Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes

It’s cozy season. Let’s make banana pancakes! This banana pancake recipe yields gloriously fluffy pancakes, even though they’re made with hearty whole wheat flour.

These whole grain pancakes have more substance than your average pancake, which means they can actually fuel you until lunchtime. I like to dollop them with some peanut butter for some extra fiber and protein.

I adapted these pancakes from the banana coconut pancakes in Love Real Food (page 17). If you haven’t tried those yet, you’ve been missing out! These are more classic banana pancakes, and I managed to incorporate a little more mashed banana for maximum banana flavor.

These banana pancakes are perfect for lazy weekends, and reheat well for busy weekday breakfasts. You can also double the batch and freeze extras for later. They definitely brighten up cold gray mornings, which is what we’ve been having lately.

Banana Pancake Tips

Make these pancakes with the random leftover bananas on the counter. Overripe bananas are perfect!

Always make pancakes by hand (not with an electric mixer). Over-mixing the batter yields rubbery pancakes. Simply combine the wet and dry ingredients as instructed. Stir them together with a big spoon until no big powdery lumps remain.

Griddles are great because you can make more pancakes at once. Electric griddles are nice because the temperature stays constant.

If you’re cooking on the stovetop, you may need to dial back the heat a bit over time. Your temperature is too high if the pancakes are golden on the outside but still raw on the inside.

Lightly coat your griddle or skillet with butter or coconut oil in between batches. Be sure to wipe off the excess butter/oil with a paper towel so it doesn’t burn. (There’s actually too much butter in the skillet in the photo below. Oops.)

The pancakes are ready to flip when about 1/2-inch of the perimeter has turned from glossy to matte. Better to wait a little too long to be safe than to end up with a doughy mess.

Banana Pancake Variations

You can make these pancakes as-is (my favorite) or gussy them up. Options include:

After stirring together the wet and dry ingredients, you can gently fold in fresh blueberries or chopped strawberries (up to 1 cup) or chocolate chips (up to 1/2 cup).

Top your pancakes with homemade fruit compote, almond butter, pecan butter or whipped cream!

Please let me know how these pancakes turn out for you in the comments. I hope these become a favorite weekend recipe.

Craving more wholesome pancakes? Here are more favorites:

Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes

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Author: Cookie and Kate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 6 to 7 pancakes 1x
Category: Breakfast
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: American

★★★★★

4.9 from 102 reviews

These banana pancakes are so fluffy, no one will guess they’re made with whole wheat flour! Top these whole wheat pancakes with peanut butter and sliced bananas for extra protein and fiber. Recipe yields 6 to 7 pancakes (enough for 2 to 3 people); double the amounts for a family or more leftovers.

Scale

Ingredients

1 cup white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder (not baking soda!)
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
⅔ cup milk of choice*
½ cup mashed ripe banana (from about 1 large banana), plus another banana for slicing on top
1 large egg
2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey, plus more for serving
2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter or coconut oil
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional toppings: sliced banana, maple syrup, peanut butter or almond butter

Instructions

If you’re using an electric skillet, preheat it to 350 degrees Fahrenheit now. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Whisk to blend.
In a smaller bowl, combine the milk, mashed banana, egg, maple syrup, butter and vanilla. Whisk until blended. Pour the liquid mixture into the flour mixture and mix just until combined.
If you are not using an electric skillet, heat a heavy cast iron skillet or nonstick griddle over medium-low heat. 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 additional butter or coconut oil, carefully wiping up excess with a paper towel (nonstick surfaces likely won’t require any oil).
Using a ⅓-cup measuring cup, scoop the 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 (you’ll know it’s ready to flip when about ½-inch of the perimeter is matte instead of glossy).
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 or oil and adjusting the heat as necessary.
Serve immediately or keep warm in a 200 degree Fahrenheit oven. If desired, top individual servings with a spread of peanut or almond butter and/or sliced bananas, and serve with more maple syrup or honey on the side.
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

*Milk options: This recipe will work with cow’s milk, nut milk (almond milk, cashew milk, macadamia milk), soy milk or coconut milk.

Make it dairy free: Use non-dairy milk (see list above for a suitable alternative) and coconut oil instead of butter.

Make it vegan: See above, omit the egg, and use maple syrup instead of honey.

Make it egg free: Simply omit the egg!

Make it gluten free: Use gluten-free all-purpose flour blend instead of whole wheat flour.

▸ Nutrition Information

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.

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