Banana Oat Pancakes
This fluffy banana oat pancake recipe is made with 100% oat flour, so it's gluten free. These pancakes are a delicious, healthy and easy-to-make breakfast.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 30, 2024
Good morning! I’m sitting cross-legged on my hotel bed in San Antonio, next to a big window overlooking the Tower of Americas. It’s so cloudy I can barely see the top of it. The fog in my head is slowly lifting as I sip on my cup of coffee, and I just scraped the last bits of my “all natural, super premium” (what does that mean?) instant oatmeal off the sides of its disposable cup with a plastic fork. It’s not bad.
That oatmeal and these photos of fluffy banana pancakes take me back to last Saturday, when I took my time making breakfast, with Cookie by my feet. Cookie loves bananas almost as much as she loves cheese, did you know that? I couldn’t resist making her twirl around on her back feet for bites of banana. Sometimes I think she escaped from the circus, that dog.
These banana pancakes are a little more time consuming than the average from-scratch pancakes, but my oh my, was my work rewarded on my lazy Saturday morning. After making, photographing and fending the cakes from Cookie, I sat down and slid the side of my grandmother’s old fork through three layers of the most creamy, fluffy, heavenly sweet pancakes I have ever tasted.
To my pleasant surprise, I realized that the pancakes inherited oatmeal’s creamy texture thanks to the oat flour, and that the bananas contributed such a lovely, natural sweetness that they hardly needed any syrup. I topped my banana pancakes with sliced banana, toasted coconut flakes and a drizzle of maple syrup, but peanut butter or coconut butter would be a natural fit as well.
So reward yourself after a hard week of work with these banana pancakes while you sip on some freshly brewed coffee from your own mug. You deserve it!
Gluten-Free Banana Oat Pancakes
These fluffy banana oat pancakes are a deliciously healthy, naturally sweetened breakfast for lazy mornings. The recipe is made with 100% oat flour instead of wheat flour, so it’s gluten free, as well as dairy free. Recipe yields about 8 pancakes.
Ingredients
- 1 cup oat flour*
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Scant 1 ¼ cup mashed bananas (about 3 small bananas, mashed, or 9.5 ounces)
- 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter or coconut oil, plus more for cooking
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 eggs
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the oat flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
- In a small mixing bowl, stir together the mashed bananas, melted butter, maple syrup, and lemon juice. Add the eggs and whisk until blended. (If your butter or oil goes back to its solid state like mine did at this point, just warm the mixture for short 15-second bursts in the microwave, stirring between each, until it is melted again.)
- Form a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. With a big spoon, stir just until the dry ingredients are thoroughly moistened. Do not overmix!
- Let the batter rest for 10 minutes to give it time to thicken. If you’re using an electric griddle, heat it to 350 degrees Fahrenheit now. Otherwise, you can wait a few minutes before heating your skillet.
- Warm a large skillet (stainless steel or nonstick) over medium-low heat. You’re ready to start cooking pancakes once a drop of water sizzles on contact with the hot surface. If necessary, lightly oil the cooking surface with oil or butter, carefully wiping up excess with a paper towel (nonstick surfaces likely won’t require any oil).
- Scoop ¼ cup batter onto the hot skillet, leaving a couple of inches around the pancake for expansion. Cook until small bubbles form on the surface of the pancake and the underside is golden, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Flip the pancake, then cook until lightly golden on both sides, 1 to 2 more minutes. Repeat the process with the remaining batter, adding more butter and dialing down the heat if the pancakes turn dark on the outside before they’re cooked through on the inside.
- Serve immediately or keep warm in a 200 degree Fahrenheit oven. Leftover pancakes can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or frozen for up to 3 months. To reheat, stack leftover pancakes and wrap them in a paper towel before gently reheating in the microwave.
Notes
Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking.
Make it gluten free: These pancakes are gluten-free, so long as you used certified gluten-free oat flour or certified gluten-free old-fashioned oats.
*How to make your own oat flour: To make oat flour out of old-fashioned oats, simply pour one cup of oats into a food processor and process until it looks like fine sand. See pictures here.
Preparation tips: This whole grain batter is thicker than most, so it’s more difficult to gauge when the pancakes are ready to flip. I learned that it’s easier to go by the timer: set it for 2 minutes for the first side, then gently check underneath to see if it’s golden (if not, wait up to 1 more minute). Flip and wait another 90 seconds for the other side to finish. The time will vary depending on your temperature setting and subsequent pancakes will cook more quickly, but that’s about the time it should take.
