Best Banana Oat Pancakes (Vegan)
These vegan banana oat pancakes are a delicious choice because they blend ripe bananas and hearty oats to create a naturally sweet and satisfying breakfast option. Packed with fiber, nutrients, and a comforting texture, they make for a wholesome and tasty start to your day. They are light and fluffy, vegan, sugar-free, and gluten-free!
Pancakes are my husband’s favorite, and Saturday mornings are a great time to make them for us. Sometimes I make this recipe, and other times I make these vegan pumpkin pancakes. Many times, I will cook a double batch and freeze the leftovers. They go perfectly with my smoked tempeh bacon and sometimes even this tofu breakfast scramble or vegan roadhouse breakfast hash.
Reasons you will love these pancakes
- Nutrient-Rich Ingredients: Vegan banana oat pancakes are made with wholesome ingredients like oats and bananas, providing a good source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals to fuel your morning.
- Low in Added Sugar: Using ripe bananas as a natural sweetener reduces the need for additional sugars, making these pancakes a healthier choice for a vegan breakfast option.
- Easy to Customize: You can easily customize these pancakes with add-ins like berries or nuts, offering variety and additional nutrients to suit your taste preferences and dietary needs. I cook my pancakes with walnuts in the batter and then top them with strawberries and blueberries.
- Freeze Well: We make pancakes on Saturdays, and I love to make extra batches to eat during the week for fast-paced mornings. They also freeze very well.
Ingredients you’ll need
The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.
- Oat flour- can be purchased in health food stores, but why do that when all you need is oats and a blender to make your own oat flour at home for a fraction of the cost?
- Ripe banana- It’s important to use a ripe or even overly ripe banana because this is going to sweeten the batter for these pancakes.
- Applesauce- To help sweeten and keep these pancakes. You can purchase this or make homemade applesauce.
- Maple syrup– This is for added sweetener to make a lovely batter.
- Walnuts- Nuts are optional, but I love the added nutty flavor and crunch they add to the batter. Pecans could be used as well.
- Vanilla– To add more warm flavor.
- Apple cider vinegar- Vinegar helps the batter rise, and you won’t taste it.
- Plant milk- My favorite choice is almond milk, but you could use any plant milk such as soy, cashew, or others.
- Baking Soda & Salt- These help make the pancakes fluffy.
Tips & Suggestions
- Ingredients– Thoroughly whisk together the dry ingredients before pouring in the well-mixed wet ingredients. This allows for a much smoother transition of ingredients.
- Batter- If the batter is allowed to sit for a few minutes, it will continue to thicken. So, the batter for the last few pancakes will likely need to be thinned out just a little by adding an additional 2-3 tablespoons of almond milk.
- Faster cooking- I put the pan lid on my pancakes immediately after they are poured to help them cook faster and thoroughly even in the middle. Once I flip them to cook on the other side, I leave the lid off because the middle of the cakes should be done by then.
- Storage- Before freezing, allow the pancakes to cool completely uncovered so they won’t develop condensation on the inside of your airtight container.
- More pancake recipes- For a different variation, try these Blueberry Cornmeal Pancakes by PlantPure Chef, Kim Campbell.
How to make banana oat pancakes
Making these healthy banana and oat pancakes begins with blending up your oat flour in less than 5 minutes, or you can purchase it already blended. Making it yourself saves money and keeps you from needing to store a large bag of it.
STEP #1: Simply add old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats to your blender, food processor, or even coffee grinder. I use a 5200 series Vitamix for all of my blending and highly recommend it.
STEP #2: Blend or pulse oats until they are ground into powdery flour, approximately 1 minute or less. Time will depend on the power of your appliance. If needed, stop and stir oats then pulse again to make sure they are completely blended.
One cup of oats makes just under 1 cup of flour. There is about 1 tablespoon difference, with the finished flour product being the lesser measurement.
For more information on cooking with oat flour check out How to Make Oat Flour & 10 Recipes that includes Zucchini Fudgy Brownies, Healthy Vegan Oat Bar, Zucchini Fritters, Vegan & Gluten-Free Waffles, Blueberry Oat Muffins, Dairy-Free Tootsie Rolls, and more.
STEP #3: Add all of the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt, walnuts) to a large bowl, and whisk together. I use a big bowl for this because, in a couple of steps, we’ll combine wet and dry ingredients in this bowl, and I like to have plenty of room for stirring.
