I created this recipe for Banana Oatmeal Pancakes all the way back in 2016, and now they’re everywhere! My version, after testing over 20 times 😅, resulted in a vegan and gluten-free Banana Oatmeal Pancake recipe that uses ZERO bowls and mixes up right in a blender to make pancakes that are SOOOOO fluffy, tender, golden, and health-conscious to boot!
Eight years later, I still turn to this recipe constantly for banana oatmeal pancakes when I’m looking for a satiating, easy pancake recipe.
Made with oats, bananas, and an entirely vegan and gluten-free list of ingredients, you might not expect banana oatmeal pancakes like these to taste so dang good. But they do!
Can I tell you possibly the best part about this Banana Oatmeal Blender Pancakes recipe? NO BOWLS. That’s right – the batter mixes up entirely in your blender. Add the ingredients to the pitcher of your blender, blend, and pour directly onto your griddle.
Banana pancakes might seem like a weekend morning thing, but with how easy these banana oatmeal pancakes are to make, they might just end up on your weekday rotation too.
Table of Contents
- The Story Behind the Recipe
- Recipe Development & Testing Notes
- Why You’ll Love These Banana Oatmeal Pancakes
- Ingredient Info
- Additions & Substitutions
- How to Make Banana Oatmeal Pancakes in the Blender
- How Nutritious are Banana Oatmeal Pancakes without Egg?
- Can I Freeze Banana Oatmeal Pancakes?
- More Banana Breakfast Goodness
The Story Behind the Recipe
I wanted to create a healthy pancake that was vegan, gluten-free, and oil-free, but didn’t come out looking (and tasting) like a hockey puck. It took a lot of testing, but I finally got it right! Hurrah!
Recipe Development & Testing Notes
Gotta say, my blender got a serious workout creating these vegan banana oatmeal blender pancakes (psst, they’re gluten free, too!) Because I probably tried about 20 variations of the recipe before I was finally happy with it.
The first attempts were definitely dense (and often fell pretty flat, too). So I worked hard on finding the right amount of leavening without the taste of leaveners (and the additional challenge of creating a Banana Oatmeal Pancake recipe without egg!) I persevered, and finally ended up with these tasty morsels with the perfect texture by using both baking soda and baking powder. The baking soda combines with the acids in the buttermilk mixture to help these pancakes raise and get fluffy, and the baking powder takes it the rest of the way without the unpleasant taste that can come from too much of either ingredient.
And then I made banana oat pancakes about 20 more times to make sure I got them right.
Okay, that last part was a little bit of a lie because mostly, I made them 20 more times because I LOVE them.
Why You’ll Love These Banana Oatmeal Pancakes
These banana blender pancakes:
- ARE: Full of flavor – banana, vanilla, cinnamon, maybe even a little nutmeg if you like. Yum.
- ARE NOT: Super light, fluffy, and kind of spongy like your restaurant-style buttermilk pancakes. I did the best I could, but with no butter and no eggs, well, it’s probably not going to happen.
- ARE: Still unmistakably pancake-like and, quiet honestly, could probably be subbed in for your more standard pancakes and most people wouldn’t mind in the slightest.
- ARE: Delicious with pure maple syrup, a handful of fresh fruit, or a generous smear of peanut butter and jam.
Ingredient Info
The list of ingredients isn’t too weird, and consists of items probably already found in your fridge and pantry. Hoorah!
- Almond milk & vinegar – This makes a buttermilk situation that helps the banana oat pancakes come out lighter and fluffier.
- Oats – Using my high-powered blender, I grind oats into a nice, fluffy oat flour. No wheat necessary! (You leave the oat flour in the blender for the recipe, but I scooped it out for the pic above to show how white and fluffy it gets. Love!)
- Banana – Got an extra ripe one? Perfect!
- Baking powder and baking soda – for fluffiness!
- Pure maple syrup – The banana adds sweetness all on its own, but pure maple syrup takes it to the level I love it (plus helps thin the batter). You can reduce the amount but might want to make up for it with more buttermilk.
