Fluffy Banana Pancakes (gf, df, & sf)
My healthy banana pancake recipe!! Where do I even start? These banana pancakes are FAMOUS among my friends and family, and there’s a reason why. Actually, there’s quite a few, but I’ll summarize them for you: they’re thick, incredibly fluffy, the batter is gluten-free, dairy-free, and sugar-free, they’re naturally sweet from the banana, can be ready in less than 15 minutes, and they’re infinitely customizable to whatever you like. Seriously, they’re like a fluffy blank canvas waiting to be filled.
Here are two examples of some of my favorite flavor combinations:
Apple Harvest
Flavor
Fluffy banana pancake stack, apples cooked in sugar-free maple syrup, cinnamon & vanilla, sliced almonds for some crunch, & a final pinch of cinnamon & syrup on top.
Blueberry Muffin Flavor
Fluffy banana pancake stack, with juicy blueberries cooked inside the batter, topped with more fresh blueberries, a maple greek yogurt sauce, crunchy almond slices, & a dash of cinnamon.
See what I mean? Infinite possibilities!
Other flavors I loooooove include: sticky toffee banana pancakes with an almond butter toffee sauce, carrot cake banana pancakes with a maple cream cheese icing, and the easy but oh-so-delicious chocolate chip banana pancake stack, made with sugar-free dark chocolate. Btw, all of these are also gluten-free and refined-sugar free! Yay!! (Let me know if you’d like a recipe for any of these too!)
These pancakes are a testament that eating healthy does not have to be bland or boring!! I’ve been having these pancakes once a week for eight years now, and they NEVER get old. I literally go to bed dreaming of them the night before, and I guarantee you will too, once you make them :)
If you make them, please DM me a pic on instagram @vanillabeandiaries ! I’d love to see how it turns out. Xoxo <3
Fluffy Banana Pancakes (gf, df, sf)
*serves 1, makes 3 small pancakes
Ingredients
For the pancakes:
1 very ripe banana*, cold from the fridge
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
50 g oat flour
2 tsp chia seeds, optional**
2 tsp coconut oil, butter, or any neutral-tasting oil
Creamy almond butter, for serving
1/4 cup strawberries and/or blueberries, for serving
Sugar-free maple syrup or honey, for serving
*After many years of making these, I’ve found having the banana be cold can help make the batter a little bit thicker, and the pancakes fluffier. I store my ripe bananas in the fridge anyway, but if you don’t, you could pop one in overnight. However, if you don’t want to wait for your bananas to get cold, the pancakes will still turn out yummy.
** Apart from adding in fiber and being really good for you, chia seeds will actually help you get taller and fluffier pancakes, as they make the batter thicker by absorbing some of the liquid in it. If you are using chia seeds, I recommend you don’t skip the 10 minute rest in the fridge.
Instructions
1) To make the batter, peel your banana, break it in half, and to a food processor (a blender works too!). Process for about 1 minute, just until smooth. Then, add in your egg and vanilla, and process again for 1 minute, to try to incorporate a little bit of air.
2) Add the cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and oat flour to your food processor, and pulse until the flour has just incorporated. Don’t overmix! We want the batter to remain as fluffy as possible. Scrape down the sides of your processor, add the chia seeds, and blend again for 10 seconds.
3) Place the lid on your food processor/blender, and put the batter in the fridge for 10 minutes, while you set the table and prep your toppings. I’ve found this extra step makes the pancakes a bit thicker and fluffier.
4) Preheat a large nonstick pan over medium- low for 1-2 minutes. Add your coconut oil and spread it evenly over the surface of the pan. Using a cookie scoop or a regular spoon, divide your batter into three and scoop it onto the preheated pan, forming three small pancakes. Cook until the edges are set and when you peek underneath with the help of a spatula, you see that the bottom is a nice, golden brown color, 3-4 minutes. Lower the heat if necessary, and flip your pancakes gently and carefully, so as to not deflate them. Cook for another 3-4 minutes on the other side.
5) As soon as the pancakes are done cooking, turn off the heat and stack them on a plate. Drizzle almond butter on top and in between the layers, top with a handful of berries, and drizzle with maple syrup (or honey). Serve hot and enjoy!
