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These healthy banana oatmeal pancakes are flourless and made in a blender for quick and easy breakfasts! Enjoy fluffy, satisfying pancakes packed with wholesome oats and natural sweetness.
Want a deliciously healthy breakfast idea that sticks with you all morning? Enter banana oatmeal pancakes! These tasty flapjacks blend up in minutes for a quick and satisfying breakfast. And get this: they’re flourless, made with the magic of oats and a blender!
These pancakes are a tried and true family favorite. Every time we make them, we literally cannot stop eating them (our kids make them disappear in seconds). They’re basically like eating oatmeal and a banana, in pancake form!
Why to make these banana oatmeal pancakes
This banana oatmeal pancakes recipe is a combination of our fan favorite healthy banana muffins and our oatmeal pancakes. Many pancake recipes made with all-purpose flour leave us with a sugar crash and hungry an hour later. But these banana oatmeal pancakes are hearty, wholesome and one of our favorite ways to start the morning! This is what we love about them:
- They’re made mainly of oats: no flour. This makes them 100% whole grain and naturally gluten free pancakes. You’ll find they stick with you: they’re filling and make your stomach feel full, not ready for a sugar crash! It’s basically like eating a bowl of oatmeal.
- They’re so easy to make! All you need is a blender and these pancakes come together in a breeze.
- They’ve got amazing flavor. Take one bite, and you’ll be a believer. We promise!
Key ingredients
You’ll need just a few key ingredients for banana oatmeal pancakes! Here’s what you need, including notes for dietary swaps:
- Ripe bananas: The riper the bananas, the better! Use ripe to very ripe bananas for the sweetest flavor and best texture in this recipe.
- Old Fashioned rolled oats: Use rolled oats, and make sure they are not instant oats, quick cooking oats, or steel cut oats.
- Plain yogurt: You can use Greek yogurt if you prefer (it’s what what we normally stock), or whole milk yogurt. Vanilla yogurt works too!
- Eggs: Eggs are key for holding together the texture of these pancakes. For vegan, you can try using a flax egg as a substitute.
- Milk of choice: Use dairy milk (we usually use 2% milk) or non-dairy milk (we like oat milk).
- Butter or oil: Butter makes a nice savory flavor. For Mediterranean diet, dairy-free or vegan, substitute olive oil.
- Brown sugar: Brown sugar adds a hint of sweetness, and you can use maple syrup or honey if you prefer a natural sweetener.
- Vanilla extract, baking powder, and kosher salt round out the ingredient list.
How to make banana oatmeal pancakes (step by step)
How to make pancakes easy? Simply whiz up everything in a blender and you’re ready to go! For some reason, using a blender seems easier than whisking everything together: maybe because there’s a little less mess? Then cook them up the same as a standard pancake.
Step 1: Place the oats, Greek yogurt, eggs, milk, melted butter, brown sugar, vanilla, baking powder and kosher salt in a blender. Blend on high until a smooth batter forms. Mash the bananas, then stir them into the blender with a spatula.
Step 2: Lightly grease a skillet with butter and wipe with a paper towel. Heat the skillet over low heat. Add a few tablespoons milk to the batter until it is still thick but can pour out of the blender. Pour the batter into small circles.
Step 3: Cook the pancakes until the bubbles pop on the top and the bottoms are golden: low and slow is the key! Then flip them and cook until golden on the other side. Serve warm with maple syrup.
Pro tip
The batter for these banana oatmeal pancakes is a slightly more delicate than a standard pancake since these oatmeal blender pancakes have no gluten. But they don’t require a lot of extra babying! It should feel essentially the same as a normal pancake when they’re on the griddle.
Variations, mix-ins and toppings
We love serving these banana oatmeal pancakes with just a drizzle of maple syrup! Of course it’s essential to be light-handed on toppings for a healthy pancake recipe, or it kind of negates the purpose of being healthier in the first place, right? Here are a few fun ways to dress up your gluten free banana oatmeal pancakes, with a healthy spin:
- Add fresh or frozen blueberries. Place them right onto the pancakes after you’ve poured them onto the griddle (don’t put them into the batter). They add the perfect tang!