Freeze it: These pancakes freeze well. (I’ve never met a pancake that doesn’t.) Commenter Megan had good luck making the batter the night before, refrigerating it overnight, and proceeding with the recipe the next morning (add a splash of milk to thin out the batter).
Make it dairy free: Use coconut oil instead of butter.
Make it egg free: Replace the eggs with flax eggs (I’ve heard this works well from other commenters, but haven’t had a chance to try myself).
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
I just finished making these pancakes for probably the 10th time. I love them and I always make a double batch because they are great to have in the fridge for a quick and easy snack for my kids. Thank you!
So glad to hear it, Sarah! Thank you!
wow, delish! Last night (Sunday night) I saw this recipe and thought I’ll be having this for tomorrow’s breakfast. And indeed I did. Soooooo tasty! Even without the syrup, it’s delicious. Too bad I’m late for work. Haha!
Thanks, Kristine! And two thumbs’ up for taking the time to eat breakfast before work!
Made these twice in the last week – my new go to pancake recipe. The second time was out of eggs but had success using ground flax mixed with water as an egg substitute. Was just thinking about trying to sub pumpkin for banana next time but stumbled across your pumpkin oat pancake recipe today, definitely going to try it on for size. Thanks for sharing!
Really glad to hear it! Thank you, Rebecca!
It sounds Delicious. Its a amazing pancake. Thank you Kate for sharing this recipe. but i would like to ask you something is it possible to make it without eggs ? or we can replace eggs with something else ?
Hi Smith! I’ve heard that flax eggs work well here.
These are fantastic! Hold together well and have great flavor. :)
Thank you, Anne!
These pancakes are so delicious!
I am in the middle of finishing my breakfast and I just needed to post a comment before i could finish. These pancakes taste so good. I made them last night and stored them in the fridge. This morning, I popped them in the toaster for a couple minutes and topped them with raspberries and chopped up apple. I also left out any extra sweeteners (bananas are sweet enough!) and i also sprinkled some seeds and cacao nibs onto the pancakes before i flipped them so they would toast a little. I will definately be making these in place of my usual pancake mix.
Thanks for sharing!
Awesome! Thanks, Haly!
Kate, you are a delight to read; I get such pleasure from your very sensible choices and the fun you have and allow Cookie to do.
With all your essential tasting, I’m amazed to see you looking always so healthy and beautiful. Bravo! and thanks. Gabrielle
I just have to say, I made these today and added some fresh lavender. They were brilliant!!!
Hooray! Thanks, Trina!
I made these a few weeks ago and they were SO good. I left out the teaspoon of honey and they were plenty sweet. Making them again this weekend. They freeze well.
Thank you, Terri!
Just made these for my son. Added some homemade candied strawberry slices I made to the mix. Turned out delicious, and my 6-year old picky eater, had no objections at the dinner table.
Thanks, Aileen! Glad your picky eater approved!
I have made a TON of gluten-free/paleoish pancakes over the last couple of years and these are definitely my FAVORITE!! Thank you for this amazing recipe!! Have you ever tried to make it into muffins? The other muffin recipes on your site look so tempting but I haven’t seen any other gluten-free ones. These pancakes were so good, I wonder if I could throw them in a muffin tin and hope for the best. I might try next time I make a batch!
That’s so great to hear, Marie! I haven’t tried turning these into muffins, but someone told me that they make good banana bread when baked in a loaf pan, so I think muffins might turn out well, too! Please let me know if you give it a shot!
Can I use apple cider vinegar instead of the lemon juice?
Yes, that should work great!
These were so good my 5 year old begged me to make a second batch. Since she is my main picky eater and underweight I will probably be making these a lot…with chocolate chips of course. And, I threw all ingredients in the vitamin and they were perfect. I even started with oat groats instead of flour and it took less than ten minutes start to finish.
Glad to hear it, Katie!
These are delicious! My kids, ages 2 and 4, ask me to make them all the time. And, they freeze really well, so I always make a big batch.
Thank you, Erica! Glad to hear it!
I can’t wait to try this! Its so hard to find tasty gluten free pancakes. The pictures you took look so good. Thank you for this recipe.
Hope they turn out great for you, Amea!
