went on and asked me if I was baking?! ha haa. i enjoyed those pancakes my friend!!
My goodness. Adding wine, brandy and rum to your pancakes! Someone had a fun morning, huh? :D But seriously – that sounds like an awesome variation! You know what you’ve inspired me to do? Try a chocolate variation! Not as exciting as your booze pancakes but something I think would work and be super yummy. Thanks for your comment! :)
Chocolate sounds yummy! I have seen a few choc pancakes online but never tried any. have you come across those that add a bit of swirly chocolate batter (or any different flavoured batter) in a swirl in the centre of the pancake before it is flipped? I have not tried any of those yet. – I have to cut down on the chocolate, though, have discovered raw cacao beans in the local market and we make choc drinks now aplenty – it’s chalking up the calories! :-) – let me know how the chocy ones go.
I’ve seen the cinnamon roll pancakes but not like what you’re talking about! Going to go look for some. :) I’ll let you know how the chocolate ones go! I was hoping to just add cocoa powder but I’m guessing they won’t be sweet enough without some added sweetener, which is kind of a downer.
Oh, you got to live a little! A bit of honey won’t hurt, will it? Or even just some extra bananas? I guess as long as you don’t go overboard on the sweetners everyday that should be okay, no? I know what you mean, though because once you make something and it tastes good there is the temptation to make it tooooo often! 9I have gone through a bottle of olive oil so quickly with all my pancake making in recent times . . .
Haha. But I DO go overboard with the sweeteners every day. For every recipe I post, I bake about 5 other things that weren’t worth posting. So… lots of sugar. ;) But you’re right! A tablespoon or two of honey won’t hurt here. Thanks so much for the idea! And sorry about your disappearing olive oil. At least it’s healthy. :D Hope you’re having a great weekend!
Hi Erin,
your pancakes are on the menu again tomorrow! I’m am experimenting with soaking the oat flour overnight to see how they come out . . .been getting into kefir and all things fermented lately . . .
Oh my. That sounds interesting! I’d love to hear how that comes out. :) I tried the kefir thing for a few weeks but gave up after a while. Now I just buy it when I remember and use it in my smoothies. And I’d love to eat more fermented foods! I don’t like vegetables so I tried making fermented apple sauce once and it just got moldy. So I gave up again. Tsk tsk. I hope you have a lot more luck! :)
I just made these pancakes for dinner, they are sooooo yummmy!!
I have celiacs and my son has dairy allergy….so these pancakes
Were just perfect for us!!!!
Thank you so much!!!
I’m so happy that you both liked them! :) It must be difficult to find yummy recipes that the both of you can enjoy. Thanks a ton for the feedback!
Wow…. Just made these after finding the recipe on pintrest. I’m in LOVE! Hearty but moist. A keeper!!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed them! I made them again today and had forgotten how good they were. Especially with a little chocolate chips sprinkled on top. ;) Thanks so much for the feedback and the rating!
Been wanting to give these a try after I happened to see this recipe on pinterest about two weeks ago, finally made them tonight and I love them! I can’t wait to spread some peanut butter on them and eat them tomorrow morning for breakfast (even though I had to ‘test’ them a couple times while making them tonight), definitely will be a keeper. Healthy & yum, you can’t beat it. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
I’m so happy that you liked the pancakes, Stephanie! And hey, testing them is mandatory. You have to know what you’re getting yourself into. ;) Thanks a ton for the feedback and the rating!
These pancakes are AMAZING!!! I have been looking for a good gluten free pancake recipe, and this one fits the bill perfectly! Thank you so much for posting this!! My dad is very picky about his pancakes, and he loved them too! :)
I’m so happy that you and your dad enjoyed the pancakes! That’s great. :) Thanks so much for the feedback and the rating!
Amamzing!!! I added flax seed amd topped it off with strawberriess and hazelnut butter!!