- Serve with fancy syrup, like this homemade blueberry syrup.
- Serve with homemade jam, like our chai cherry jam, rhubarb jam (or compote), or cranberry jam.
- Sprinkle with toasted nuts, like toasted almonds, toasted pecans or toasted walnuts.
🍌 Love banana flavor? Our Healthy Banana Muffins or Healthy Banana Bread use the same method! Or browse our favorite banana recipes.
More great pancakes recipes
Want more pancakes recipes? We’ve got ’em! Try our original oatmeal pancakes and more:
- Try the original Oatmeal Pancakes.
- Go for 3 Ingredient Banana Pancakes (gluten-free) or grab Vegan Banana Pancakes.
- Opt for fluffy Greek Yogurt Pancakes or Sour Cream Pancakes.
- Go for rich and tasty Peanut Butter Pancakes or fruity Apple Cinnamon Pancakes.
Dietary notes
This banana oatmeal pancakes recipe is vegetarian, gluten free, and dairy free. For vegan and plant-based, substitute a flax egg for the eggs or go to Vegan Banana Pancakes.
Frequently asked questions
Not quite. While rolled oats (also called old-fashioned oats) are ideal for their texture, you can get away with using quick oats in a pinch. Steel-cut oats won’t blend well and will leave the pancakes with a chewy, uncooked texture.
Nope! The beauty of this recipe is using the blender to grind the oats into flour. Simply add them whole to the blender with the other ingredients.
Ripe bananas add natural sweetness and moisture to the pancakes. If yours aren’t ripe, the pancakes might be a bit drier and less sweet.
Most non-dairy milks like oat milk, almond milk, soy milk, or coconut milk work well. You can even try water if you prefer a lighter option, but the pancakes might be slightly less moist.
Add a splash more milk, a tablespoon at a time, until the batter reaches a pourable consistency, similar to thick cream.
Banana Oatmeal Pancakes (Flourless!)
These deliciously easy banana oatmeal pancakes are made in a blender using oats and bananas: no flour! They’re delicious with a healthy spin. NOTE: Recipe updated 5/26/2021 to address reader comments.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: About 9 large or 12 small pancakes 1x
- Category: Brunch
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 cups Old Fashioned rolled oats
- ¼ cup plain or vanilla yogurt (Greek or whole milk work)
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup milk of choice
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, melted (or grapeseed or olive oil)
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar (or maple syrup)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup mashed very ripe bananas (about 2 medium)
Instructions
- Place the oats, Greek yogurt, eggs, milk, melted butter, brown sugar, vanilla, baking powder and kosher salt in a blender. Blend on high until a smooth batter forms.
- Mash the bananas, then stir them into the blender with a spatula.
- Lightly grease a skillet with butter and wipe off extra grease with a paper towel. Heat the skillet over low heat. Add a few more tablespoons milk to the batter until it is still thick but can pour out of the blender. Pour the batter into small circles. Cook the pancakes until the bubbles pop on the top and the bottoms are golden: low and slow is the key! Then flip them and cook until golden on the other side.
- Add another tablespoon or two of milk to the remaining batter and stir so that it is pourable. Cook the remaining batter, adjusting the heat as necessary (the skillet can get very hot on the second batch). Place the cooked pancakes under an inverted bowl to keep them warm. Serve immediately with maple syrup.
How many pancakes in a serving?
1 large
Oh my! These are delicious! Low and slow is definitely key. Served them with homemade yoghurt and a drizzle of maple syrup.
Thanks for the suggestion. I look forward to making these pancakes.
Made these today without the sugar and they are great. Thanks for the recipe. Easy to make.
Anything you recommend to substitute for the eggs and yogurt? I’m doing a fast and avoiding animal products but wasn’t sure how the normal subs for these ingredients would fare in your recipe. Thanks in advance!
We would suggest making these vegan banana pancakes instead: https://www.acouplecooks.com/vegan-banana-pancakes/ ! The egg is essential for binding the oat flour, so we’d recommend using the standard flour variation for vegan.
