Quick and Easy Banana Oat Pancakes (Gluten-Free)

• Food: Banana Oat Pancakes (Gluten-Free)
• Writer: Lizzie Green
• Content-Type: Food Blog

Hello and good morning! I’m sitting cross-legged in my San Antonio hotel bed, close to a large window with a view of the Tower of Americas.

I can only see the top of it since it’s so cloudy.

As I sip my coffee, the fog in my head is slowly dissipating, and I just scraped the last of my “all-natural, ultra-premium” (what does that mean?) instant oatmeal from the sides of its disposable cup with a plastic fork. It’s not horrible at all.

That oatmeal, as well as these photographs of fluffy banana pancakes, transport me back to last Saturday, when I took my time making breakfast as Cookie sat at my feet.

Did you know that Cookie adores bananas almost as much as she does cheese? I couldn’t stop myself from making her swirl around on her back foot for banana bits. That dog makes me assume she got away from the circus.

These banana pancakes take a little longer to make than your typical from-scratch pancakes, but my oh my, was it worth it on a lazy Saturday morning.

I sat down and slipped the side of my grandmother’s old fork through three layers of the most creamy, fluffy, divinely sweet pancakes I’d ever had after creating, photographing, and fending the cakes from Cookie.

To my delight, I discovered that the pancakes had the creamy texture of oatmeal thanks to the oat flour, and that the bananas added such a delightful, natural sweetness that they didn’t require any syrup.

My banana pancakes were topped with sliced bananas, toasted coconut flakes, and maple syrup, but peanut butter or coconut butter would also be delicious.

So, after a long week at work, reward yourself with delicious banana pancakes and a cup of freshly brewed coffee from your own mug. You’ve earned it!

Gluten-Free Banana Oat Pancakes

For lazy mornings, these fluffy banana oat pancakes are a deliciously healthy, naturally sweetened breakfast. The recipe is gluten-free and dairy-free since it uses 100 percent oat flour instead of wheat flour. This recipe makes approximately 8 pancakes.

Ingredients

• a quarter cup of mashed bananas (about 3 small bananas, mashed, or 9.5 ounces)
• 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil or butter
• a quarter-cup of lemon juice (about 1 small lemon, juiced)
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup or honey
• two eggs
• 12 teaspoon baking soda 1 cup oat flour*
• 12 teaspoon salt 12 teaspoons cinnamon powder
• 14 teaspoon nutmeg powder

Instructions

1. Combine the mashed bananas, coconut oil (or butter), lemon juice, and honey in a small mixing basin (or maple syrup).
2. Add the eggs and mix well. (If your coconut oil solidifies, as mine did at this stage, simply cook the mixture in the microwave for 20-second bursts, stirring after each, until it is melted again.)
3. Whisk together the oat flour, baking soda, salt, and spices in a medium mixing basin.
4. In the center of the dry ingredients, make a well and pour in the wet components. Stir with a large spoon until the dry ingredients are completely wet. Be careful not to overmix!
5. Allow 10 minutes for the batter to rest. You may need to add a little milk or water to thin down the batter.
6. Preheat an electric griddle to 350 degrees Fahrenheit or a heavy cast-iron skillet/nonstick pan over medium-low heat. Using coconut oil, butter, or cooking spray, lightly coat the surface. (If you’re using a nonstick electric griddle, you may not even need oil.)
7. Pour 14 cups of batter onto the pan after the surface is hot enough for a drop of water to sizzle on it. Allow the pancake to cook for about 3 minutes, or until bubbles appear around the edges.
8. Flip the pancake with a spatula once the underside is gently golden, and cook for another 90 seconds or more, until golden brown on both sides. At this stage, you may need to adjust the heat up or down.
9. Serve the pancakes right away, or keep them warm in a 200°F oven.

Notes

• GLUTEN-FREE NOTES: If you use certified gluten-free oat flour or certified gluten-free old-fashioned oats, these pancakes are gluten-free.
• TO MAKE YOUR OWN OAT FLOUR, FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS: To produce oat flour from old-fashioned oats, place one cup of oats in a food processor and pulse until finely ground.
• TIPS FOR GETTING READY: Because this whole-grain batter is thicker than others, determining when the pancakes are ready to flip is more difficult. I discovered that using a timer is easier: set it for 3 minutes on one side, then flip and wait another 90 seconds for the other side to finish. The duration will vary based on your temperature setting, but that should be enough time for thoroughly cooked and golden pancakes on both sides.
• STORE IT: These pancakes keep well in the freezer. (I’ve never encountered a pancake that didn’t have this property.) Megan, a commenter, had success making the batter the night before, refrigerating it overnight, and then baking it the next morning (add a splash of milk to thin out the batter).
• ELIMINATE THE DAIRY: Simply replace the butter with coconut oil.
• MAKE IT EGG-FREE: Substitute flax eggs for the eggs (I’ve heard this works great from other commenters, but I haven’t tried it yet).