- Cinnamon – love the flavor cinnamon adds to the equation.
Additions & Substitutions
- Make blueberry banana oat pancakes by stirring in fresh or frozen blueberries after you’ve blended the batter.
- Or try mixing in another fresh fruit like raspberries or strawberries. Yum!
- Drop in some chocolate chips after blending or onto the pancakes on the griddle for a sweet treat.
- If you don’t have vinegar for the almond milk buttermilk, you can use lemon juice. Or, simply leave out the vinegar or lemon altogether. Your pancakes won’t be quite as fluffy but still delicious.
- Add warming spices like nutmeg, cardamom, or a pinch of cloves. Pumpkin spice blend would even be nice!
- Add an egg. A lot of Banana Oatmeal Pancake recipes out there have egg in them, and if you want to up the protein, go for it! Obviously they’ll no longer be vegan, though. I haven’t yet tried this recipe with egg yet but will update when I do.
How to Make Banana Oatmeal Pancakes in the Blender
No bowls here! Your entire pancake batter business is taken care of in the pitcher of your blender. And it’s glorious.
First, add the oats to your blender and pulverize them into a fine flour.
Then, add the remaining ingredients and blend until it’s a thick batter consistency.
After the batter’s made, just pour right out of your pitcher onto your griddle and cook those babies into little brown rounds of healthy deliciousness.
How Nutritious are Banana Oatmeal Pancakes without Egg?
A two-pancake serving gives you 8 grams of protein. And 6 grams of fiber. And a good amount of calcium and iron!
Can I Freeze Banana Oatmeal Pancakes?
Yes! I find these pancakes freeze well; just place them in a freezer bag and pull them out, one or two at a time, and pop them in the toaster or microwave for a nearly instant breakfast.
More Banana Breakfast Goodness
- These fluffy banana pancakes are a more traditional banana pancake recipe but definitely worth a try!
- Super Moist Vegan Banana Bread Muffins are such a delicious banana breakfast!
- This Banana Walnut Oatmeal recipe cooks up fast and easy in your electric pressure cooker.
- Banana Almond Butter Waffles cook up so crispy and are fully vegan!
Banana Oatmeal Pancakes (Blender Recipe)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (be sure to use certified gluten-free oats if necessary)
- 1 medium ripe banana (approx. 6 ounces)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Equipment
- High-powered blender (I use [and highly recommend] a Vitamix) (affiliate link)
Instructions
- Add the vinegar to a 1-cup or larger liquid measuring cup. Pour in enough almond milk to make 1 cup total. Set aside for about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, grind the oats into a flour by adding them to the pitcher of a blender and pulsing until fine.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the blender. Puree, scraping down the sides once or twice if necessary, until completely combined.
- Let the batter rest for about 5 minutes.
- Heat a griddle or non-stick frying pan to about 325 degrees Fahrenheit (medium heat). It’s hot enough when you sprinkle a couple drops of water onto the surface and the drops dance around. If the griddle/pan is nonstick, you shouldn’t need any oil/vegan butter. Otherwise, you may want to melt a little oil into the pan before cooking the pancakes. Pour approx. 1/3 cup per pancake onto the griddle or pan (the pancakes will be 4-5 inches in diameter). Cook for 1-2 minutes until the pancakes look dry around the edges and a little bubbly. Flip and cook on the other side until golden brown and cooked in the middle. If the pancakes brown before the middle is cooked through, try lowering your heat a bit.
- Serve with toppings of your choice such as vegan butter, pure maple syrup, fresh sliced bananas or another fruit, peanut butter, or jam.
I am not ever one to leave comments or write reviews but these pancakes are TOO GOOD not to. I have made them once before and my mom and I were OBSESSED. I just made them for the second time for the rest of my family members and they asked me too make another batch for them 😂. Nothing beats eating this good, almost guilt free!
Thank you for sharing!!
This batter was so incredibly thick, I had to spoon it out of the mixer into the pan and flatten it. I thought maybe I hadn’t put enough almond milk so I added a little, but the oats absorbed it…. the pancakes we dry… did I do something wrong?