I’ve tried a lot of different healthy pancake recipes and this is hands down the best by far. Not doughey or thick, they are so perfect and I’ll be definitely making these every time. Honestly I think their better than regular white flour pancakes
So glad you are enjoying them!
These pancakes are great! I am gluten, dairy, and artificial sugar intolerant, so I had to make some changes; I used dairy-free milk and butter, cashew yogurt, and some natural maple syrup. They turned out fantastic! I didn’t have any problems with flipping them. Thanks for the recipe!
Hello I am a 14 year old that wants to start eating healthy so I searched for healthy esay breakfasts an I got this. It was delicious but mine only made 4 normal sized pancakes but and the batter was a little thick. But other than that I would recomend this recipe for anyone who wants to eat healthy. Thank you for making this recipe anvi will definitely make it again 😃
Thanks for making them and glad you enjoyed! If the batter is very thick, we’d recommend blending for longer so the batter becomes more liquidy. Also were you using very ripe bananas? If they are not very ripe, it can make for a thicker batter. Let us know!
OMG! I just love these banana oatmeal Pancakes. I substitute yogurt for cottage cheese yummy! Yummy! 😋 I take high blood pressure medication, and this is a great way to get my intake of potassium. I can’t eat bananas from the peel because I get an allergic reaction. Thank you for the recipe!
So glad you enjoyed!
Yum!!! Thank you for sharing this recipe-it was a hit this morning for breakfast.
You’re welcome!
Any tips for making this batter in advance? Can you refrigerate as is? Also I prefer your older recipe so I use that. I just oat flour instead of starting from the same amount of oats which is probably why it works out.
Great question! You can likely make in advance and refrigerate, but you’ll want to bring it to room temperature and probably add a little liquid because the oats soak up the moisture over time and becomes very thick. You could maybe stir in some warmed milk to do both things at once? Let us know how it goes.
Would you mind sharing how you updated the recipe? I didn’t have any trouble with the previous version of the recipe. I think may have even preferred it. Thank you!!
Hi! You can find the old version here: https://web.archive.org/web/20201102093109/https://www.acouplecooks.com/banana-oatmeal-pancakes/
I had trouble flipping these – my batter was like a liquid consistency. I added about a cup more oats. It seems to have helped.
I had pretty spotty bananas and used my vitamix and blended until smooth. I didn’t add extra milk.
Hi Kristen! We’ve updated our recipe (as of 5/26/21) to make the pancakes easier to flip — so please try with the recipe you see now if you like! Thank you for letting us know.
I’m making these right now and they smell delicious! However, I’m using a nonstick griddle at 350 and these are not flipping. They are big gooey messes. I was able to partially flip each one in pieces and they’ve formed a more cohesive pancake, but they aren’t cooking all the way through. I added a tablespoon of whole wheat flour to the rest of the batter to maybe form something like pancake and I’ll just take a gluten enzyme. Thanks for the recipe anyway!
I’m sorry to hear this didn’t work out for you! A few questions: did you make any mods in the recipe? Did you blend for quite a while until the batter was very smooth? did you end up adding milk to help it become pourable? Were your bananas super ripe or on the less ripe side? Hopefully we can troublehoot!
Hi Lauren! We’ve updated our recipe (as of 5/26/21) to make the pancakes easier to flip — so please try with the recipe you see now if you like! Thank you for letting us know.
These are delicious! I’m not a syrup person so I skipped that altogether and still awesome!! I saved the batter and used the next day as well without issue. I also made extras and refrigerated. Great chilled as well.
Made these for my 10-mo old daughter today and subbed chia eggs for regular eggs – they are floppy but delicious! They’re pretty sweet – could happily leave out the maple syrup and keep just the banana.
Absolutely love these pancakes! I’m struggling when it comes to flipping them…do you guys have any pointers for flipping the pancakes? I’m wondering if it’s the pan I’m using.
Hi Rachel! We’ve updated our recipe (as of 5/26/21) to make the pancakes easier to flip — so please try with the recipe you see now if you like!
So fast and delicious! Probably the tastiest healthy/gluten free pancakes I’ve ever tried! Thanks so much for the recipe!