Mmm! That sounds awesome! So happy that you liked the pancakes. Thanks for the feedback and the rating! :)
These sound delicious! But aren’t oats not gluten free except for steel cut oats? Is that what you use?
Hi, Caryn! All oats are naturally gluten-free but they get contaminated during processing. You can buy regular rolled oats that are labelled as gluten-free. There’s a link to them in the notes section of the recipe. You could also read this about gluten-free oats. :) The Oat Conundrum: Are Oats Gluten-Free? I hope you can try the pancakes! :)
I’m a fan! No, change that. WE are HUGE fans. Best GF recipe for pancakes ever. Light. Moist. Flavorful. Makes me wonder why we would ever want flour pancakes again.
Aww, yay! I’m so happy that you enjoyed the pancakes! Thank you SO much for the feedback and the rating. :)
These are BY FAR the best gluten-free pancake recipe I’ve ever tried. My boyfriend and I loved themI Thank you!! We toped them with sugar-free apple sauce and some almond butter.
Wow, I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for the nice comment, Christine. :) Your topping sounds super yummy. I’ll have to try that next time! Thanks again. :)
We are a PANCAKE FAMILY. But we’ve also recently found out we’re gluten, soy, dairy and egg intolerant. What to do? Troll the web and find GREAT alternative recipes like yours. I made these pancakes this morning, just substituted chia seeds / water (3T ground chia + 3/4c. water) as an egg substitute and we’re in business. My fussy pancake lovers deemed them GREAT. I’ll be making another batch soon. Thanks so much – we’ll be trying many of your other GF recipes – I DO love to bake too!
Oh, I’m so happy to hear that the pancakes came out well for you! That you were able to make them egg-free is amazing. And great that your fussy eaters liked them, too! Thanks so much for the rating and feedback. :)
We love making different pancakes around here, and this is a great healthy alternative. I don’t have to feel guilty about giving them to my son before school. Plus the pb and choc on top is a great touch (even if just meant to look pretty)
Thanks, Erin! :) And yeah… despite these being gluten-free, they’re amazing! I know your son will love them. :)
This pancake recipe sounds amazing! I recently learnt that I should be avoiding wheat for certain health issues. I was pretty crushed since I love baking so much. Haven’t totally given up on it (yet) but am experimenting with alternatives. Love to see some inspiration here that doesn’t require weird things like rice flour with xanthan gum.
Just wheat or gluten in general? I have tons of GF recipes and none of them use weird stuff like rice flour and xanthan gum. Only nut flours. :D I hope the wheat thing is just a temporary thing!
I guess it is gluten in general. I am definitely going to look for lots of inspiration in your archives. Right now I am still in a testing-phase – going gluten-free apparently only helps some people with (skin) condition. It’s worth a try.
I was so excited to see that you posted another pancake recipe where as you like them non bready like I do and this one was as delicious as all your other pancake recipes. In order to save time in the morning I made the batter the night before but didn’t realize that of course the oat flour would turn it into an oatmeal consistency the next day, but that was o.k. because it just made them easier to flip where as they were thicker and oh my goodness, they taste like your heavenly banana bread in pancake form! Loved the spices and the texture the oats gave them. Thanks Erin!
Sorry for my slow reply, Heather! I’m so happy that you liked the pancakes. :) I’ll have to try it your way (with making the batter the night before) and see which way I prefer. I’d love to make the batter the night before and have my husband actually cook the pancakes. He gets up much earlier than I do so that would be amazing! Thanks so much for the feedback and the rating, too. :)
Made a fresh double batch today Erin and the finished product isn’t dramatically different from making it up the night before. I’m sure Mr. T wouldn’t mind making breakfast:)
Oh, thanks for experimenting and letting me know! That tip will most definitely come in handy. :)
These look amazing, Erin! Sigh, I love bananas!!
These look incredible Erin! So moist and gorgeous… stuffed with goodness too! I love eating things that are both delicious and good for my body. Thanks for providing such a gorgeous pancake alternative (now I’ve got Jack Johnson in my head!) xx