Banana makes a great pancakes topping, but why not mix some right in to the pancake mixture itself? These Healthy Banana Pancakes are naturally sweetened with mashed banana and a little bit of honey for a lighter pancake breakfast.
Is the Jack Johnson son stuck in your head now? Every time I think of banana pancakes I think of that song, and then I have to go and make myself some pancakes.
We make pancakes or waffles every Sunday for a slow family breakfast and these are a favourite. Kids will love helping to mash the banana and you get to add some fruit in to the mix, before you have even added any to the topping.
If you are looking for some more recipes with banana in, then why not try our Easy Banana Milkshake, Peanut Butter and Banana Muffins, Banana Porridge or Honey Baked Bananas.
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What you will need
- Wholewheat flour - We used wholewheat flour because it has more fibre and we like the nutty flavour it gives. However, you do get a denser pancake, so if you don't like that then you could use plain flour instead.
- Milk - We used skimmed milk or you could use almond milk.
- Baking powder - This helps the pancakes to get fluffy.
- Cinnamon - This adds a nice warmth to the banana pancakes. You could use ground nutmeg or ginger instead.
- Salt - This brings out the sweetness in the banana.
- Egg - We used a medium egg.
- Banana - You want to make sure the bananas are really ripe, as they need to be soft and sweet.
- Honey - This is where the sweetness comes from. You could use maple syrup instead if you prefer.
How to make Healthy Banana Pancakes -Step by step
One: In a bowl, mash the banana.
Two: Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Three: Add the milk and egg to the banana.
Four: Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients.
Five: Slowly whisk together to form a batter.
Six: Add a little butter to a pan, heat and add the pancake mixture. When bubbles start to form, flip the pancake over.
Seven: Cook for a further 30-60 seconds.
Why should you try it?
- Low in calories - There are only 153 calories per pancake, making this a light and filling breakfast.
- Kids love them - Kids usually love anything with bananas and pancakes always go down well. So this is a great combination.
- Great way to use up bananas - If you have bananas to use up and you are bored of making banana bread, this is a great way to make sure that no bananas go to waste.
- Perfect for breakfast or dessert - We would eat pancakes any time of day!
Health benefits
Pancakes usually have a fair bit of sugar added to them, but we found that the mashed banana added a fair bit of sweetness and then we just added a drizzle of honey for a little bit more - but you could leave the honey out.
Bananas are a great source of potassium, vitamin B6, fibre and carbohydrate, and some vitamin C too. They do have a lower water content than most fruit, so bananas typically have more calories as well as a higher sugar content compared to other non-tropical fruits.
Bananas are full of potassium, which is one of the most important electrolytes in the body, helping to regulate heart function as well as fluid balance. It is a key factor in regulating blood pressure.
How to get fluffy pancakes
We have made these pancakes crepe like, as that is what we call pancakes here in the UK. But, if you want them American pancakes style, then don't add so much batter to the pan, and don't thin them out.
Adding baking powder to the pancakes makes them nice and fluffy. Let the batter sit for a few minutes so it starts to activate and then it will activate again when heated too.
What to serve with healthy banana pancakes
We folded our pancakes in half, spread some yogurt and banana slices on and then added a drizzle of honey before folding them over again. Banana, yogurt and honey is such a delicious breakfast combination. You could add a sprinkle of granola if you wanted some extra crunch.
If you are looking for some hot drinks or smoothies to serve with these pancakes, then we have got you covered. Why not try one of these:
- Hot Chocolate Spoons
- Chai Tea Latte
- Banana Milk
- Cinnamon Coffee
- Apple Pie Smoothie
- Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate
- Cinnamon Mocha
Storage
Store: Stored in an airtight container, homemade pancakes will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freeze: They can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Defrost: You can defrost at room temperature then microwave for 15-20 seconds, depending on the power of your microwave.
Reheat: To reheat these banana pancakes, simply put them in the microwave for 15 seconds of heat them through in a frying pan.
FAQs
I am a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to pancakes making and I like to mix everything by hand (and it makes it easy for kids to help that way too), but you could save yourself some time by putting all the ingredients in to a food processor and whizzing it all up.
If your pancakes are still mushy on the inside, it's because you had the heat up too high and it browned the outside of the pancakes quickly, but didn't cook the inside. Try turning the heat down.
No, this recipe isn't vegan. However, you can swap egg for apple sauce and use maple syrup instead of honey.
If you use gluten free flour and make sure there is no cross contamination, then these can be gluten free.
Yes, you can double this recipe. Just make sure that you have a bowl big enough to mix everything up in.
You need to wait until you start seeing bubbles on top of the pancakes before flipping. If you flip them too soon, there won't be enough structure to flip them.
We used butter because it has the best flavour. It can cause the pancakes to brown too quickly though, so make sure you don't have the heat up too high. You can also cook them in coconut oil.
You can use apple sauce instead of eggs in this recipe.
Extra tips
- If you have the time, let the pancaked mixture rest for 5 minutes before using. This helps to give a smoother more uniform texture.
- Use minimal butter in the pan to cook the pancakes, as they are not meant to be fried. We wipe some on the pan with a paper towel.
- Serve these pancakes with yogurt, honey and banana slices.
- Add a little extra crunch to these pancakes with a sprinkle of granola.
- Make these pancakes lighter by swapping the flour for ground up oat flour, but it would make them more dense.
- Save yourself some time when making these by adding all the ingredients to a food processor and whizzing them up. They will be a bit more rubbery if doing it that way though.
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Recipe
Banana Pancakes
Ingredients
- 220 g wholewheat flour
- 350 ml skimmed milk (you can use almond milk too)
- 3 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 2 ripe banana mashed
- 1 tablespoon honey
Instructions
- In a bowl, mash the banana.
- Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Add the milk and egg to the banana.
- Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients.
- Slowly whisk together to form a batter.
- Add a little butter to a pan, heat and add the pancake mixture. When bubbles start to form, flip the pancake over.
- Cook for a further 30-60 seconds.
Notes
- Serve these pancakes with yogurt, honey and banana slices.
- Add a little extra crunch to these pancakes with a sprinkle of granola.
- Make these pancakes lighter by swapping the flour for ground up oat flour, but it would make them more dense.
- Save yourself some time when making these by adding all the ingredients to a food processor and whizzing them up.
Rosa
Yum these pancakes look wonderful. We make pancakes at least once a week here so will definitely be adding these to the rotation!
Dannii
I hope you enjoy them!
Louisa
Super idea for healthier pancakes, they always seem a good deal more treaty than they actually are!
Mary
"You stick to porridge or fruit all week for your breakfast, but come Sunday you just want something a little bit more." << That line is spot on! Pancakes for me at the weekends!
Sylvia @ Happiness is homemade
Love pancakes! Healthy version is a plus ;)
Janie
I opened up your page & my tummy just lurched and grumbled at me! Always a good sign :)
Janie x
Glamorous Glutton
Yum these sound great. So much more interesting than regular pancakes. GG
Morgan @ Peaches, Please!
Okay, the important question I have about this is: who is jack johnson?