I’m new to gluten free, and I’m also needing to eat egg free and dairy free. So, I was really happy to stumble upon your recipe! They were so delicious! I love the flavor! I used flax milk because I can’t have almonds, and it worked great. They were a tiny bit gummy, but I’ve found that that’s pretty normal for things made with all oats. I will definitely be making these again! Thank you!
I cannot thank you enough for this recipe! Not only is it healthy, it’s delicious and saves me (veg) and my boyfriend (carnivore) a ton of money from going out for breakfast! We make this just about every weekend. It is also FODMAP-friendly (so long as the oats are truly GF and the banana isn’t too ripe) which has been a lifesaver for me during a difficult time health-wise. THANK YOU
I made this recipe three times but the pancakes stuck to the pan with oil and butter too. Has anyone being successful that you know?
I made these on a skillet with cooking spray with no problem at all! They came out beautifully.
I have another pan that always gives me trouble. Could it be your pan?
You need to add a tablespoon of oil or fat to the batter….I used a T of melted coconut oil…I never use non stick pans and have to do this with any pancake or waffle recipe. Hope this helps!
Yummy!!!! they didn’t get stick to the pan, maybe sometimes it happens because of the pan! But they were so good in flavor, I put almond butter, banana, berries, and some maple syrup!! They are always heavy, because of the oats maybe or cause we don’t use eggs! But btw, they Are awesome vegan pancakes.
Omgggg. I have tried all the vegan pancakes. At this point, I am super used to pancakes that are nothing like traditional butter/egg ones.
THESE ARE THE CLOSEST TO THE REAL DEAL THAT I HAVE FOUND!!!!! I’m thrilled. Absolutely delicious. My husband kept stealing bites off my plate, which he never does.
Thank you! This one is going to be a regular for sure!
Yayyy! Love it! 🙂
Love these! Easy as measure, drop in a blender, mix. Finally pancakes I can have and not feel one bit guilty about! Yes they are more dense than regular pancakes, but wow- I’m on a plant based diet, and iwhen i crave a pancake, this will be my go to! Yummo!!
Thanks so much, Melanie. I’m so glad you like them!
The weight of the banana… is that with or without the skin?
I weighed it with skin, but it doesn’t need to be exact.
Loved this recipe! They were light and fluffy and no animals were harmed in the making if them 😃 I substituted soy milk for the almond and it was fine. Topped with a mix berry compote that I made using a little maple syrup. Even my Omni husband enjoyed them! Thanks!
A mixed berry compote sounds DIVINE! Love. 🙂
My little girls and I made these this morning. Delicious! Thank you so much! The girls are on an elimination diet and have been mourning to loss of pancakes so these were just the thing!
How much flour? recipe doesn’t specify
Hi Emma, no wheat flour in this one; the oats pulverize in the blender and make a nice oat flour. That’s all they need!
I used 3 bananas instead of 1 and chocolate chips and was so happy to find a recipe that has you make gluten free flour out of oats! (Since I was all out of wheat free flour). These pancakes are now officially a staple in our house for weekend breakfast!
New go to recipe! I thought I already had the quickest and tastiest recipe…. until I found these! And they’re gluten free and healthy! These honestly seem impossible! Thank you for the recipe, I only made two adjustments, less maple syrup – personally I only need two teaspoons and I can even eat them with just fruit on top (no syrup) and I think next time I will do less baking powder because it does have a little bit of an aftertaste. Overall though, definitely my new go too! I feel like I could eat these every day!
Hi Anna, I’m so glad you like the recipe! Thanks so much for your review. 🙂
Awesome recipe! I’ve made this at least a dozen times with my own twist. Everything’s the same in the recipe, but instead of making pancakes I slice an apple and line the bottom of a pan and then pour the batter over that. I bake that in the oven and the apples caramelize a bit and the flavor of this batter just makes everything so delicious. A huge hit with the family, especially for those that are gluten sensitive.