THESE ARE AMAZING!!! I added 2 tbsp chia seeds to the batter then topped my waffles with fresh sliced strawberries and a organic maple syrup glaze. Absolutely delicious, fluffy, crispy, and I have 4 left over in the freezer. Seriously if you haven’t made these, make them!!! I am definitely trying the banana oat pancakes tomorrow :)
Katie I accidentally posted my comment about your oat waffles on here yesterday! Oopsie! But, I just made the banana oat pancakes and omg my taste buds are exploding! My daughters are calling them “banana bread pancakes” :) Thank you for your amazing recipes, I look forward to trying more!
DELICIOUS!!!! Will definitely make again.
Don’t mind me, I’m just a little late to the party (yes, 4 years late). Just made these this morning…yum! I made a peanut butter topping by warming PB and almond milk with a little honey. Divine!
Made these last night to have for breakfast. My husband and I had quite a few when they were fresh. Next time, I’m doubling the recipe. Thank you!
I made these delicious pancakes following your directions exactly, including pulverizing oatmeal into oat flour. Delicious with a hearty texture. Great recipe!
***** Love these pancakes. Have been making them weekly since I discovered the recipe a couple of months ago. Have also made your Pumpkin pancakes–an equally yummy fall breakfast treat.
I don’t find the need to butter my griddle & I cook mine approx. 8 minutes per side–with those exceptions, I make them just as directed. Thank you Kate for an addition to my breakfast rotations!
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE this recipe. I make it often my husband and 2 year old love them! I love the fact that they have great, healthy ingredients and perfect to satisfy that sweet craving. Thank you for sharing!
I love this recipe sooo much! Surprised my mom with a breakfast in bed, and served her this. She absolutely loved it! Thank you so much for this! I think I’ll never get sick of eating this! Been making this thing every Saturday with my mum and we never get tired of it!
These are delicious banana pancakes which happen to be gluten free AND dairy free. Love them with sliced banana, toasted coconut crumbles with maple syrup drizzle. Lovely set up! Thank you!!
These are my go-to pancakes! I’ve made almost all of your pancake recipes (apple oatmeal, whole wheat gingerbread, blueberry lemon yogurt), but these are my favorite. They come out perfect every time, and I always have these ingredients on hand. Please keep up with the awesome, never fail recipes, and I’m so excited for your cook book to come out.
I made these for breakfast on Sunday morning and they were phenomenal. Had a relatively intense/long athletic event that afternoon and needed something to eat that would stick with me until dinner. I ate the entire recipe (did cut back slightly on the bananas and subbed with some unsweetened applesauce for a little less sugar) and it was exactly what I needed. Excellent pre-game meal with a mix of slow-releasing carbs from the oats and protein from the eggs. I ate this 4hrs before tip-off and performed at peak with no cramping, bloating or hunger during (or immediately) after the 2hr event. Highly recommend as a well-rounded meal for athletes pre-competition (do allow a few hours for digestion). Thanks for a great go-to recipe, Kate!
Creamy and fluffy, I’m in luv with these pancakes!! Thank you for sharing this recipe, it’s my favorite go to pancake recipe. It’s super easy and always add 1tbsp of coconut flakes to the batter.. it’s just delish! #hearteyes
After trying numerous gf pancake recipes over the past few years, my family has settled on these as our very favorite. I really appreciate that they only have a tiny bit of added sweetener (which I even leave out sometimes), yet they’re so delicious and satisfying! Excellent texture, too. Thanks for the great recipe!
these pancakes are amazing! I used vanilla extract instead of lemon and didn’t use eggs at all, the only difference not adding eggs did was make the batter thicker than it should be so I added probably a quarter cup of almond milk and it worked perfectly! I also added milled chia seeds and wheat germ as a source of fiber and protein and they don’t have an impact on the texture of the batter at all :) I’m going to make these again tomorrow I love them thanks for the recipe!
We tried it and loved it – it’s going to become a regular at our house!
I Love this this recipe its Amazing!
I had some left over do you think they would bake well as a muffin?
If so what temperature should i cook them in?
Amazing amazing pancakes! I’ve made them twice in the past week and my fiance and family have absolutely loved them. They can’t believe that it’s so healthy! They also keep you fuller for longer which is great because of the oats!
Made these for breakfast this morning. Looked for ‘banana’ recipes as I had about 8 over ripe ones. These were surprisingly good, I would definitely make them again. Thanks for a great recipe!!
My family loves these pancakes and my 2 year old son can’t get enough of them! I make small pancakes that are great little snacks for us on the go and he has fun helping me mix up the ingredients.
I made these for my parents yesterday and they were a hit! My dad enjoyed the oatmeal taste. And I loved that I barely needed any syrup because the bananas already added their now sweetness. In terms of number of servings, I think this recipe can serve about 3 people.
