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.
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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. Check out these Healthy Blueberry Pancakes too!
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. Try this Homemade Banana Bread for another way to use up overripe bananas!
Really ripe bananas have a stronger flavor, so keep that in mind depending on your preferences. You will love these Banana Pancakes with Protein and these Almond Milk Pancakes!
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 teaspoon 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
- Almond Flour Pancakes
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!
rachel h. says
Lisa, I think I might be falling in love with you. These are amazing. I did throw a handful of mini chocolate chips in because my kids were complaining about banana pancakes, but I don't think they were needed. I served some with peanut butter and honey, but the majority had butter and maple syrup. Fantastic recipe, lots left to freeze too!
Courtney says
Made these this morning for breakfast and they are AMAZING! I was surprised at how filling I found them to be! Froze the extras like you suggested and I'm excited to have them another day!
Taylor says
These are AWESOME! So fluffy and delicious!! I made these for the second time today but made them into pumpkin pancakes with these modifications:
added 1 cup canned pumpkin (couldn't find organic)
added 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
added 1 additional tablespoon of honey
only used 1 banana instead of 2
They were so so good! The pumpkin puree made them really moist too. The kids ate them all up!
Thanks again for a fabulous pancake recipe.
Joani says
Just made these this morning! Made them dairy-free, as I can't have it, and also added cinnamon :) Delicious! Thanks for sharing this yummy recipe!
Betsy Kunz` says
My family doesn't like bananas. Could I put applesauce or pumpkin in place of the bananas? Or mashed/pureed raspberries?
100 Days of Real Food says
I think another mashed fruit would work...give it a shot!
Lauren says
These are awesome! My 3-year-old devoured them, so I made a second batch so I could freeze some for her to eat at daycare.
Sherry says
What is the calorie count in these if you know? Thanks
100 Days of Real Food says
I don't know because we do not count calories, fat grams, carbs, etc. Based on what we've learned from Michael Pollan if we eat a variety of whole foods (that are heavy on plants and overall eaten in moderation) then the rest will just fall into place...and it does!
Katrine says
Just made these with pears! Delicious!!!! I Love your site!!!!! Thanks!!
Jenn says
We tried these pancakes with just a cup of defrosted blueberries last night for dinner, and they were awesome! Seriously, they were some of the best pancakes I've ever eaten, so light and fluffy. We omitted the butter and just used a good non-stick pan. I was concerned because we are still getting use to the whole wheat flour, but after the first bite, there were no worries at all. They also reheated well this morning (just a few minutes in the oven) for breakfast. Delicious!
Amanda B says
Super yummy and perfectly sweet enough. These get so nice and fluffy, too. I added cinnamon (that's my trademark- my boys would think something was wrong with Mom's pancakes if there weren't cinnamon!) and fried the cakes in grapeseed oil with success. I devoured mine and am making the rest for the freezer now. :-)
Cheryl says
Wow! These are absolutely delicious! My 15 month old son (who is very picky) ate one whole entire pancake by himself! Thank you *SO* much for helping me help my family eat healthier! Your website is a daily "must-visit"!! :)
Isabel says
I just made these today and added a few blueberries. These pancakes were awesome! Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Cali says
I have found the best way to reheat leftover pancakes or french toast is in the toaster!! It adds a little crisp and without making them rubbery from a microwave.
Barbara says
I made them last weekend and we loved them! It was the first of your recipes I've tried but I'm going to try more of them! Love your blog!
Jen says
These were great! My daughter said, "Mommy, I am already stuffed after two pancakes!" That's what I'm talking about :)
Ashlee says
I added about a teaspoon if almond extract YUM!!! I thought it needed a little bit of nuts but don't really like nuts in baked goods this gave me the taste without the lumps! :)
emmettmom says
is it possible to download recipes without posts?thanks wendy
100 Days of Real Food says
I am working to add a print function to the blog...thanks for your patience!
Anita says
I absolutely love this idea!! Thank you for the tips!
Kelli says
These sound fabulous and are in my sights for this weekend! How do you think the frozen ones would turn out in the toaster? That way I wouldn't have to heat up my whole oven to reheat a few pancakes. The microwave might make them chewy. Any thoughts? New to your site as of yesterday and already made the Quiche last night. :)
Holly says
I have often toasted leftover pancakes with good success. Just keep an eye on them.
GourmetOnADiet says
I don't think I had ever made pancakes from scratch before today...my family was always an "Aunt Jemima" kind of family, and although I tried their whole-wheat kind, this feels so much better, and my house smells amazing -- like when I was a kid! (And they taste so much better than that nasty organic "Batter Blaster"...that is seriously going in the trash. EW!
