These easy vegan banana pancakes are here to take your breakfast game to the next level! They are made with just 5 simple pantry ingredients in a single bowl, and are free of added sugar, oil, dairy or eggs. Serve them with sliced bananas and pure maple syrup for a healthy and filling plant-based breakfast.
Want to watch me make these vegan pancakes? Scroll down to the recipe card below to see the video!
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In the past few months the idea of a foolproof vegan pancake recipe has been circling around in my head. I wanted to create a single-bowl vegan pancake recipe with just a few ingredients without the addition of refined sugar or oil.
I wanted to make sure my pancakes were light, fluffy, and full of flavor. I thought of using a mashed extra ripe banana to cut down on sugar and give each pancake a delicious, mouthwatering aroma.
Glad to say that my vegan banana pancakes came out just the way I wanted!
Check out my vegan breakfast recipes page to find more ideas for delicious, family-friendly vegan breakfasts.
Recipe Update:
When I originally published this recipe, I listed chia seeds as one of the five ingredients. Chia seeds make a great egg substitute, so in addition to enhancing my pancakes with omega-3 fatty acids and other nutrients, chia seeds did a great job binding the ingredients together.
(By the way, I have a whole separate post about vegan egg substitutes including chia.)
However, I have since then modified this recipe: I removed the chia seeds and added apple cider vinegar.
Chia seeds were an add-on ingredient anyway, so this recipe works fine with or without them.
Apple cider vinegar has a different purpose: it reacts with baking powder while the batter rests. This reaction produces lots of air bubbles in the batter, which results in fluffier and lighter pancakes ?
These pancakes are:
- Super easy
- Light and fluffy
- Made with only 5 ingredients
- Oil free
- Added sugar free
- Dairy free
- Egg free
- Made in one bowl
- Totally delicious!
Why I use an extra ripe banana in these pancakes
What exactly do bananas do for vegan pancakes and baked goods?
When bananas turn from greenish-yellow (under-ripe) to bright yellow with spots (ripe), the starches naturally occurring in this fruit turn into sugars. You’ve probably seen a lot of banana recipes call for ripe, spotty bananas – they add sweetness without the need for more sugar.
I find that extra ripe bananas – really spotty ones that are beginning to get soft – work the best in these vegan pancakes if we want to make them with no refined sugar.
As bananas ripen, they also produce ethylene – an organic compound that makes fruit ripen faster. If you need your bananas to get ripe quicker, put them into a brown paper bag for 2-3 days. The ethylene can’t escape from the bag, and its higher concentration speeds up the ripening.
(You can also put another fruit or vegetable like avocado in a bag with bananas to help it ripen faster.)
Besides the way it promotes ripening, ethylene also gives bananas an unmistakable aroma – I’m sure you know what I’m taking about. Banana pancakes, muffins, breads, and other baked goods just wouldn’t be the same without it.
Can I Still use chia seeds in this recipe?
You sure can!
As I mentioned above, I removed chia seeds as one of the original ingredients, and added apple cider vinegar (which serves a different purpose – see here.)
However, If you would still like to make these pancakes with chia seeds, go ahead! Chia seeds are packed with nutrition, so there’s no need to skip on them.
(To be honest, I only removed them because I discovered that apple cider vinegar works so well as an additional ingredient, but I still needed to keep this recipe down to just 5 ingredients ?)
Why was I using chia seeds in the first place? Chia seeds make a perfect egg substitute, plus they add fiber and a variety of nutrients.
Chia seeds are a true nutritional powerhouse. According to American Society for Nutrition, chia seeds are “an excellent source of fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, protein, and antioxidants”. Vegan diets can be lacking in omega-3 fatty acids, so adding chia to pancake batter, oatmeal, smoothies, etc. is a good idea.
If you’re concerned that black chia seeds will look like a bunch of small black specks in your pancakes, no need to worry! Just look at the pictures in this post – bet you can’t see any specks in my pancakes at all.
If you’re still concerned, you can use white chia seeds instead of black.
Not a fan of chia? The same amount of ground flax seed will probably work just as well, but I haven’t tried that myself yet.
No chia or flax egg at all in your pantry? Like I said above, you can skip them completely in this recipe. If the pancake batter seems too thin two or three minutes after you mix it, just add another tablespoon of flour.
By the way, see my post about vegan pantry staples I always have on hand to make sure I can make just about any recipe without an extra trip to the store.
How to make vegan banana pancakes
To make these easy dairy free banana pancakes, I first mash a very ripe peeled banana in a large bowl with a fork until it turns into a smooth puree.
Then I mix non-dairy milk with apple cider vinegar, and add them to the mashed banana.