This is my favorite pancake recipe!! It is so very moist but has never come out “cakey”, which is something I often struggle with in pancake recipes. Although it takes some time to prepare, it is very simple. It is full of flavor, has such wonderful texture, and you can’t t get much healthier of a pancake. Thanks Kate!
I reluctantly had to go gluten free for my 5year old son, but boy have you made it easy! I am so glad I found your website, and I am honestly enjoying playing with and adapting your yummy recipes. My kids say a big thank you to you and Cookie from Lagos, Nigeria!
made them about 5 times …..absolutely love them ! our favorite
Awesome! Thanks, Hanna!
These pancakes are amazing!
The texture (and flavor) of these is what keeps me coming back, it’s just perfect.
We didn’t have honey or maple syrup so I just used a little brown sugar and they turned out great.
Thank you, Kathleen! I’m so glad you enjoyed these pancakes.
Hi Kate, these pancakes look amazing. Have you tried them with a chia seed substitute for the eggs? My daughter can’t have eggs. Thanks!
These are by far the best gluten-free pancakes I’ve found since going GF six months ago. Thank you!
These were just phenominal! My 4 year old who only wants Daddy to make her pancakes, reluctantly took a bite and proceeded to devour the whole thing. Then took the last two and packaged them up herself to take to school with her. I think mostly because they might be gone by the time she got home, and she’d be right about that. She loves oat bran so that’s what I usually have in the house and it worked great in the recipe. Thank you!
These are SOOO delicious and toddler approved! This is my son’s new favorite breakfast and so healthy! Thank you! :)
Oh, glad your little one loves ’em so much! You’re welcome, Jenn :)
Do you think this recipe would work on a waffle maker?
I came on here to ask the same thing! I ended up just winging it, added an extra 2T of butter and about 1t of maple (to help caramelize) and they turned out beautifully!
I’m using one of those Dash mini waffle makers, which seemed to undercook the oat waffle recipe on this site, but these turned out perfect. That said, if you’re using a normal waffle maker, maybe check on them a little earlier than usual to see if the cook time needs to be adjusted.
Typically, waffles need more oil and sugar than pancakes (so they turn out nice and crispy). I have been meaning to develop a banana oat flour waffle, so I will move that on up my list!
Best. Pancakes. Ever. I substituted allspice for nutmeg and added a bit of vanilla, didn’t have lemon either. I topped it with almond butter and syrup. Telling all my friends about these! :)
Easy and seriously delicious. We used two large bananas to hit the 1.25 cup mark.
Really felt lighter and easier to digest than a more flour-heavy pancake. Our 1-yr old loved them too. Thanks!
Wonderful! I’m so glad everyone enjoyed them.
Recipe looks great, but I am leaving this page – the video ads are really annoying and there is no way to stop them from replaying over and over. I’d rethink my advertising!
I’m so sorry you had that experience on my site, Erin. The video ad helps pay my bills, but I don’t allow it to play sound automatically—if that was happening, it shouldn’t have been!
I was super excited to try these because I’m eliminating wheat from my diet but they did not work out at all. I was wondering if there is a typo in the recipe. It doesn’t call for any liquid, except “you may want to thin out the batter with milk or water.” My batter was so thick it was more like peanut butter consistency. I added a 1/4 C of milk and I did a trial pancake. It was still way too thick, took more than 3minutes (more like 4-5) before I could flip it and then more than 90 seconds to be done on the second side. Even still, it was raw in the middle. I continued to add milk and make trial pancakes and never got it to work out. When there was enough milk to make it the consistency of a thick pancake batter, they didn’t hold together and wouldn’t flip. Me and my family were super bummed because the flavor of the little cooked edge pieces we tried were delicious. I’d love thoughts on how I could make these work. Thanks!
Hi Rebecca, I’m so sorry they didn’t turn out right for you. The recipe is correct as written, although I will say that gluten-free recipes are a bit more finicky by nature. I’m not sure why your batter was super thick—any chance you used baking powder instead of baking soda? Also, I use the “spoon and swoop” method for measuring flour—spoon the flour into the cup, then level it with a knife. If you scoop the flour instead, you could end up with substantially more which could explain the thick batter.
My top choice for a comforting Sunday breakfast. Who am I kidding? For everyday’s breakfast! I add shredded coconut or dried cranberries for a twist ;) the cooking time suggestion of 3 min & 90 secs works perfectly every time. Sooooo delicious! Thank you Kate!