Serve up a balanced mix of complex carbs and protein with these delicious Banana Oatmeal Pancakes. Bonus: The leftovers reheat so well, and they’re delish with or without maple syrup.
Banana Oatmeal Pancakes
We tend to have very ripe bananas lingering on the shelf come the weekend, so I regularly turn them into these super yummy pancakes. Very ripe bananas are very sweet and add moisture to pancakes—as well as delicious flavor.
These healthy pancakes have a soft texture that’s easy for even little kids to chew, and they’re satisfying for adults, too.
And they’re great with my easy Caramelized Bananas.
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Protein Pancakes
These banana pancakes include whole grains from rolled oats, banana with its potassium and fiber, eggs with protein and fats that kids need for proper development, and whole grain flour. The method for making them is as simple as mashing the bananas and stirring the ingredients together!
While these don’t have protein powder, they do have plenty of protein to help fuel little bodies. The protein from the eggs and milk balances out the complex carbohydrates, and there’s about 10 grams per serving. This ensures that energy from this meal will last straight through the next snack or meal time.
TIP: These freeze really nicely for future meals!
Ingredients You Need
To make these Banana Oatmeal Pancakes, here’s a look at what you’ll need:
- Ripe medium bananas: Some brown spots indicate that the bananas are ripe, sweet, and flavorful.
- Whole wheat flour: This flour has fiber and whole grains and produces fluffy pancakes when combined with the rest of the ingredients.
- Rolled oats: I add oatmeal to the batter for extra fiber and whole grains. It blends right in, no blender needed.
- Baking powder: This helps ensure the pancakes fluff up nicely when cooking.
- Cinnamon
- Eggs: I use large eggs in this recipe. You can also use a store-bought egg replacer as needed for allergies.
- Milk: You can use dairy or nondairy milk.
- Vanilla extract
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s a quick look at the process involved in making these pancakes. Scroll down to the bottom of this post for the full recipe.
- Mash the bananas until very smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients to the bowl.
- Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl.
- Stir together gently but thoroughly.
- Drop ¼ cupfuls of batter onto a warm pan and cook until you see bubbles form around the edges.
- Flip and cook for a few additional minutes. Serve warm!
TIP: The oats soften in the batter and are fairly undetectable in the finished pancakes, which is a plus (as you probably know) with many kids.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can totally use buckwheat flour or a cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend instead of the whole wheat flour to make these gluten-free.
Absolutely, you can freeze leftovers. Let them cool fully on a wire rack or a plate and store them in a freezer container or a bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Warm in a single layer on a heat-safe plate in the microwave in 15 second increments until heated through.
If you need to make these pancakes egg-free, you can omit the eggs. Then, add 1 tablespoon chia seeds or ground flaxseeds and ¼ cup additional milk. Let it sit for 5 minutes before you start making the pancakes. Spread them very thin to ensure that they cook all the way through.
(You can also try my Vegan Banana Pancakes.)
How to Store
To store leftovers, let pancakes cool and store for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge. Or freeze up to 3 months in a zip-top freezer bag with as much air removed as possible.
Best Tips for Success
- Use very ripe bananas with brown spots for optimal sweetness.
- Mash the bananas smooth for a smooth final texture.
- Use rolled oats (rather than steel cut) for the best final texture.
- Be gentle when stirring the batter to avoid overworking the batter.
- Spread the batter out in the pan so the pancakes are fairly thin. This helps them to cook through.
- Let cook until you see bubbles form around the edges and the edges appear set. Then carefully flip over.
- If the pancakes are browning faster than they are setting up, turn the heat down a smidge.
- Serve with Caramelized Bananas, maple syrup, yogurt, nut butter, or any toppings you like.
Related Recipes
I’d love to hear what you think of this recipe if you try it, so please chime in below in the comments!
Favorite Banana Oatmeal Pancakes
Ingredients
- 2 very ripe medium bananas (about 2 cups sliced)
- 1½ cups whole wheat flour
- ½ cup rolled oats
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup milk (dairy or nondairy)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Mash the bananas until smooth.
- Add bananas to a bowl with the rest of the ingredients except the butter. Gently stir together.
- Warm a nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add a small bit of the butter, melt, and spread it around the pan.
- Drop ¼ cupfuls of batter onto the pan and spread out thinly to about 1/4-½ inch think. Cook for about 3 minutes or until you see bubbles on the surface on the pancake. Flip and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
- Continue to cook the rest of the batter.
- Serve warm with Caramelized Bananas, maple syrup, yogurt, nut butter, or any toppings you like.
Video
Notes
- To store leftovers, let pancakes cool and store for up to 3 days in the fridge in an airtight container. Or freeze up to 3 months in a zip-top freezer bag with as much air removed as possible.
- Gluten-free: Use certified gluten-free rolled oats and gluten-free cup-for-cup flour blend.
- Dairy-free: Use nondairy milk and oil in the pan instead of butter.
- Egg-free: Omit the eggs and add 1 T chia seed to the batter and an additional ¼ cup milk. Spread thinly to ensure they cook through.
- Use very ripe bananas with brown spots for optimal sweetness.
- Mash the bananas smooth for a smooth final texture.
- Spread the batter out in the pan so the pancakes are fairly thin. This helps them to cook through.
- Let cook on the bottom until you see bubbles form around the edges and the edges appear set. Then carefully flip over.
- If the pancakes are browning faster than they are setting up, turn the heat down a smidge.
Nutrition
This post was originally published April 19, 2019.
My kiddos love these! A staple in our house! Thanks!!
Picky toddler deemed them the “best yummiest pancakes ever!”
This recipe is a great base recipe, we absolutely love it. There are just a few tweaks I’ve had to do to make them less heavy and more light and fluffy like a pancake should be. I mix white unbleached flour with the whole wheat flour (I’ve actually recently discovered white whole wheat flour and started using it but I know most people don’t have that in their pantry) and sift them along with the baking powder. I also use makeshift buttermilk (lemon juice mixed into your regular milk) instead of just regular milk and I beat the eggs before adding them. The last thing that’s not mentioned in the instructions is to mix dry (it should just be your oats you need to add at this point) then add wet ingredients but only mix until just combined (this may be common sense for people who make pancakes often but not for everyone). By doing these things my pancakes are light fluffy & still fairly healthy plus they are a favorite not just for my toddlers but also my husband & I!
Can you use regular flour instead of whole wheat?
Yes, but I would add 2 more tbsp to ensure it cooks through the same.
Could baby oatmeal be used in place of the rolled oats?
~meow♡
Made this morning and oh, my! My almost 3 yr old gobbled them up! Only had one banana, so I added 1 cup sweet potato. Little slather of butter on them and so yum! Thanks! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Made these this morning and oh, my!! My almost 3 yr old gobbled them up. Only had one banana left, so I substituted 1 cup of sweet potato. 🌟🌟🌟🌟
These are so yummy! Made them with chocolate chips for my 4 year old and blueberries for my 6 month old. They were a huge hit with hubby too! And so easy! Straightforward ingredients all in one bowl. Easy cleanup too!
These were very yummy but a lot of work to mix by hand, especially with the rolled oats. My batter was full of lumps so I ended up pouring it in my blender and everything turned out so well! I omitted the butter and the pancakes were so delicious! Thanks!
I made these with 3/4 plain flour and 1/4 chickpea (gram) flour as I ran out of plain. Tasted really nice and even more protein!