3-Ingredient Banana Pancakes

This 3-ingredient banana pancake recipe is healthy and easy to make. It's family friendly, tooโ€”babies, kids and adults love these pancakes!

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3-ingredient banana pancake recipe

Perhaps the world needs more banana pancakes. Yes, thatโ€™s exactly what weโ€™re missing. Yes, thatโ€™s what Iโ€™m telling myself right now. This thirteen-year-old (!) recipe website already has several banana pancake recipes, each wonderful in its own way, and here I am with another.

My whole wheat banana pancakes are so nice and fluffy. Myย banana oat pancakes are tender and flavorful with oatmeal-like interiors. This blender oatmeal pancake recipe yields an all-around great pancake thatโ€™s less banana-y than the others. I even have banana waffle recipesโ€”whole wheat and oat-basedโ€”those are great, too.

These are the banana pancakes Iโ€™m making most often at the moment. They are the quickest and simplest pancakes by far, with only three ingredients at the core: mashed banana, eggs and whole-grain flour (you have several flour options here). I often add cinnamon and hemp hearts or flaxseeds, but even then, they require fewer ingredients than the other recipes.

banana pancake ingredients

Nutritionally, these banana pancakes are as healthy as pancakes can be. Theyโ€™re significantly lower in carbohydrates than the other recipes, and slightly higher in protein. Thatโ€™s a win! Although they donโ€™t taste as much like a treat as the other recipes, theyโ€™re truly very nice.

These pancakes are easy to throw together in the morning while Grace toddles around the kitchen. She loves them and I feel good about them. So, these banana pancakes are definitely baby-friendly and kid-friendly. These simple pancakes are for everyone!

slicing into banana pancakes

Healthy Banana Pancake Notes

I tried two-ingredient banana pancakes a long time ago (banana and egg only) and found nothing to like about themโ€”theyโ€™re much too wet and eggy. Frankly, youโ€™re better off eating scrambled eggs with a side of banana. Adding a little flour makes all the difference with these pancakes.

Flour options include whole wheat flour, buckwheat flour or oat flour. They work equally well. Buckwheat flour has the most bold flavor, while whole wheat is the most subtle. Oat flour is hearty and offers a light oatmeal-like flavor. For gluten-free pancakes, choose certified gluten-free buckwheat or oat flour.

The eggs in this recipe are essential. Flax eggs will not work in this recipe. Do not attempt or you will end up with sad banana-flax mush. I know because I tried.

Use overripe bananas for this recipe. Ideally, they have at least a few brown spots. Overripe bananas are sweeter and impart more banana flavor.

Dial down the heat as you cook these pancakes. Most pancakes contain some sugar, which not only makes the pancakes sweeter but also helps prevent them from burning as they cook. Since these pancakes are entirely naturally sweetened with bananas (no added sweetener, not even maple syrup), they are especially sensitive to heat. If you notice that your pancakes are turning too golden brown on the outside before the insides are cooked, the skillet has become too hot.

Watch How to Make 3-Ingredient Banana Pancakes

Nutritious Mix-In Options & Serving Suggestions

These banana pancakes are very good in their most simple form, containing only banana, egg and flour. If youโ€™d like to boost the flavor or nutrition, add any of the following:

  • Ground cinnamon: I always add cinnamon because I love the flavor.
  • Hemp hearts and/or ground flaxseed: Both offer healthy fat and fiber.
  • Unsweetened shredded coconut: You could stir a couple tablespoons into the batter. Youโ€™ll get even better toasted flavor if you sprinkle a little coconut over the uncooked side of the pancake before flipping.
  • Chopped walnuts or pecans: Stir a sprinkle of chopped nuts into the pancake batter for a nutty flavor and some crunch.
  • Fresh blueberries: Stir in up to 3/4 cup fresh blueberries.
  • Chocolate chips: Stir in up to 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Choose semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips for less added sugar.
  • Pinch of salt: I donโ€™t think youโ€™ll miss it, but a little bit of salt should amp up the overall flavor. Use up to 1/4 teaspoon.