Oh my goodness, I MUST try this. Thanks so much for the idea! Yum!
Wow, amazing recipe. I’m in the throes of morning sickness and these were so filling. Just what I needed to get the day started. I added 1 TBS of flax to try to get a little extra omega 3’s in my diet but that did thicken up the batter quite a bit so I had to add an extra 1/4 cup of water. It all came out really good. I will definitely repeat this recipe!
I’m so glad you like the recipe! Congrats on your pregnancy – hope the morning sickness doesn’t last too long for you. Ah, memories! 🙂
These are so amazing! I gave up on gluten free pancakes about 3 years ago because they always tasted terrible and went all mushy… these smell just like the ones my mum used to make when I was a kid and taste even better… not to mention they’re healthy?? I’m amazed, 5 stars
I’m so glad you like these, Alex! Thanks for the review. 🙂
I love these. I’ve made them 4 times, they are delicious, freeze well, and on my non-stick pan don’t need any butter or oil whatsoever, they are easy to flip. Incredible combination of healthy, easy and insanely yummy.
Made this recipe to start the new year healthier on a WFPB lifestyle. Since it is just my husband and I, cut the recipe in half. I also use smaller appliances, so I made it in my baby ninja bender and made them in my mini waffle maker. The recipe made 6 mini waffles which was perfect for us, used the other half of banana on top of our waffles. I loved the taste and my omnivore husband didn’t know the difference, woo hoo. These also would make great sandwich slices. Think I’ll try that next.
These pancakes taste amazing and are so easy to make. I made them this morning as a New Year’s brunch for my family. I am a gluten-free vegan who has tried so many pancake recipes. This one is the best one! I’m so happy I found something that fits my needs and allows me to share my healthy lifestyle with my family. Cheers!
OMG, these are SO GOOD. My favorite pancake recipe ever. I never comment on recipes, but this one hit it out of the park. Thanks for sharing this! I will definitely be returning to this site again for more recipes.
Thanks so much, Megan! I’m so glad you like the recipe and I appreciate the 5-star review! 🙂
I love this recipe! So easy! (I do substitute soymilk) And better yet my 1 year old and 4 year old love them too!
I’m so glad you like these pancakes! They’re a fave here for sure too! 🙂
Would rather not use vinegar, big deal to leave out??
The vinegar turns the almond milk into sort of a buttermilk which helps the pancakes rise and get a bit fluffier. But they should still be plenty edible without. 🙂
I just made these and I loved them so much!! It was my first time making pancakes using the blender and they came out so much better than I was expecting. And they are so filling. Perfect for a healthy Saturday morning treat!
Hi Danielle, I’m super late in replying to this, but wanted to say thank you for your review! I’m so glad this one’s a hit for you. 🙂
I enjoyed your pancakes except for the fact that they stuck to my pan (I do not use non-stick). Does adding a Tablespoon of melted coconut oil to the batter cause them not to rise as much? Otherwise, I love the pancakes…so simple and fabulous!
Hi Deb, I suggest oiling the pan – maybe a little vegan butter or coconut oil – before cooking in a non-stick pan. I’m glad you like them otherwise! Thanks so much for your review!
Awesome recipe! I just used store bought oats instead to avoid the mess of the blender. I prefer to use apple sauce instead of maple syrup inside to make it more healthy. However I do put allergy free chocolate chips inside for the kids. Also, homemade coconut yogurt is good on top and dairy free. Thanks so much for sharing! Finally the first alternative pancake recipe my entire family loves!
So glad you and your family like this recipe! Love the idea of adding apple sauce; I need to try that!
Hi, how many pancakes does this make?
Can the maple syrup be omitted?
Sure. I like the bit of sweetness it adds but they would be just fine without! The batter might be a bit thicker so add a bit more liquid if needed.
