Gluten-Free Banana Pancakes
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Thick, soft and fluffy gluten-free banana pancakes which are quick and simple to whip up. Naturally sweet with protein rich ingredients.
This gluten-free banana pancake recipe long ago superseded our regular weekend American style pancakes. They are an excellent excuse to use up the bananas hanging about our fruit bowl at the end of the week but they are also simply the ones my children like the best. And I’m happy with that; these pancakes are beautifully sweet without adding any extra sugar and I created the recipe to include protein rich ingredients so it’s more than a weekend treat but actually a fully satisfying breakfast.
I make these pancakes every single Saturday morning and this recipe produces a big batch which is enough to satisfy our hungry four children who clamour for them. If there are any left over (not usually but occasionally) then I’ll keep them for snacks later on in the day. I have incredibly fussy eaters in our house and not only does this recipe make all of them supremely happy when it’s served but I also like to reserve a few pancakes for myself and I’m not usually a sweet breakfast lover. However, with a few rashers of bacon these banana pancakes truly hit the breakfast spot.
They are a one bowl recipe, you just throw everything in and blend it together, allowing your frying pan to heat up whilst you do. You can let the pancake batter rest for 15 minutes (which produces the ideal texture) but I don’t always bother. You can also make the batter happily the night before if you really want to shave off time in the morning and sometimes I do that if I want to serve a special mid-week breakfast – for birthdays or something.
This recipe has been made lovingly in my kitchen for the past two years, after years of development where I experimented with every flour in my cupboard. This is the recipe I ended up with and it’s utterly delicious and produces foolproof thick and fluffy pancakes our whole family loves and I hope yours does too.
Why You’ll Love These Gluten-Free Banana Pancakes
- Soft, thick and fluffy texture.
- No refined sugar and naturally sweetened. The only sweetness is from the bananas.
- Easy to find gluten-free flours. You can pick these flours up at most large British supermarkets in the UK.
- Nutritious pancakes, this recipe is high in protein and fibre with added fruit nutrition.
- One-bowl recipe.
Watch the Video
Sometimes it helps to see a visual of what I'm talking about. So watch the video to see what it looks like to make your banana pancakes.
Ingredients Needed
Bananas. I have made this recipe with any banana I have in my fruit bowl, even the green ones. When the family is clamouring for pancakes you just have to make do. However, the best bananas to use are yellow with just a few brown spots so they are easy to mash with a fork. I have also made them with very brown bananas and they just turn out sweeter.
Buckwheat flour. I love the flavour of buckwheat flour here but I regularly switch it up for either sorghum flour or oat flour if I have run out.
Almond flour. You are looking for blanched ground almonds. There is a bit of labelling confusion over almond flour which is sold as ‘ground almonds’ in most major UK supermarkets and found in the baking aisle. If you want to know what exactly you are looking for then check out this post >>> Is Almond Flour The Same As Ground Almonds. Nut allergy? If you are allergic then use my Homemade Flour Blend for the whole amount of the almond flour + buckwheat flour – but not any other gluten-free flour, my mix is specifically developed as a stable blend which doesn’t need xanthan gum
Eggs. This recipe uses medium size, about 60g each with shell (50g each without shell). These are often classified as large eggs in the US. I recommend weighing your eggs to ensure the correct amount.
Ground chia seeds. For a long time this ingredient wasn’t a part of the recipe but once I started including chia seeds I didn’t look back, they really make the pancakes ultra thick without the moisture of an extra egg. Plus they have great fibre and protein content so it makes me feel they are just that bit more nutritious. If you only have whole chia seeds then whizz them up in a spice grinder to mill them as ground chia seeds give a better texture here.
Milk. Use whole milk or a plant-based milk if you are making dairy-free pancakes.
Butter. The first thing I do when making this recipe is put my butter in a small saucepan to melt. You can use salted or unsalted butter depending on if you want that extra salty kick going on. If you’re making your pancakes dairy-free then switch out for coconut or avocado oil – just use 60g instead.
Vanilla extract. You don’t need to use the best quality vanilla extract here as there's already a lot going on with the flavours and it won't make a difference. A supermarket brand is just fine.
Baking powder. A leavening agent which causes the cake to rise and become light and fluffy. Do check your baking powder is gluten-free before use.
Spices. A touch of cinnamon and nutmeg really rounds out the flavour here.
Gluten-Free Flour Cheatsheet
The Gluten-Free Flour Cheatsheet makes choosing the right flour easy, breaking down every option from sorghum to cassava into four simple categories. With nutritional info, flavour pairings, and a printable reference section, this guide cuts through the confusion so you can navigate gluten-free baking with clear flour choices.
How To Make Gluten-Free Banana Pancakes From Scratch
For full recipe instructions go to the recipe card at the end of this post.
First thing to do is to melt your butter in a small saucepan.
Add the banana chunks into a large mixing bowl along with the rest of the wet ingredients (save the melted butter as we're giving it more time to cool). Blend using an immersion blender.
Add the flours, chia seeds, the baking powder and spices and blend again, followed by the melted butter, blending as you are pouring it in.
Allow the batter to rest for 15 minutes. Pre-heat a large flat bottomed frying pan or cast iron skillet for at least 10 minutes.
Cook the pancakes in batches for about 2 minutes on each side, flipping over once they are golden brown.
Tips and Troubleshooting
Before you go about getting all the ingredients out the first thing to do is to melt your butter in a small saucepan so it’s ready when you need it.
You don’t need to use a blender to make these pancakes as long as your bananas are mashed well with a fork. A balloon whisk is fine. I just use an immersion blender as it’s easier and I have one.
The best way to mash bananas is using either the back of a regular dinner fork or a potato masher. If I am mashing the bananas (if I’m not using the blender) then I will mash the bananas on a chopping board as it’s easier than mashing the up in the bowl.