For serving our daughter, I often add a light spread of runny almond butter sprinkled with hemp hearts or a pat of butter. I like them that way myself!

For more of a breakfast treat, try a spread of peanut butter, nut butter or Greek yogurt for protein, plus banana slices or fresh berries and a drizzle of maple syrup or honey.

More Banana Breakfast Recipes

Please let me know how your banana pancakes turn out in the comments! I love hearing from you.

stack of easy banana pancakes

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3-Ingredient Banana Pancakes

  • Author: Cookie and Kate
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings
  • Diet: Vegetarian

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.6 from 116 reviews

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These 3-ingredient banana pancakes are healthy and so easy to make. This recipe is family friendly as wellโ€”babies, kids and adults alike love these pancakes. Yields 8 pancakes (each about 4 inches in diameter, enough for 2 to 4 servings).

Ingredients

  • 2 medium-to-large ripe bananas
  • 4 large eggs
  • ยฝ cup whole wheat flour or buckwheat flour or โ…” cup oat flour
  • Optional flavor/nutrition boosters: ยฝ teaspoon ground cinnamon, up to 2 tablespoons hemp hearts and/or ground flaxseed, up to ยผ teaspoon salt
  • Butter, avocado oil or ghee, for cooking

Instructions

  1. In a medium mixing bowl, mash the banana with a large fork until itโ€™s shiny and mostly smooth. Add the eggs and whisk until the eggs are evenly incorporated into the banana.
  2. Add the flour and any optional boosters. Gently stir until combined. Set aside while you preheat the skillet (the batter can rest for up to 1 hour if need be).
  3. Heat a large skillet (stainless steel, cast iron or nonstick) over medium-low heat (if using an electric griddle, heat it to 350 degrees Fahrenheit). Youโ€™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 a pat of butter or oil, carefully wiping up excess with a paper towel (nonstick surfaces likely wonโ€™t require any oil).
  4. Scoop ยผ cup batter onto the hot skillet, leaving a couple of inches around each pancake for expansion. Cook until small bubbles form on the surface of the pancakes, 2 to 3 minutes.
  5. Flip the pancakes, then cook until lightly golden on both sides, 1 to 2 minutes more. Repeat the process with the remaining batter, adding more butter and dialing down the heat if the pancakes are turning dark on the outside before they are cooked through on the inside.
  6. Serve immediately or keep warm in a 200 degree Fahrenheit oven. Leftover pancakes can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or frozen in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. To reheat, stack leftover pancakes and wrap them in a paper towel before gently reheating in the microwave.

Notes

Make it gluten free: Use certified gluten-free oat flour or buckwheat flour.

Nutrition

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionistโ€™s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.

Kate and Cookie

HELLO, MY NAME IS

Kathryne Taylor

I'm a vegetable enthusiast, dog lover, mother and bestselling cookbook author. I've been sharing recipes here since 2010, and I'm always cooking something new in my Kansas City kitchen. Cook with me!

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Comments

  1. Margot

    Worked really well, added the cinnamon, salt and some hemp and flax (prob only 1 tbs total), and about 2 tbs ground pecans (wholewheat flour though for the official flour), and 3 XL instead of 4 L eggs. Ate plain. Easy and tasty for a quick breakfast with husband and 2-yo. Thanks!

  2. Brenda S Bratton

    So glad I found you! LOVE your recipes. And, Im going to try this one soon. Since its just the 2 of us, can these pancakes be frozen? Thank you for all the great recipes.

    1. Cookie and Kate

      Hi Brenda, yes these pancakes are perfect for freezing.

  3. Joelle Fawcett-Arsenault

    These turned out very egg-y and mushy in the centre. I added more oat flour to no avail. My kids will not eat these :(

  4. Bri

    For the flower, I used a quarter cup whole wheat flour and a quarter cup of vegan vanilla protein powder โ€“ AMAZING!!!

    Thank you for sharing your recipes. I just adore your site!!!!

    1. Cookie and Kate

      Hi Bri, thanks for sharing your experience adding protein powder. Iโ€™m glad you enjoyed the recipe!