Gluten-free Banana Pancakes
gluten-free | dairy-free option | tree nut free
by Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | Sept. 26, 2024
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These gluten-free banana pancakes have a light, fluffy texture and the perfect sweet, banana-infused flavor! They can easily be made in a blender and whipped up by hand in a matter of minutes. I love to have these banana pancakes for breakfast, but they also make a great lunch or dinner meal, especially when served with bacon or sausage! Leftover gluten-free banana pancakes also make a great snack or can be frozen for a later meal. No matter how you serve these pancakes, they are sure to be a hit in your modern pioneer kitchen!
Modern Pioneer Recipe
Okay, so pancakes are definitely a pioneer recipe. Flapjacks, hoe cakes, fry cakes, hot cakes…. call them what you like, but the pioneers definitely made something that at least resembled a pancake. But….. these banana pancakes are considered a modern pioneer recipe because they contain banana.
Fresh fruit, and particularly bananas, would not have been an easy food to transport in the chuckwagon! Nonetheless, these modern pioneer pancakes come as close to a pioneer recipe as possible! Made completely from scratch and using wholesome ingredients, these pancakes are a modern pioneer recipe you can feel good about.
My favorite ingredients to make gluten-free pancakes out of include oats and a vegetable or fruit. I love pumpkin oat pancakes, zucchini pancakes, and of course… these banana pancakes. However, these banana pancakes are probably one of my favorite ways to make gluten-free pancakes!
Not only are they made with nutritious ingredients, but like a true modern pioneer recipe, they are also allergy-friendly! These pancakes are….
- gluten-free
- tree nut free
- dairy-free
- corn free
- refined sugar free
- anti-inflammatory
Are Bananas Good for You?
It seems like a simple question with an obvious answer, but I wanted to expound on the benefits of bananas…. just for fun.
Yes, bananas are good for you! These sweet and unique fruits are fun to look at, fun to peel, and even more fun to eat!
Along with all the vitamins and minerals that bananas contain, they also provide some health benefits. One of my favorite banana benefits is the fact that they can actually be mood elevators since they contain tryptophan. Tryptophan is used by the body to make serotonin. The brain uses serotonin to manage anxiety.
Here are a few other benefits of bananas:
- Good source of vitamin B6, manganese, and vitamin C.
- Ripe bananas are able to help boost your immune system more than unripe bananas.
- Bananas help improve brain health and help keep you alert!
- They are a good source of iron.
- Like other fruits, bananas contain a good amount of fiber which promotes a healthy digestive system.
The bananas in these gluten-free banana pancakes provide you with some beneficial nutrients to start your morning with… or afternoon, or evening! What a great way to start, or end, the day!
Even though bananas are sweet, delicious, and nutritious, you may not always have them on hand. Don’t worry, I have a grain-free pancake recipe that is just perfect for when you are lacking in the banana department!
Or maybe you have too many ripe bananas on your hands that all need to be used ASAP! After making these gluten-free banana pancakes, you’ll definitely want to make these grain-free banana muffins or this grain-free banana bread with any leftover bananas!
What to Serve With Banana Pancakes
What’s pancakes without toppings!? If you are serving these pancakes as part of a larger meal or if you like to have a large breakfast, you may consider having some sides with them too!
When I first went on an anti-inflammatory diet, I was told not to have fruit with meat or protein. That’s because fruit makes it hard for the body to digest the protein when they are present at the same time. Which means I generally try not have bacon, sausage, or eggs with my banana pancakes.
Occasionally I ignore that little fact though and have my pancakes with a side of bacon! And to be honest, I don’t feel any different afterwards. Other non-protein sides that you could serve with pancakes might include some more low-sugar fruits (strawberries, kiwi, tangerines), homemade granola, dairy-free yogurt, or vegetables (steamed or raw).
For toppings, you can get as wild and crazy as you want! I like to stick to my family’s traditional topping of butter and maple syrup. Unless I am having them for snack, then I usually have them plain or with raw honey. Recently I have really gotten into peanut butter, banana, and chocolate chips as delicious pancake toppings. The peanut butter adds a nice element of plant-based protein to my pancake meal!
Here are some of my favorite topping ideas:
- 100% pure maple syrup
- raw honey
- organic peanut butter (no sugar or palm oil added)
- Lily’s chocolate chips (sugar free)
- homemade jelly
- SoDelicious cocowhip
- strawberries or raspberries
- sliced banana
Oat Pancake Recipe Tips
In my opinion, these banana oat pancakes couldn’t be any easier to make! You literally throw everything in a high-powder blender (or a food processor would work too), and the batter is ready in minutes. All you have to do is cook your cakes in a skillet, and breakfast is served!