100 Days of Real Food says
I am so glad it was a hit. I used to make Aunt Jemima pancakes too before I read Michael Pollan's book! I didn't think I "liked" whole-wheat pancakes until I tried these...yum!
Francie T says
I am late to the party on these. I made them tonight for a quick dinner! I used whole-wheat flour, organic baking soda and baking powder, NC honey and super fresh eggs. Delicious and filling! Thanks for sharing.
Peyton says
OOOOOhhhhh my goodness these are so good. I doubled the recipe so I have an entire batch in the freezer, too. I added about a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice and approximately 1c. chopped walnuts to the doubled recipe. Yum, yum, yum.
Sara says
Hi, I just found this website a couple of months ago and am just getting around to really looking at the food plans and recipes. I guess I have a question on what is "real" food and what is not. I would think that flour is processed, therefore not a real food. Same with the baking powder and baking soda. Could someone please clarify for this newbie? :) I'm looking forward to weaning my own family off of the processed foods :)
Thanks in advance for your help!
100 Days of Real Food says
Good question! We try to avoid all HIGHLY processed foods. Cooking is actually a form of "processing" or changing your food, and we are definitely not on a raw diet. Our general guideline to know if something is "highly processed" is if it has more than 5 ingredients. This is not a hard and fast rule, but it helps to draw the line somewhere. Now there are some 1-ingredient foods (like white flour and sugar) that are highly refined and we avoid those foods as well. There are also 3-ingredient deep fried potato chips so you have to be careful to determine what is "okay." When it comes to flours/breads we buy ones that are 100% whole-grain and for sweeteners we try to stick to honey and maple syrup. Here is our full list of rules: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/real-food-defined-a-k-a-the-rules/
Sara says
Thanks for explaining. When I came across this I guess I was expecting more of the raw diet, and was a little surprised to see pancakes as the first ingredient. I did see the rules section, but was still confused, hence the question. This helps a lot, and takes some pressure off of me! I used to be vegan so I am quite familiar with the ingredient labels, but wasn't able to get all of the nutrition needed. I'm hoping this will provide the health benefits of the mostly plant based diet, and also provide the extra boost from organic dairy and meats. My family is weaning in, as hubby doesn't like too much change at once. I can't wait to get started and see the results of our 100 days! This site is a great resources, thanks for sharing!
Trish says
Awesome!!...made with coconut oil and coconut milk instead of butter and milk and they turned out great and the kids didn't even notice the difference.
Tara says
I have wanted to try coconut oil and coconut milk. Was it just 1:1 for the butter and milk respectively?
Ashlee says
these were so good and filling we had a lot left over to freeze, I am looking forward to giving these to my kids again this week with a smoothie for breakfast! YUM TY
Christy says
Best Pancakes Ever!!! Thanks so much for sharing! Quick question....my husband has numerous food allergies, including dairy, and I'm looking for a healthier alternative "butter" than I'm currently using....any thoughts or suggestions on products?
100 Days of Real Food says
Coconut oil would be a great alternative! (per Carrie Vitt with Deliciously Organic!)
Kellye says
These are so yummy! They're just sweet enough.
Stephanie says
These are the BEST pancakes I've ever made. Seriously. Even better knowing that they are made from whole foods. So good. I've made them four times in the past two weeks!
Miriam says
How would these be without the honey? Or maybe a substitute? I want to make these but I also want my 9 month old to be able to eat some too!
100 Days of Real Food says
I think I've made them before and forgot to add the honey and they tasted the same...so go for it! Also - do not quote me on this one, but I think infants only have to avoid raw honey not cooked honey...check with your pediatrician to be sure!
Alzbeta says
We've just replaced the honey with maple syrup for our 10 month old!
Shalene says
I tried these this morning, and something went wrong. At first, they were too thick, and my electric griddle, at 370 degrees, just burned them. So, I added a bit more milk and turned my griddle down to the temp I usually cook pancakes at. I also used pureed pumpkin, added some cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. They were good. Should have added more pumpkin, though, I think. I tried making banana pancakes for the kids before, and they didn't really like them. :( All in all a good recipe. I just have to remember to adjust it a little (unless I did do something wrong, and figure it out next time.)
100 Days of Real Food says
What kind of flour did you use?