(You can see the exact proportions and print out the full recipe in the recipe card below).
Next, I measure out the flour, and add baking powder on top of it right in the measuring cup. I mix them well, then fold the flour into the liquid ingredients until just combined. A few lumps are OK.
At this point, the batter needs to rest for 10 minutes. This allows the baking powder to react with apple cider vinegar.
Next, I preheat a large nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat. Recently I started using this 13-inch griddle by HexClad for cooking pancakes. I’ve got to say, it’s been working great: it distributes heat evenly even over a small burner, so I can fit a bunch of pancakes at once.
Of course, you can use whatever nonstick pan you have, or check out an an electric griddle like this one.
If your skillet or griddle isn’t nonstick, you may want to add 1 tsp of oil or spray the surface with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
Next, I drop pancake batter into the heated skillet, about 1/4 cup per pancake. Most pancake recipes recommend not to overcrowd the cooking surface, but if I’m in a hurry, I can fit 2-3 pancakes at a time in my 13-inch HexClad griddle.
Once the pancakes start forming bubbles on top after 1-2 minutes, I flip them and cook another 30 seconds to 1 minute.
The ingredient amounts listed in the recipe card below are enough to make about 8 medium-sized pancakes.
In our family with two adults and one 4 year-old this means three pancakes each for mommy and daddy, and two for our daughter. (I often make 4-5 smaller silver dollar-sized pancakes for her instead of two large ones.)
Flavorful variations
These banana pancakes are delicious by themselves served with some sliced fruit and maple syrup, but if you want to take them to the next level, feel free to add vegan chocolate chips and/or blueberries into the batter.
Chocolate chips: mix in 1-2 tablespoon straight into the pancake batter, or press 4-5 chocolate chips on top of each pancake as soon as you pour the batter into the skillet (i.e. before it starts solidifying).
Fresh blueberries: use up to 1/2 cup, and follow the same tips as with chocolate chips.
Frozen blueberries: Adding frozen blueberries directly into the batter can turn it purple as you mix them in – not super appetizing. If you’re using frozen blueberries, press a few into the batter once you’ve formed individual pancakes in the skillet (before the batter solidifies).
More vegan breakfast recipes from the blog
Multigrain vegan pancakes with chocolate chips and blueberries
Vegan Japanese sweet potato and chia pancakes
Veggie-loaded savory chickpea flour pancakes
3-ingredient Instant Pot steel cut oatmeal
Vegan overnight oats, served 4 ways
Easy Vegan Banana Pancakes (5 Ingredients!)
These easy vegan banana pancakes are made with just 5 ingredients, and can be put together in no time. Simple and healthy, dairy free, added sugar free, oil free, egg free. Suitable for vegan and vegetarian diets. (Scroll down for the video!)
Ingredients
- 1 very ripe spotted banana (see note*)
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup non-dairy milk of choice (I used almond)
- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose or whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
Optional:
- 1 tsp chia** seeds
Instructions
- In a large bowl, puree peeled banana with a fork. Combine non-dairy milk and apple cider vinegar**, then mix them into the banana puree.
- Measure out the flour. Add baking powder on top, then mix it in (I do this right in the measuring cup).
- Fold the flour into the wet ingredients until just combined - a few lumps are OK. Let the batter rest for 10 minutes.
- Preheat a large nonstick griddle or a skillet over medium heat (if your skillet or griddle aren't nonstick, add 1 tsp of oil or spray the surface with cooking spray). Drop pancake batter onto the heated surface, about 1/4 cup per pancake. I usually fit 2-3 pancakes at a time in my large 12-inch skillet.
- Cook the pancakes until bubbles start forming on top, about 1-2 minutes. Flip and cook about 1 minute more. Serve with pure maple syrup and your favorite sliced fruit.
Notes
* This recipe works great with thoroughly ripe spotted bananas that are beginning to get a little soft. By this stage of ripeness most of the starch in bananas has turned into sugar, so there's no need for additional sugar. If your banana isn't that ripe yet, feel free to add 1-2 tsp pure maple syrup to the batter to make it sweeter.
** If using chia seeds, add them to the wet ingredients in this step.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
2 pancakesAmount Per Serving: Calories: 288Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 16mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 4gSugar: 6gProtein: 6g
Please note that the provided nutritional information data is approximate.
I hope your family enjoys these easy vegan banana pancakes as much as mine does!
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Scout Horton
Saturday 5th of February 2022
Hi! Can you freeze these?
Alina Zavatsky - Vegan Runner Eats
Tuesday 8th of February 2022
Hi Scout! Honestly, I've never done that, so I'm not sure.