Banana Pancakes
These fluffy banana pancakes are truly the best way to start your day! A short list of ingredients and quick cooking time makes them doable for a weekday—or make a batch on the weekend and freeze them for later!
While I’ve always loved banana pancakes (and vegan pancakes in general!), I’ve come to appreciate them even more now that I’m a mom. Oatmeal can be a mess, cereal is perfect for throwing onto the floor, but pancakes? They’re a total toddler favourite AND the potential for disaster is very low. Of course, in addition to being kid-friendly, these banana pancakes will make a believer out of you too. They’re light, fluffy, and full of banana flavour!
Why I Am ALL About These Banana Pancakes
Here’s why I’ve been making these vegan banana pancakes again and again (and again) lately.
- So thick and fluffy. Just look at the photos! These banana pancakes are incredibly light, fluffy, and thick—exactly what you want in a pancake. You don’t even need eggs or a vegan egg substitute to get this fantastic texture!
- Easy to make. With a short and sweet list of ingredients, an easy process, and a quick cooking time, these pancakes are perfect for busy mornings or lazy weekends.
- Customisable. Add your favourite toppings and mix-ins to make this recipe your own!
Notes on Ingredients
Most of the ingredients you’ll need are probably things you already have on hand. Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
- Mashed banana – A few small lumps are fine, but it should be mostly smooth.
- Flour – You can swap in a 1:1 gluten-free flour to make these banana pancakes gluten-free.
- Baking powder
- Cinnamon
- Sea salt
- Plant-based milk – Any kind you like is fine as long as it’s unsweetened and unflavoured.
- Light brown sugar – Or coconut sugar for a less processed option.
- Vanilla extract
- Melted coconut oil – Or use avocado or another neutral-flavoured oil.
How to Make Banana Pancakes
You’ll find the printable recipe card and full instructions for these banana pancakes at the bottom of the page. This is only a short overview so you have visuals of the process!
- Mix the wet ingredients. Whisk the mashed bananas, plant milk, sugar, vanilla, and oil until combined.
- Combine the dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in another bowl.
- Finish the batter. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until combined.
- Preheat the pan. Heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat, then grease it with oil or butter.
- Cook the pancakes. Add 1/4 cup of batter to the pan for each pancake. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then flip and cook the other side for 1 to 2 minutes more.
- Serve. Plate the pancakes and serve with your favourite toppings.
Tips for Success
There’s not much to making these banana pancakes, but these additional pointers will help make sure they turn out perfect.
- Keep them warm. To keep the first few pancakes as warm and toasty as the last few, place the pancakes on a baking sheet in a 200ºF oven after you’ve finished cooking them.
- Don’t overmix. To ensure fluffy pancakes, be sure to only mix the batter until just combined. Overmixing can result in dense and tough pancakes.
- Adjust the heat on the stove if needed. If your pancakes are cooking too quickly or burning on the outside before the inside is set, lower the heat on the stove. It’s common for this to happen once you’ve made a few batches and the pan is quite hot.
Variations
- Add chocolate chips. I like using mini chocolate chips if I’m mixing them into the batter. If I use regular size chocolate chips, I drop them onto the pancakes right after adding the batter to the pan to make sure they’re evenly distributed.
- Fruit. You can fold blueberries, strawberries, or even raspberries into the batter for added flavour and texture.
- Nuts. Chopped nuts like walnuts or pecans also make a great addition to these banana pancakes.
Serving Suggestions
Aside from all the standard toppings — vegan butter, maple syrup, coconut whipped cream, fresh fruit — these banana pancakes are also delicious with a drizzle of peanut butter (you can warm it in the microwave a bit so it can be drizzled). A side of tempeh bacon is perfect too!
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- Refrigerator: Leftover banana pancakes can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Freezer: Freeze the pancakes on a parchment-lined baking sheet until they’re solid, then transfer them to a freezer bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- To reheat: These banana pancakes can be warmed up directly from frozen and only need an extra minute or two of cooking time. Heat them in the microwave, your toaster oven, a regular oven at 350ºF, or in a skillet set over medium heat on the stovetop.
More Pancake Recipes
Enjoy friends! If you make this banana pancakes recipe, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!
Banana Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 ripe banana, medium-sized, mashed, 120g
- 1 cup flour, 120g
- ½ tablespoon baking powder, 7g
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon, 2.8g
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt, 1.5g
- ½ cup + 1 tablespoon plant-based milk, 135ml
- 1 tablespoons light brown sugar or coconut sugar, 12g
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 5ml
- 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil*, 30ml
Instructions
- Whisk together the mashed banana, plant based milk, sugar, vanilla extract, and oil in a mixing bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring until just combined. Do not overmix; some lumps are fine.
- Heat a non-stick skillet or griddle over medium heat. Lightly grease it with oil or vegan butter.
- Pour ¼ cup of batter onto the skillet for each pancake. Cook for 2-3 minutes until bubbles form on the surface and the edges look set. Flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes until golden brown.
- Stack the pancakes and serve with toppings like maple syrup, fresh fruit, vegan whipped cream, etc.
Notes
- *Use avocado or other neutral-flavoured oil if you don’t like coconut.
- Refrigerator: Leftover banana pancakes can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Freezer: Freeze the pancakes on a parchment-lined baking sheet until they’re solid, then transfer them to a freezer bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- To reheat: These banana pancakes can be warmed up directly from frozen and only need an extra minute or two of cooking time. Heat them in the microwave, your toaster oven, a regular oven at 350ºF, or in a skillet set over medium heat on the stovetop.
Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
Been using frozen stuff I put up last summer, so I used a thawed frozen banana, which is easy to mash…and made a topping with peaches. Nummy! Thanks for the great recipe. I usually use eggs, but lately…not so much!
Just yummy! I would recommend to everyone!