Banana oat pancakes

Three ingredients, no sugar and genuinely fluffy. The recipe that saves any morning.

15 min
Total time: 15 min
Hands-on: 2 servings
Servings: 415 cal
Per serving: Easy
Difficulty: Skillet
Method

Photo: Theo Crazzolara · CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Ingredients

2 servings

Nutrition facts

per serving

415cal

Protein: 20 g19 %
Carbs: 48 g45 %
Fat: 17 g36 %
Fiber: 7 g
Sugarstotal, including the natural sugars in fruit and dairy: 13 g

Approximate values, calculated from food composition tables. They vary with the brands and cuts you use.

Step by step

6 steps · turn the pages with the arrows or by swiping

Cover

Banana oat pancakes

Three ingredients, no sugar and genuinely fluffy. The recipe that saves any morning.

1Step 1 of 6

Blend everything together

Peel the bananas and put them in the blender with the eggs, oats, cinnamon and salt. Blend for 30 seconds, until there are no visible pieces of oats and the batter looks like a thick cream.

Tip: No blender? Mash the banana with a fork and whisk everything by hand. They'll have little bits of oats in them, which plenty of people actually prefer.

2Step 2 of 6

Let it rest for 5 minutes

This step looks optional and it's the most important one in the recipe. The oats absorb the egg, the batter goes from runny to creamy and the pancakes stop breaking when you flip them.

05:005 min · Let it rest for 5 minutes

3Step 3 of 6

Heat the pan properly

Set a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat and wipe it with a few drops of oil on a paper towel. It needs to be hot before the batter goes in, but never smoking: over high heat they burn outside and stay raw in the middle.

Tip: Test the pan with a few drops of water: if they dance and evaporate within a couple of seconds, it's ready.

4Step 4 of 6

Cook each pancake

Pour in a small ladle of batter and let it spread on its own, without pushing it. Wait until bubbles appear across the whole surface and the edges look matte, about 2 minutes.

02:002 min · Cook each pancake

5Step 5 of 6

Flip and finish

Flip it with a thin spatula in one quick move and give it 1 more minute on the other side. Repeat until the batter is gone, stacking them on a plate to keep them warm.

01:001 min · Flip and finish

6Step 6 of 6

Serve however you like

I top them with Greek yogurt and fresh fruit. A little peanut butter or some smashed raspberries on top are just as good.

About this recipe

These pancakes are the recipe I make most often, and not because they're healthy: because they're fast. Three ingredients you already have, a blender and ten minutes at the stove. No sugar, no flour and no baking powder, and they still come out fluffy.

The trick is letting the batter rest for five minutes before you start. The oats soak up the liquid, the batter thickens and the pancakes stop falling apart when you flip them, which is the number one problem with oat pancakes all over the internet.

It makes eight medium pancakes, two generous servings. With 20 grams of protein per serving, they keep you going until lunch without needing a mid-morning snack.

Tips for getting it right

The bananas must be very ripe. If they're green the batter tastes bland and needs sweetening, which is exactly what we wanted to avoid.
Medium-low heat and patience. Rushing pancakes gets you a raw center.
If your batter is too runny, a couple more tablespoons of oats and another five minutes of rest will fix it.

Variations

Extra-protein version

Swap one egg for 30 g (1 scoop) of vanilla protein powder and add two tablespoons of milk. That brings it up to 28 g of protein per serving.

Chocolate version

Add a tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder to the batter and a few dark chocolate chips on top right after pouring them into the pan.

Kid-size version

Make them small, about a tablespoon of batter each, and serve them stacked with cut fruit. Kids eat them without a word of complaint.

Storage

They keep for 3 days in the fridge in an airtight container. Reheat for 20 seconds in the microwave or 1 minute in a skillet. They also freeze well with parchment paper between them.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

Why do my oat pancakes fall apart?

Almost always for one of two reasons: the batter didn't rest (the oats need those 5 minutes to absorb the liquid and add body) or you flipped them too soon. Wait until the edges look matte and bubbles appear in the center.

Can I make them without eggs?

Yes, but they change quite a bit. Replace the 4 eggs with 4 tablespoons of ground flaxseed mixed with 12 tablespoons of water and left for 10 minutes. They'll be denser and lower in protein (about 9 g per serving).

Do they contain sugar?

No sugar is added: all the sweetness comes from the ripe banana. The table shows 13 g of sugar per serving, which is the fruit's natural sugar.

Are they safe for people with celiac disease?

Yes, as long as you use certified gluten-free oats. Regular oats get cross-contaminated with wheat at the mill.

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