Maggie says
just made these for my boys. I did use a good banana, not quite ripe, just yellow, and a frozen one (the good was thanks to my 3 year old deciding he didn't want a banana after all and before I remembered I could garnish the panckaes it had been put in the bowl with the thawed over rip one. My oldest thought they were too banananie, but I think that is because I couldn't mash the one as well. I really like them. We ran out of syrup, so I puree some blueberries, and I like that, oldest didn't. But he likes artificial fruit flavors, like straberries and not fresh (which reminds me I have strewberries that need to get uesd up). Is there something I can mix with the blueberries (maybe honey) to make them a little sweeter, to slowly get him to like them. Oh, on another note, my 3 year old did want oatmeal, and he grabbed the plain packet, which he doesn't like, but didn't know. I added about a tablespoon of honey and he loved it. I plan on saying the honey is syrup for the pancakes when he stops pouting in his room that we are out of syrup
100 Days of Real Food says
Try this berry sauce to help him acquire a taste: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/05/03/recipe-berry-sauce/
Kristin says
I made this whole batch to keep on hand in the freezer, and I think they are great! I used whole wheat pastry flour, and they turned out soft and tender. I re-heated a few on a baking rack in the oven at 350 this morning, and it gave them a nice crisp on the outside. I suggest topping them with banana slices and peanut butter - only a teeny bit of maple syrup needed, if any! :)
Clinton Bannett says
This is my first time I this site. I found so many informative things in your blog especially its discussion. From your tons of comments on your articles, I assume I'm not the only one getting all of the enjoyment here! Keep up the excellent job.
Angela Croom says
These we a hit with my kids! I love it. Have you ever tried to make waffles with this recipe?
100 Days of Real Food says
I am so glad your kids liked them! I've not tried them as a waffle...that is a good idea though so let me know how it turns out!
Jenniffer says
I made these pancakes for my husband this morning and they were a hit! Loved, loved them! Texture, flavor, and especially how quick and easy they were to make. I should have thawed out the frozen blueberries a little because the areas that had blueberries seemed to not cook through as well...oups!
Has anyone made these with water instead of milk? My mother stays away from dairy due to her estrogen-receptor cancer, and I would love for her to be able to eat these, sans the milk.
Lisa says
So glad they were a hit! I have not tried it with anything other than milk, but have to wonder if almond milk or soy milk might be a better substitution? Let me know how it works out for you!
Brooke says
Jennifer-- I just wanted to comment on your milk question. . . almond milk works well. Soy is the worst (in any form) for estrogen-positive breast cancer. But milk is typically avoided in these cases due to the growth hormones added. If you buy local milk (and have talked to your farmer!) or organic milk, it's fine for breast-cancer survivors (and anyone else-- I am the daughter and granddaughter of women who survived estrogen-positive breast cancer, so I follow the above for prevention!).
Sami says
My family has recently learned about the bad of soy milk so now we go to a local farm for organic raw milk (it hasn't been pasteurized) and we are all lactose intolerant and since it hasn't been pasteurized it doesn't upset our stomachs. We use it instead of the soy and other milks. but raw milk is hard to find since it is partially illegal.
Kristi Billingsley Toms says
Lisa, if I don't have ground flaxseed on hand, is there anything else I can sub?
Lisa says
You can just omit the flaxseed...I will add that to the recipe!
Sarah says
Where do you buy your bananas since they aren't grown in the US?
Lisa says
For the 100 days our fruit does not have to be local (although we prefer it to be whenever possible) so for bananas I just by organic ones from the grocery store. Here is the full list of rules that we are following...https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/real-food-defined-a-k-a-the-rules/
Elizabeth says
I meant to tell you that we tried this with blueberries and loved it. Witt was thrilled to have "blue" pancakes, even though they didn't look all that blue when they were cooked. We just pureed some organic frozen blueberries (that I had defrosted slightly in the microwave) and added them in place of bananas. They were a hit. So the next day we tried pink. On a whim I stuck all the ingredients and a couple big handfuls of organic fresh strawberries in the blender. It worked great! And it was so easy.
I've tried a lot of whole wheat pancake recipes, but this one was by far the easiest and best-tasting. Thanks for sharing.
(We may try it with peaches, but I'm worried they will be too juicy.)
Lisa says
I am so glad to hear that! Thanks again for leaving a review. And we actually added some small pieces of peach one morning (in addition to the banana) and it was really good! We also tried adding some leftover glazed nuts (from the salad with a twist recipe) and it was excellent. I love a recipe with variations!
Kristie Joiner Hillenmeyer says
what brand of butter do you prefer?
Lisa says
Any brand as long as it is organic. I have seen organic at select Harris Teeters (our main grocery store), Trade Joe's and Earthfare.
Kaydi says
IMHO you've got the right anwsre!
Heidi says
This is absolutely fabulous. My project for Sunday morning!