STEP #4: In a small bowl, mash the banana well with a fork. Add all other ingredients (vanilla, maple syrup (or unrefined sugar), apple cider vinegar, and almond milk). Whisk together thoroughly.
STEP #5: This is where the large dry ingredient bowl comes in handy. Combine both bowls–dry ingredients and wet ingredients, toss in the walnuts, and stir well. Allow the batter to sit for about 5 minutes to thicken up. If it gets too thick, add a splash of plant milk.
STEP #6: Heat a large nonstick skillet. I use an Ozeri nonstick pan and can cook these with absolutely no oil. Pour small amounts of batter onto the heated skillet and cook until the tops bubble. I like to use a trigger ice cream scoop to scoop out the batter because it’s the perfect amount for each pancake and less messy. Put the lid on the pan to help them cook in the middle.
STEP #7: Turn each of the pancakes over and cook the other side for about 1 minute, until golden brown. There is no need to put the lid back on at this point.
Serve immediately with maple syrup drizzled over the top. We also love to add berries like strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries. To really hit it out of the park, add a dollop of my Homemade Vegan Whipped Cream, drizzle this vegan caramel sauce over the top, or smear them with this delicious creamy vanilla vegan cashew cream.
*Originally published February 28, 2015.
Recipe adapted from The Cancer Survivor’s Guide by Dr. Neal Barnard
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! These vegan banana pancakes are gluten-free. Oats are naturally gluten-free. The main problem with oats in gluten-free eating is contamination. Most commercial oats are processed in facilities that also process wheat, barley, and rye. The gluten in these ingredients can contaminate oats. For those who need to be particularly careful, these certified gluten-free oats are a good option.
You’ll need a nonstick pan, and I highly recommend this Ozeri pan. It keeps the pancakes from sticking to the bottom and makes them easy to flip.
Absolutely! I freeze them all the time. When you’re ready, just defrost them. Reheat them in your microwave, oven, or toaster.
More Favorite Vegan Breakfast Recipes
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Banana-Oat Pancakes
Ingredients
- 2 cups oat flour easily made by blending old-fashioned oats in blender, dry
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 ripe banana mashed
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/2 cup applesauce
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 3/4 cup plant milk (almond, cashew, oat, etc)
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Making oat flour is simple. Just put whole oats into a blender or food processor. Blend oats until soft and powdery. This will take less than 1 minute.
- Add all of the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt) to a large bowl, and mix well.
- In another bowl, mash banana well with fork or potato masher. Add all other ingredients (vanilla, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, and plant milk). Whisk together thoroughly. You may need to add an additional splash (approximately 1 tablespoon) plant milk.
- Combine both bowls–dry ingredients and wet ingredients, toss in the walnuts, and stir well. Allow the batter to sit for about 5 minutes to thicken up. If it gets too thick, add a splash of plant milk.
- Heat large nonstick skillet. Pour small amounts of batter onto the heated skillet and cook until the tops bubble. I like to use a trigger ice cream scoop to scoop out the batter because it's the perfect amount for each pancake and less messy. Put the lid on the pan to help them cook in the middle.
- Turn pancakes over and cook the other side for about 1 minute, until golden brown.
- Serve immediately with maple syrup drizzled over the top.
Video
Notes
- Mixing the batter- Thoroughly whisk together the dry ingredients before pouring the well-mixed wet ingredients. This allows for a much smoother transition of ingredients.
- Flour substitution- If you want to make this recipe with whole wheat flour instead of oat flour, you'll need to add approximately 1/2 a cup more plant milk.
- Batter- If the batter is allowed to sit for about 5 minutes, it will continue to thicken. So, the batter for the last few pancakes will likely need to be thinned out just a little by adding 2-3 tablespoons of almond milk.
- Faster cooking- I put the pan lid on my pancakes immediately after they are poured to help them cook faster and thoroughly even in the middle. Once I flip them to cook on the other side, I leave the lid off because the middle of the cakes should be done by then.
- Storage- Before freezing, allow the pancakes to cool completely uncovered so they won’t develop condensation on the inside of your airtight container.
- More pancake recipes- For a different variation, try these Blueberry Cornmeal Pancakes by PlantPure Chef, Kim Campbell.