To ensure that your banana pancakes turn out great, here are a few tips for making perfect gluten-free pancakes.
Tips for Making Gluten-free Pancakes:
Oat Texture
You can achieve two different textures for your pancakes depending on how you grind the whole oats. If you blend all the ingredients at the same time, including the whole oats, the oats will be coarser and you will have bigger oat pieces in your cakes. Alternatively, you can blend the whole oats first, creating oat flour, then add the rest of the ingredients to finish blending together the batter.
Ripe Bananas
The ripeness of your bananas will play a role in the consistency of the batter. The riper the bananas, the less thick your batter will be. More ripe bananas will also create a sweeter pancake!
Batter Consistency
Oats will absorb liquid, so if your batter is too thin, wait a few minutes for the oats to absorb the extra liquid. If you like thick, hardy pancakes, you will want your batter to be thick and not as pourable. If you want thinner, lighter pancakes you may want to add more moisture to the batter to thin it out some. More oat milk or water works well as a thinning agent.
Oil Substitutes
Melted butter, avocado oil, or even olive oil can be used in place of the coconut oil. You can also use coconut oil, bacon fat, butter, or ghee in the skillet when you are cooking the pancakes.
Milk Alternatives
I have not tried making this recipe with coconut milk, which often gives baked goods a different texture. However, water can be used as an oat milk substitute and I am fairly positive that hemp milk or almond milk would also work for these pancakes. I love using homemade oat milk or almond milk in my banana pancakes!
No Blender?
No blender, no problem! If you don’t have a blender in your modern pioneer kitchen, the pancake batter can also be made in a food processor. I highly recommend blending your whole oats first though if you are making the batter in a food processor.
You can also make the batter without a food processor or a blender! Just use gluten-free oat flour in place of the oats and mash your bananas well before adding them to your mixing bowl.
However, if you do have a blender, blender recipes are so easy to make! If you liked these blender pancakes, then you’ll definitely want to check out these grain-free blender waffles!
These gluten-free banana pancakes are made completely from scratch using wholesome, simple ingredients. They have the perfect pancake texture and the most amazing taste! Go ahead, whip up a batch of these cakes for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!
Gluten-free Banana Pancakes
Ingredients
- 2 medium organic, very ripe bananas
- 2 cups Bob's Red Mill gluten-free rolled oats
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp. sea salt
- 1/2-2/3 cup oat milk
- 2 large pasture-raised, organic eggs
- 1 T. coconut oil
- 1/2 tsp. organic cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat a 12-inch cast iron skillet over low heat with 1 teaspoon of butter or bacon fat in it. The pan should be steaming slightly before you put the cakes on it.
- Put all of the ingredients in a high-power blender. Start off by adding just 1/2 cup of oat milk and blend until the batter is smooth. Stir in more oat milk to thin the batter to your desired consistency or leave the batter as is. It should be thick but pourable.
- Pour the batter into the hot pan. For large pancakes, you should be able to fit 2 cakes in a 12" pan. Cook the pancakes for 45 seconds to 1 minute, waiting for tiny bubbles to form in the batter. Flip and cook for 1 more minute.
- Continue to cook more cakes until the batter is gone. You may need to add more butter or bacon fat to the pan as you go. You may also need to periodically thin out the batter by adding a splash of oat milk or water.
- Serve the pancakes warm with your favorite toppings or enjoy them cold as leftovers!
Where to Find the Ingredients
- Anthony’s gluten-free oats
- Otto’s Naturals baking powder
- Simply Organic vanilla extract
- Redmond sea salt
- Pacific Foods oat milk
- Nutiva extra virgin coconut oil
- Simply Organic cinnamon
- Supplies: Vitamix blender, 12″ cast iron skillet
These gluten-free pancakes make the perfect breakfast, lunch, or dinner! They even make a delicious snack. Munching on leftover banana pancakes is a favorite afternoon snack of mine, especially when I add a drizzle of peanut butter or some raw honey. A banana pancake peanut butter and honey sandwich anyone? These gluten-free pancakes will provide you with all the same sensations that traditional pancakes would offer: light, fluffy, delicious, and easy to make! Not to mention they use simple, nutritious ingredients! Have fun making these pancakes in your homestead kitchen and topping them with your favorite toppings!
Don’t miss any other chuckwagon recipes, make sure you are a part of our modern pioneer newsletter community and snatch up your copy of our pioneer egg recipe cookbook while you’re at it!
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