3-Ingredient Banana Pancakes
This 3-ingredient banana pancake recipe is healthy and easy to make. It's family friendly, too—babies, kids and adults love these pancakes!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 30, 2024
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Maybe the world needs more banana pancakes. Yes, that’s just what we’re missing. Yes, that’s what I’m telling myself right now. This thirteen-year-old (!) recipe website already has several banana pancake recipes, each wonderful in its own way, and here I am with another.
My whole wheat banana pancakes are so nice and fluffy. My banana oat pancakes are tender and flavorful with oatmeal-like interiors. This blender oatmeal pancake recipe yields an all-around great pancake that’s less banana-y than the others. I even have banana waffle recipes—whole wheat and oat-based—those are great, too.
These are the banana pancakes I’m making most often at the moment. They are the simplest pancakes by far, with only three ingredients at the core: mashed banana, eggs and whole-grain flour (you have several flour options here). I often add cinnamon and hemp hearts or flaxseeds, but even then, they require fewer ingredients than the rest.
Nutritionally, these banana pancakes are about as healthy as pancakes can be. They’re significantly lower in carbohydrates than the other recipes, and slightly higher in protein. That’s a win! They don’t taste as much like a treat as the other recipes, but they’re truly very nice.
These pancakes are easy to throw together in the morning while Grace toddles around the kitchen. She loves them and I feel good about them. So, these banana pancakes are definitely baby-friendly and kid-friendly. These simple pancakes are for everyone!
3-Ingredient Banana Pancake Notes
I tried two-ingredient banana pancakes a long time ago (banana and egg only) and found nothing to like about them—they’re much too wet and eggy. Frankly, you’re better off eating scrambled eggs with a side of banana. Adding a little flour makes all the difference with these pancakes.
Your flour options for these pancakes include whole wheat flour, buckwheat flour or oat flour. They work equally well. Buckwheat flour has the most bold flavor, while whole wheat is the most subtle. Oat flour is hearty and offers a light oatmeal-like flavor. For gluten-free pancakes, choose certified gluten-free buckwheat or oat flour.
The eggs in this recipe are absolutely essential. Flax eggs will not work in this recipe. Do not attempt or you will end up with sad banana-flax mush. I know because I tried.
Use overripe bananas for this recipe. Ideally, they have at least a few brown spots. Overripe bananas are sweeter and impart more banana flavor.
You’ll need to dial down the heat as you cook these pancakes. Most pancakes contain some sugar, which not only makes the pancakes sweeter, but also helps prevent them from burning as they cook. Since these pancakes are entirely naturally sweetened with bananas (no added sweetener, not even maple syrup), they are especially sensitive to heat. If you notice that your pancakes are turning too golden on the outside before the insides are cooked, the skillet has become too hot.
Watch How to Make 3-Ingredient Banana Pancakes
Nutritious Mix-In Options & Serving Suggestions
These banana pancakes are very good in their most simple form, containing only banana, egg and flour. If you’d like to boost the flavor or nutrition, add any of the following:
- Ground cinnamon: I always add cinnamon because I love the flavor.
- Hemp hearts and/or ground flaxseed: Both offer healthy fat and fiber.
- Unsweetened shredded coconut: You could stir a couple tablespoons into the batter. You’ll get even better toasted flavor if you sprinkle a little coconut over the uncooked side of the pancake before flipping.
- Pinch of salt: I don’t think you’ll miss it, but a little bit of salt should amp up the overall flavor. Use up to 1/4 teaspoon.
For serving our daughter, I often add a light spread of runny almond butter sprinkled with hemp hearts or a pat of butter. I like them that way myself! For more of a breakfast treat, try a spread of peanut or almond butter or Greek yogurt for protein, plus additional sliced banana and a drizzle of maple syrup or honey.
More Banana Breakfast Treats to Try
- Banana Coconut Muffins
- Gluten-Free Banana Bread (Made with Almond Flour)
- Healthy Banana Bread
- Maple-Sweetened Banana Muffins
- Vegan Banana Nut Scones
Please let me know how your banana pancakes turn out in the comments! I love hearing from you.
3-Ingredient Banana Pancakes
These 3-ingredient banana pancakes are healthy and so easy to make. This recipe is family friendly as well—babies, kids and adults alike love these pancakes. Yields 8 pancakes (each about 4 inches in diameter, enough for 2 to 4 servings).
Ingredients
- 2 medium-to-large ripe bananas
- 4 large eggs
- ½ cup whole wheat flour or buckwheat flour or ⅔ cup oat flour
- Optional flavor/nutrition boosters: ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, up to 2 tablespoons hemp hearts and/or ground flaxseed, up to ¼ teaspoon salt
- Butter, avocado oil or ghee, for cooking
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, mash the banana with a large fork until it’s shiny and mostly smooth. Add the eggs and whisk until the eggs are evenly incorporated into the banana.
- Add the flour and any optional boosters. Gently stir until combined. Set aside while you preheat the skillet (the batter can rest for up to 1 hour if need be).
- Heat a large skillet (stainless steel, cast iron or nonstick) over medium-low heat (if using an electric griddle, heat it to 350 degrees Fahrenheit). You’re ready to start cooking pancakes once a drop of water sizzles on contact with the hot surface. If necessary, lightly oil the cooking surface with a pat of butter or oil, carefully wiping up excess with a paper towel (nonstick surfaces likely won’t require any oil).
- Scoop ¼ cup batter onto the hot skillet, leaving a couple of inches around each pancake for expansion. Cook until small bubbles form on the surface of the pancakes, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Flip the pancakes, then cook until lightly golden on both sides, 1 to 2 minutes more. Repeat the process with the remaining batter, adding more butter and dialing down the heat if the pancakes are turning dark on the outside before they are cooked through on the inside.
- Serve immediately or keep warm in a 200 degree Fahrenheit oven. Leftover pancakes can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to 3 months. To reheat, stack leftover pancakes and wrap them in a paper towel before gently reheating in the microwave.
Notes
Make it gluten free: Use certified gluten-free oat flour or buckwheat flour.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Hi Kate, thanks for this delicious and easy recipe. We served it up with a drizzling of natural peanut butter and maple syrup. man it was so good!
I’m happy you loved this recipe, Jordan!
HI Kate. I made these today using one egg, one small banana and a bit of ww flour. I added cinnamon. It made five small/med sized pancakes. I took your advice and lowered the heat in the pan so they didn’t burn . Enough for one (me). They were very good – sweet enough without added maple syrup etc.n
Made these for the second time today. Cut the recipe in half. Don’t remember them being so dense. I am the dense one; did not cut flour in half! Yikes! Still very tasty and I ate them all!
Yum!
Made with the recommended additions (cinnamon, salt, hemp hearts) and added 1/4 tsp baking powder and vanilla. Sprinkled finely chopped nuts on while cooking.
These are moister than average pancakes
Great to hear, Wendy!
So, you actually tried 2 ingredients only, first?
Egg and banana… You mashed banana and eggs together into a goo and put it on a hotplate… And wanted pancakes? Well heck, anything is worth one try. Sounds like a banana omelette, eek.