If you are allowing for the ideal 15 minute batter resting time then you can pre-heat your skillet / frying pan once you have finished mixing the pancake batter. A good 10 minutes to heat up the pan on the lowest heat setting is perfect.
Heat your pan on the lowest heat then as soon as you are ready to cook your pancakes then raise the heat up to low-medium. This should mean your pancakes take about 2 minutes to cook each side.
Brush your pan with a little melted butter before cooking each batch of pancakes. You don’t want the pan swimming in butter as the pancakes become too greasy.
Each pancake should need about 2 tablespoons batter. I started utilising my children’s toy ladle a few years ago (which I think we got from Ikea) and it’s the perfect size for pancakes. It is now considered my pancake ladle and is not to be moved from my kitchen drawer. Sorry kids. You can use a ¼ cup sized measuring cup for medium sized pancakes.
Cook the pancakes for 2 minutes on the first side, the surface of the upper side of the pancake should start to dry out ever so slightly. They should be golden on the underneath at this stage.
Flip your pancakes assuredly as the batter is soft. I like to use a strong small metal flipper which tend to be thinner than the silicone ones here as you need to get right underneath the pancake without disrupting the edges of the batter. Use a sharp flick of the wrist to get the pancakes safely onto its other side.
You don’t need to flatten the pancakes down with the flipper but I think this creates a more even cook.
FAQs
Keep any extra pancakes in the fridge in an airtight container. You can store for up to 3 days.
These pancakes freeze very well. Lay out on a baking tray and flash freeze for 2 hours. Transfer them to an airtight container or food storage bag. They can store in the freezer for up to 2 months. They take about 30 minutes to thaw at room temperature.
The pancakes can be re-heated in the microwave. If you portion 3-4 out on a plate then they take about 30-45 seconds depending on the wattage of your microwave.
Use a protein rich flour blend for the fluffiest gluten-free pancakes. I like to use 50% almond flour here mixed with 50% wholegrain flour (you can choose between buckwheat flour, oat flour or sorghum flour).
If the batter is too runny at first then rest it for 15 minutes as it will thicken up. If it’s still too runny then add 1-2 tablespoons flour (almond or buckwheat) to thicken. If the batter is too thicken then add 1 tablespoon milk to thin out. However, this batter should be nice and thick.
You can make this recipe dairy-free, you just need to swap the melted butter for 60g coconut oil or avocado oil. You also need to use a plant-based milk rather than whole milk.
Serving Suggestions
These pancakes are perfectly sweet as they are (and they are happy to snack on them without any adornment) but just try wrenching that bottle of maple syrup out of my children’s hands at breakfast time.
Greek yoghurt mixed with maple syrup and peanut butter. This is my eldest son’s favourite topping to his pancakes.
Smoked streaky bacon and maple syrup. This is mine and my husband’s topping of choice. It’s a classic.
Fruit salad. A handful of extra banana slices or blueberries, raspberries or segments of clementines is also really nice and makes this feel complete.
Recipe Variations
Just add a handful of your favourite add-ins to personalise your pancakes. You can make:
- Blueberry Banana Pancakes
- Chocolate Chip Banana Pancakes
- Nutty Banana Pancakes. Add a small handful of chopped walnuts, hazelnuts or pecans.
- Rolled Oat Banana Pancakes.
More Gluten-Free Pancakes You'll Love
Gluten-Free American Pancakes are thick and fluffy pancakes and taste wonderful. The carefully chosen flours mean these healthy gluten-free pancakes are light in texture with a deep toasty vanilla flavour and have no xanthan gum in the mix. They are refined sugar-free and sweetened with dates alone.
Gluten-Free English-Style Pancakes (Crêpes) are quick to make and ideal for Pancake Day. They are also dairy-free, without xanthan gum and are perfect to serve with lemon and sugar or any favourite topping or filling of your choice
Flourless Banana Walnut Pancakes are naturally gluten-free and produces quick but absolutely scrumptious pancakes with just 5 ingredients.
Gluten-free Pumpkin Pancakes are so thick and fluffy and delicious smothered with Almond Maple Syrup for Autumn brunches.
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Perfect Gluten-Free Banana Pancakes
Ingredients
- 75 g butter
- 2 eggs
- 3 bananas - 250-300g
- 160 g whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 100 g buckwheat flour
- 100 g almond flour - labelled ground almonds in the UK
- 2 tablespoons ground chia seeds
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Break the eggs one at a time into a large mixing bowl.
- Peel and break the bananas into chunks, tossing in with the eggs.
- Pour in the eggs and vanilla and use an immersion blender to blend until smooth.
- Add the flours, chia seeds, the baking powder and spices and blend again.
- Finally pour in the melted butter, making sure to keep blending / whisking all the while so it doesn’t get a chance to curdle the eggs (although that is unlikely – unless your butter is piping hot). Blend or whisk until smooth.
- Allow the batter to rest for 15 minutes (or overnight) so that the batter thickens slightly and produces thicker more fluffy pancakes.
- Pre-heat a large flat bottomed frying pan or cast iron skillet on a low heat for at least 10 minutes.
- Once your pancake batter is ready for cooking then turn the heat of the pan up to low-medium heat and brush with a little melted butter.
- Cook the pancakes in batches. For most frying pans you can get away with cooking 4 at a time. You need about 2 tablespoons batter per pancake. Use a small ladle or a ¼ cup measuring cup to achieve the right amount.
- Cook the pancakes for 2 minutes on the first side until golden brown on the underneath. Use a pancake flipper / spatula to turn each pancake over. Use your pancake flipper to flatten the pancake down when you turn it over. The second side often only takes 1 ½ - 2 minutes to reach a golden brown.
