Two Bananas, Zero Flour
This started as a way to use two black bananas nobody wanted to touch. The batter needs a five minute rest before it hits the griddle, and that rest is the only reason the pancakes hold together when you flip them.
Oat flour has no gluten, so these pancakes have nothing holding them together except egg and banana. That makes the resting step non-negotiable. Five minutes lets the oats hydrate and the starches swell, which turns a loose batter into one that holds a circle in the pan.
Blend the Oats Dry First
Pulse one cup of rolled oats in a blender until it looks like coarse flour, about 30 seconds. Stale or broken oats blend more evenly than fresh whole ones. Do not skip sifting out the largest pieces if you want a smooth batter, though leaving them in gives a pleasant texture.
Compare the result with using all purpose flour, which gives a lighter, more uniform crumb. Oat flour gives a denser, heartier pancake with more fiber. Neither is wrong, but they are genuinely different and the oat version browns faster because of the sugar in the banana.
Medium Heat, Not Medium High
Banana has a lot of sugar and these pancakes will burn on the outside before the center cooks if the pan is too hot. Medium heat with a lightly oiled nonstick or cast iron surface gives you about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Wait for bubbles across the whole surface before flipping, not just around the edges.
The Ripe Banana Rule
Bananas with brown spots are notably sweeter and mash more easily than yellow ones. If yours are still firm, microwave them peeled for 20 seconds to soften, or add a teaspoon of maple syrup. Underripe bananas make these taste starchy rather than sweet.
Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats, blended into flour
- 2 ripe bananas, mashed
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup milk of choice
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp neutral oil or butter for the pan
- Maple syrup, sliced banana, and toasted nuts to serve
Steps
Blend the oats into flour
Pulse the oats in a blender or food processor for 30 seconds until they look like coarse flour. A few larger flakes are fine and add texture.
Mash the bananas thoroughly
Mash the bananas in a bowl until only a few small lumps remain. Lumps are fine, but large chunks will tear the pancakes when you flip them.
Combine wet, then dry
Whisk the eggs, milk, and vanilla into the bananas. Add the oat flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt and stir just until no dry flour remains. Do not overmix.
Rest the batter 5 minutes
Let the batter sit at room temperature for 5 full minutes. It will thicken noticeably. This is what makes the pancakes hold together without gluten.
Cook over medium heat
Heat a lightly oiled nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Spoon 1/4 cup of batter per pancake and cook 2 to 3 minutes until bubbles cover the surface, then flip and cook 2 more.
Keep warm and serve
Hold finished pancakes on a rack in a 200 degrees F oven rather than stacking them, which steams the bottoms. Serve with maple syrup, sliced banana, and nuts.
Making These Work for a Crowd
- The batter thickens as it sits. Thin it with a tablespoon of milk at a time rather than adding more at the start.
- Freeze cooled pancakes in a single layer, then reheat straight from frozen in a toaster.
- Add 2 tablespoons of chia or ground flax with the oats for more fiber; the batter will need an extra splash of milk.
When I made this
The first batch came out like wet oatmeal and I blamed the bananas. They were fine, the problem was that I poured the batter the second the oats finished blending. Letting it sit five minutes gives the oats time to drink up the liquid and swell, which is the whole trick. The other thing I got wrong was heat. My griddle was medium high and I kept lowering it. Low heat plus wet batter equals a pancake that sets only on the bottom and tears when you try to turn it. Medium, and wait for the bubbles to stop closing.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 265 kcal |
| Protein | 9 g |
| Carbohydrates | 40 g |
| Fat | 8 g |
| Sodium | 330 mg |
