If you even remotely like banana bread then you will absolutely love these whole wheat banana pancakes. And if you don’t like bananas then you can substitute another fruit (like blueberries or raspberries), but I think the banana is the secret ingredient that adds the right amount of sweetness to balance out the whole wheat flavor (be sure to use ripe bananas!). If you really want some berries in there, consider adding them in addition to the bananas.
Tips and tricks for making fluffy, delicious whole wheat banana pancakes
If you haven’t made homemade banana pancakes before, you’re in for a treat! They’re the perfect amount of sweetness for a delicious Sunday brunch or, especially when frozen, an easy, healthy meal for busy mornings.
Are these banana pancakes healthy?
These banana pancakes are definitely a healthier option compared to regular pancake recipes. I make all my recipes with real food ingredients, including using whole wheat flour and adding no refined sugar (with a few “treat” recipe exceptions).
When I serve pancakes to my family I also add other healthy options, such as fresh fruit on the side, to make it a complete meal.
What is the best kind of whole grain flour to use in pancakes?
I don’t use anything special in this pancake recipe, just the regular King Arthur’s brand organic whole wheat flour that goes into most of my baking. We always use whole grain flour in our house, and we prefer its unique taste and texture.
However, if you aren’t a fan of regular whole wheat flour you can try using whole wheat pastry flour instead. Whole wheat pastry flour is milled from softer wheat and has a similar taste and texture to all-purpose flour, but without being highly processed.
Can these whole wheat pancakes be made with overripe bananas?
Besides banana bread, banana pancakes are one of my favorite ways to use up overripe bananas. You can use fresh bananas that are too ripe to eat or thaw a couple of overripe bananas that have been previously frozen.
Really ripe bananas have a stronger flavor, so keep that in mind depending on your preferences.
Can I substitute something for the banana in this recipe?
If you have a banana allergy, no bananas on hand, or just don’t like bananas, you can swap them out for some pureed fruit or veggies. Applesauce or jam will both work, or you could also use pureed sweet potatoes or pumpkins, too. (Seriously!)
Anytime you add a fruit or vegetable puree to a recipe it does affect the flavor, so make sure you like the taste of whatever you’re substituting with. Some purees will alter the pancake color too.
Bananas in this recipe can be substituted with 1 cup of your choice of mashed or pureed fruit/veggies.
How to tell if whole wheat banana pancakes are ready to flip
You can flip your pancakes when the edges start to brown and the middle firms up enough to hold the shape when flipped. Cooking time varies depending on pancake size and cooking surface, but it’s usually between 2 and 4 minutes per side.
Variation ideas for whole wheat banana pancakes
I think these banana pancakes are great as-is, but if you’re feeling adventurous there’s a few variations you can try to change things up.
Add vanilla or cinnamon
Both vanilla and cinnamon are great at enhancing the other flavors, especially the sweet ones. If you feel like your banana pancakes could use a little something extra, experiment with 1 tsp of vanilla, cinnamon, or both.
Banana and blueberry (or any berry) pancakes
I love topping banana pancakes with berries, but you can also add some inside your pancake batter. Blueberries, strawberries (cut in small pieces), raspberries, and blackberries all taste great in pancake batter!
How to freeze leftover pancakes
The other great thing about this banana pancake recipe is that the leftover pancakes freeze beautifully (and we usually do have some leftovers). Just layer them in-between pieces of wax paper inside a freezer-safe zip lock bag.
Then one morning when you are racing around trying to get the kids out the door for school, just pull a couple of pancakes out of the freezer, heat for a minute or two in the microwave, and voila! I am all about convenience, plus it doesn’t hurt that these are pretty healthy pancakes compared to some other options out there.
Check out some of my other favorite breakfast and brunch recipes:
- Whole Wheat French Toast
- Whole Wheat Pecan Maple Cinnamon Rolls (no refined sugar)
- Whole Wheat Cereal Bars
- Breakfast Casserole Bites
- Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes
- Whole Wheat Oven Pancake
- Whole Wheat Waffles
Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole-wheat flour I use King Arthur’s organic white whole-wheat flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- 1 ¾ cups milk you could use white, buttermilk, or almond milk
- 2 tablespoons butter unsalted, melted, + butter for frying (alternatively you could use coconut oil)
- 2 bananas mashed
- pure maple syrup for serving
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
- Make a well (hole) in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the honey, eggs, milk, and 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Whisk together thoroughly, but do not overmix.
- Gently fold the mashed bananas into the batter with a spatula.