Nutrition
Disclaimer
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About Terri Edwards
Hi guys! I am the content creator behind EatPlant-Based and a licensed Food for Life instructor with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. I am passionate about sharing healthy recipes and tips to empower others to get healthy. I’m so glad you’re here! Read More…
I always make a double batch and eat them all week. This past week I took them in a plastic container and warmed them up for breakfast everyday while on vacation at Glacier National Park. MY FAVORITE BREAKFAST!!!
Hi! I tried making these and they didn’t come out very solid and took forever to cook and they pretty much had to burn on one side before I could try to flip them over. I followed the amounts exactly. Any tips I may have missed? Still tasted great just don’t know what I’m doing wrong ?
Hi Barb- Sorry that you had trouble. I haven’t heard of anyone ever having that problem before. How thick was your batter before you cooked them? It should be pretty firm as pictured in the article. If it was too thin, it could only be a couple things. Either there was too much plant milk used or possibly not enough salt and baking soda. What type of applesauce did you use?
I used 365 Whole Foods organic unsweetened apple sauce. I think my problem was using kosher salt because I was out of regular salt so it probably didn’t distribute evenly!
These turned out great! I didn’t have any walnuts so instead I used 1/4 of a cup of almond flour. Turned out perfect!
Is there a way to make them without the applesauce since I usually don’t ever keep it on hand, even if it invokes using eggs, unless that is not what you are using it for. Maybe more almond milk?
Hi Pam- I would try using more banana to replace the apple sauce. I haven’t tried it but think it should work.
Applesauce isn’t listed as an ingredient however it’s mentioned in your video. Is it an ingredient or not?
Hi Tanya- Wow! I have no idea how that got deleted. It used to be there. Sorry about that, and I’ve corrected it now. It’s 3/4 cup applesauce. Hope you enjoy these!
These look sooo good but I don’t have any baking soda on hand! Can I substitute with baking powder? If so then I won’t need the vinegar right? I’m a terrible baker/cook/whatever but I’m trying! Lol
Thank you
Hi Jine- I suggest substituting the soad for the powder that you have on hand and also using the vinegar. Hope you enjoy them!
Super yummy! Used oat flour, little amount of almond flour and coconut flour. Thinned batter out with coconut milk. I was using what I had on hand. Have leftovers for later. So satisfying! Than you.
Hi Susan- That sounds wonderful, and I love the way you’re pulling these together with ingredients you have on-hand. Way to GO! Thanks for letting me know how much you like them.
Love these pancakes, tried many healthy pancakes which were only so-so before finding this delicious recipe. This will now be my go to recipe, thanks for sharing.
Louise- Thanks so much, and I’m thrilled that these pancakes will be your new go-to! 😀
Wonderful….added chopped dates and raisins as well….ground walnuts is delicious….we snack on them all day….if they last passed breakfast
Do you have any tips for reheating the frozen pancakes?
Hi Kathy- Sure! I just reheated some for breakfast this morning. Take them from the freezer and put them on a plate. Place in microwave for 1 minute (mine are usually frozen in a stack). Next, unstack them and microwave another 1-2 minutes. That does the trick for us.
Or toaster oven I’m sure would work great for those of us who gave up microwaves. All reheating for me is done in IP or toaster oven. Will be making these very soon!
These are our “go to” pancakes, we love them about 1-2 times a week
Terri, I meant to write after the first time I made your Banana Oat Pancakes and just didn’t. Tonight was the 3rd time and I just couldn’t put it off any longer. They are the BOMB! Best pancakes I’ve ever eaten! With pure maple syrup they are decadent. After giving up animal products in 1993 I have tried more pancake recipes than I could count and while some were acceptable, none were great, until now! I swear I could have them for dinner every night! My wife gives them a 10, also! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Jo- Thanks so much for this awesome feedback! I’m absolutely beaming. 😀
Made these today, and they were delicious. I added some ground flax seeds and a little extra liquid. doubled everything, as I had two bananas going brown. Enough to freeze some, give some of the mix away, and a full breakfast today.
That’s AWESOME to hear! I do the same thing and make double-batches every time I make them. They freeze very well, so you can save some to eat in the weeks to come. Thanks SO much for the great feedback. 😀
Made these this morning. They were excellent! Thanks for sharing your delicious recipe.
They are a family favorite around here most Saturday mornings and sometimes even for dinner. I always make 2 batches at a time and freeze some for those times when I don’t have time to cook. I am so glad you enjoyed them!