I NEVER leave reviews (yes, shame on me). But, every time I make these I always tell myself I need to. These are by far my favorite. Although we don’t practice veganism anymore, I still follow this recipe and it’s still delicious! It’s my weekend treat for myself and my family that includes an INCREDIBLY picky 2 1/2 year old. He devours these. I like to make a few batches of the dry ingredients, store it in a mason jar so it’s even faster to make. Seriously, love these pancakes!!! Thank you so much for the recipe.
That is so awesome. I really appreciate you leaving a review (but no shame; time is not on our side, especially as parents!) And I love that your 2 1/2 year old loves them too. As the parent of a picky eater, I know how that can feel like SUCH a win! 🙂 Thanks again for the review!
My daughter is allergic to oats (and wheat). Any idea of another grain that might work?
My husband suggested pancakes for breakfast. I decided to look up a recipe for vegan oatmeal pancakes. From the list that came up, I chose yours. I have the same blender, so was a good match. I used the dates instead of the maple syrup. Was a bit on the thick side but very delicious. I will most definitely make many times. Thank you.
I’m so glad you liked this one! Dates sound like a delicious sweetener, but yes, when you use those I would definitely suggest increasing the plant milk a bit to help make the batter a bit thinner. 🙂
These are SO GOOD WOW. Made them this morning. I omitted the maple syrup and instead added some water to thin. They are thick, but I really loved that about them!
Hi JR! I’m so glad you liked this pancake recipe. Good to know about being able to omit the maple syrup! If you do decide you want them to be a little thinner, you could always add a bit more almond milk. Thanks so much for the review!
First off, what a recipe! Great flavor, great results! I’ve made these about 20x since discovering in Fall 2019.
BUT, now I think I’ve made them too many times and exhausted my luck (!?). For some reason three of the last four times, they haven’t cooked in the middle. Same prep. Same pan. Same cooking spray. Same temp. Any ideas? I thought maybe I switched baking powder and baking soda in the recipe, nope. I thought maybe it was oat milk instead of almond. Nope. I thought maybe It was cider vinegar instead of white?
Any thoughts/ideas? I’m so bummed because we love these SO much.
These definitely take longer to cook in the middle than traditional pancakes, though that’s super weird that this problem just started! Perhaps add a touch more milk so that they’re not as thick and cook on slightly lower heat for a longer time?
My absolute favorite recipe. I have been using it for years and I still comeback when I’m craving pancakes.
Hi Diana, I’m very late at replying to this (my apologies as I’ve been taking a hiatus from the blog). I’m so very glad this one is a keeper for you! It’s probably one of my top 10 recipes personally – I have made them so much too. 🙂 Thanks so much for the lovely comment and review.
These were fantastic. I have tried quite a few egg free oat pancakes. None compare to this recipe. Thank you for posting! May have changed my pancake eating life 🙂
WOW!!! I have tried TONS of different recipes for vegan pancakes over the years and I must say these BLEW ME AWAY! In terms of easy ingredients, ease and speed of prep (all blended), health and taste, these are my new go-to pancakes as they are simply unbeatable. They do not taste like quick-style health pancakes but instead have all the flavour and deliciousness of more complicated and less healthy recipes. I used ground steel cut oats which added a nice crunch, two bananas (they seemed too small to just use one), and oat milk instead of almond milk. Otherwise, I followed the recipe precisely. I cooked them with a little coconut oil and they were PERFECT!!!! Thank you so much for this absolute GEM of a recipe!!!
AMAZING! I’ve been making these for years and they are better than any other pancake recipe I’ve found. They are hearty and flavorful. I top with a little almond butter, fruit and syrup. Delicious!
Love these whole grain, plant based pancakes. I makes a double recipe and keep them in the freezer. They are a great snack with almond butter! – Teri
These pancakes are my absolute favourite. For the past few months, I’ve been trying a different pancake recipe every weekend. Trying to find the tastiest (I even tried Tasty.com). So far, this is the best recipe. In fact, I think I’m just going to stop here. These are fantastic.
OMG!!!!! Absolutely The Bomb.com best vegan pancakes I’ve ever made and tasted!!!! Super easy and super yummy No one would ever know these were vegan! Thank you.