- Heat a griddle or sauté pan over medium-high heat. Swirl enough butter around the pan until it is well coated. Add pancake batter using a soup ladle.
- When the pancakes have begun to turn golden brown on the bottom, flip them over to cook the other side.
- Serve with warm maple syrup and a side of fruit (like an apple, fresh blueberries, or a sliced banana if you just can’t get enough). And don’t forget to freeze the leftovers for another day!
I make these vegan by omitting the eggs, replacing the butter with coconut oil and the milk with almond milk. They always turn the perfect brown color and taste delicious! Love them!
This is a delicious breakfast and a really easy one to prep for the week. I added a dash of cinnamon to the batter. My kids loved them and said these pancakes tasted just like banana bread!
Just made these because I had two overripe bananas and KAF whole wheat flour. I was dubious about the fluffy factor. These are fluffy, soft and very yummy. The banana flavor is not that strong with is perfect. I added chocolate chips to send them over the top. These are seriously good. Thank you!
My family absolutely loves these! I always make a double batch to freeze. Today in my rush, I accidentally left the baggie of pancakes on the counter all day. Think they are still good or require refrigeration? Thanks!
They should still be fine as long as you got them in the fridge when you got home. – Nicole
I’ve made these pancakes several times and they never turn out “fluffy” but pretty flat. Could this be because I live at a higher altitude than that of the Charlotte, NC area? Any recipe adjustments you could suggest for making pancakes at altitudes over 4,500 feet?
Best pancakes ever! I made them for breakfast and struggled with stopping at having just one pancake. Thank you for sharing this fab recipe!
The recipe is amazing! I’ve been using it for a few years. Unless I make a double batch, there are never leftovers (and sometimes not even then).
To make it even more decadent, I’ll toast some chopped pecans in a frying pan and then slightly candy the toasted pecans in the same pan with a bit of maple syrup and good butter. We then top the pancakes with the pecans and a bit more maple syrup.
Thanks for sharing! This is one of my favorite pancake recipes too! – Nicole
I make this all the time. My kids love them. I “veganized” the reciepe by using plant based milk and switch eggs for a flax seed “egg”. And replaced honey with agave. I was perfect!
Thanks for the tips! – Nicole
Fed this to my family after a morning hike. It was a hit with everyone! No leftovers because it was gobbled up. Thank you for making a healthy recipe with low sugar. I didn’t even need any syrup. I want to try nuts with it next time.
Nice Recipe! Though I have never tried it. But, would love to make someday.
I love these pancakes and have been telling friends to try it out! I actually made them at the same time I was making the lemon raspberry muffins so I did the same. Added lemon zest and frozen raspberries….so so good! If I have the berries on hand, I can’t help but add them every time!
What leftovers?? :)
I figured it was about time for me to comment… I’ve been using this recipe for years and it is my absolute favorite! I usually throw in an extra banana, a couple generous teaspoons of cinnamon, and some more honey for good measure. We rarely use syrup – even though that’s yummy too. They are delicious with just butter, or even peanut butter, sliced bananas and a little drizzle of extra honey. We have even been known to use them in place of bread for PB&Js.
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
I use 2 tablespoons ground flax seed meal with 6 tablespoons water to replace the eggs, vegan butter and Almond milk to make it Vegan. It’s not allergy friendly but it’s vegan and my kids can’t tell the difference! This recipe is a regular in our house!
Just made these for our family of 4 and it was plenty. We loved it! Thick and fluffy. Didn’t add in any cinnamon or vanilla and they still had a lot of flavor. We will definitely make again.
Delicious! It really does taste like banana bread! I added cinnamon and vanilla, plus blueberries and a few dark chocolate chips. Yum!
These were amazing! So yummy, my entire family (including my pickiest eater) gobbled them up!
Tasty & Healthy! I made a half-batch. Used 3/4 cup White Whole Wheat flour plus 1/4 cup Quinoa Flour. Halved the leavenings & salt. Wet ingredients; 1.5 tsp Honey, 1 egg, 3/4 cup + 2TBSP whole Buttermilk, 1 TBSP Virgin Coconut Oil, 1 large Banana. To cover the taste of Quinoa Flour I used 1 Tsp pure Vanilla extract & 1 TBSP Orange Juice. OJ is a trick that will neutralize taste of WW flour so folks who think they don’t like WW flour won’t notice it. Usually don’t need it with white whole wheat, but quinoa flour has a strong taste. Also the vanilla helped with that – would’ve only needed 1/2 tsp for half batch if all WW flour. Made 12 small, 4-inch pancakes that were very good. I’m sure the original recipe is Fantastic!. Take care when cooking – they burn easily. Thanks for the recipe. I’m sure I’ll use your original recipe too:)
Tasty & Healthy! I made a half-batch. Used 3/4 cup White Whole Wheat flour plus 1/4 cup Quinoa Flour. Halved the leavenings & salt. Wet ingredients; 1.5 tsp Honey, 1 egg, 3/4 cup + 2TBSP whole Buttermilk, 1 TBSP Virgin Coconut Oil, 1 large Banana. To cover the taste of Quinoa Flour I used 1 Tsp pure Vanilla extract & 1 TBSP Orange Juice. OJ is a trick that will neutralize taste of WW flour so folks who think they don’t like WW flour won’t notice it. Usually don’t need it with white whole wheat, but quinoa flour has a strong taste. Also the vanilla helped with that – would’ve only needed 1/2 tsp if all WW flour. Made 12 small, 4-inch pancakes that were very good. I’m sure the original recipe is Fantastic!. Take care when cooking – they burn easily. Thanks for the recipe. I’m sure I’ll use your original recipe too:)
Very good,
nutrition would be very helpful.
I’ll be honest I found these to be a little bland. It’s a good starting recipebut next time I might add some nuts or cinnamon.
Thank you! Your recipe was fun, easy, quick and Delish♡
Excellent!!
i added raspberry and it was delicious. but why do you make a hole?
Hi there. This should help: http://www.recipetips.com/glossary-term/t–38829/well-method.asp.
Great recipe! I have a banana intolerance so I used applesauce instead, and it turned out great! We also added blueberries for extra sweetness.
How much applesauce did you use? I have a kiddo with a banana intolerance, too. Thanks!
I made these for the first time at a remote island cottage without electricity and they were a huge hit. I didn’t have honey so I used 2 tablespoons of brown sugar instead and I also used regular whole wheat flour. I would definitely use much less sugar next time although they were really good, even cold the next day. But being Canadian, we don’t skimp on the pure maple syrup, so they don’t need to be that sweet. We served them with fresh Ontario strawberries. Wonderful recipe.
These are SO GOOD! But I’m wondering, what does the well/hole do?
: ) This is probably more info than you need: http://www.recipetips.com/glossary-term/t–38829/well-method.asp.
Outstanding! I added some blueberries and banana flavored protein powder as well and oh my goodness……excellent! Thanks for the recipe
So delicious
These are very yummy pancakes. Thanks for sharing the recipe. would This recipe work well as a bulk dry pancake mix and I take 1 cup of it and mix half the amount of the wet ingredients?
I don’t see why that would not work. :)
These pancakes make a great breakfast. Just add a little low sugar jam or butter on the top as I’m not a big fan of syrup. Very filling.
I was disappointed with these after following the recipe. There was no flavor at all, and I even added vanilla extract and cinnamon. I’ll give it another try though because it’s also my first time cooking with whole wheat flour so its possible that I have to acquire the taste. Next time I’ll try to increase the vanilla extract and honey and maybe add berries or slices of bananas as the first side cooks.
These are my favorite pancakes! They are super filling… I tend to add a bit of water to thin out the batter. It has become tradition in my household to make these. So yummy. Thanks for a great recipe!
As a PP said, these were the best banana pancakes I’ve ever made. I did add a bit of almond extract just to add a little nuttiness without adding nuts (my husband doesn’t like them). And being able to freeze them for a quick breakfast is awesome with a toddler in the house. Any time real food tastes this good, it’s a double win! Thanks for the recipe!
Could I make the batter ahead of time and freeze it?
You will lose the “lift” in the batter . It is better to cook them and freeze them.
I wanted to make these for my 11 month old but he hasn’t had honey yet, could I omit it completely? I am trying to keep them as “healthy” as possible and thought substituting syrup might be too sugary.
You can. You could also sub with maple syrup.
These were hands down the best banana pancakes I’d ever eaten. I used almond milk and buttermilk. I sprinkled cinnamon on to top them off. They were great! The wheat flour worked so very well.
Thanks. CJW
Love these pancakes! Having a friend over with lots of allergies (dairy, nuts). What can I substitute for the milk (no nut milks, please!)?
Soy or coconut?
Soy worked well. Thanks!
Wow, these were good! Made only half a batch and was able to freeze a bunch! My toddler gobbled them up! Thanks!