Mmm... pancakes! Is pancake Sunday a thing at your house? I must admit I never grew up with pancakes. In fact pancakes were a treat I'd only get as a kid on the rare occasion while visiting my grandparents -- they loved the pudgy buttermilk kind... I never even knew pancakes were really all that popular until I met my husband.
I still remember the day when he requested pancakes and I said I've never made a pancake in my life. So he asked for Aunt Jemima's pancakes -- his then favorite mix -- and I just stared at him in confusion because I had no idea who Aunt Jemima was... Yep, that was the extent of my pancake-deprived life :)
These days I enjoy pancakes as an occasional cozy treat. Especially in the fall, when the weather gets moody and I yearn for something warm and cozy... The delicious smell of pancakes cooking away alone brings about that sense of warmth, filling the house with the most amazing aromas... And I love it!
That said, I'm really getting more and more minimalist with my baking lately... And while I know there are endless amazing recipes and boxed mixes out there for delicious pancakes made a thousand different ways, when it comes to making them myself I've just been going for bare basics. No gluten, dairy, eggs, and refined sugars {naturally}, but also no oils, thousand flours, etc.
I've managed to reduce my pancake making to essentially 4 simple ingredients {with a few optional throw-ins I always have on hand} without compromising taste or texture. If you've ever tried making up your own gluten-free and eggless pancakes you likely know that the probability of ending up with pancakes that are gummy on the inside is quite high...
Not these puppies though -- these pancakes are wholesome, nice and fluffy, and hold up well, and are absolutely delicious. It's like some kind of wholefoods wizardry happens in that blender :) I call these my lazy magical pancakes.
I generally fry them without any oil on a non-stick pan. If you choose to not use any oil, I recommend making them smaller so they're much easier to flip quickly. Works a treat. Although of course a bit of oil or non-dairy butter is always a treat too ;)
I shared photos here of various batches -- some cooked with oil {those are the ones that are all patterny... See above}, some cooked without -- the ones that are flatter and smaller {and cuter :) -- See below}... Some made with frozen bananas and some with fresh -- so you get the full spectrum :). Fresh bananas make fluffier pancakes by the way. But frozen come pretty close. I alternate depending on what I have on hand.
The batter in this recipe is a little on the thicker side, but it makes taller and fluffier pancakes -- just spoon out some of the batter onto the pan and you're good to go! If you want them a little thinner, spread the batter out a little with the spoon. For thicker ones, pile it on {within reason, naturally ;) }.
One last thing I'll note is that many eggless pancakes tend to burn if cooked at normal pancake temperature, so the general advice out there is to cook them on very low heat. But these pancakes work just as an ordinary pancake would and require medium high heat to cook properly. So make sure your pan is hot and ready to go before you get started!
I love sprinkling mine with a bit of dairy-free powdered coconut milk for fun -- helps me get over the nostalgia of powdered sugar & makes them look nice and snowy. Win-win.
PrintEasy 4 Ingredient Blender Pancakes
Fluffy gluten-free pancakes you can whip together with only four ingredients. Dairy-free and egg-free.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 12 - 14 small pancakes {or fewer if you make them bigger}
- Category: Pancakes
- Cuisine: Breakfast
Ingredients
- 1 large banana, peeled {fresh or frozen}
- 1 cup non dairy milk {I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk}
- ½ cup creamy almond butter {I used the Costco brand -- my favorite!}
- ½ cup buckwheat flour
Optional ingredients I always love to throw in:
- big dash of salt
- 1 tbsp maple syrup {or agave, coconut nectar, etc.}
- big dash of cinnamon
+ oil for frying if using {see notes above}
Instructions
- Place your frying pan on the stove and turn on the burner to medium high and allow the pan to heat up while preparing the batter {use a good non-stick frying pan if not using oil}.
- Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.
- {Place a bit of oil on the pan if using and warm it up, or skip if not using oil}. Spoon out some of the batter onto the pan to form little round cakes {if you want thinner ones, spread it out lightly with a spoon, for thicker pancakes leave the batter piled on}. Allow the pancakes to cook until the edges look golden and bubbles form and disappear creating tiny holes in the pancakes -- when you see that, it's time to flip {should be just a few minutes to get to that point}. You can test by carefully sliding the spatula under a pancake -- if it separates from the pan easily, it's ready to flip. If it seems a little sticky, cook a bit longer. When ready, flip the pancakes carefully using a spatula and fry the other side for another minute or two. Remove from the pan onto a plate and repeat until the batter is finished {oiling the pan in between batches, if using}. {I usually make 3-4 pancakes at a time as I find that's easiest to handle}.
- Serve warm with maple syrup {or sweetener of choice, jam, fresh fruit, chocolate sauce, powdered coconut milk, or any toppings of your choice}. Enjoy!
Sheryl Melnichuk says
New to this site, but noticed there are no calorie counts
Audrey says
Hi Sheryl, I don't count calories personally, especially for dessert.
But if you ever need to figure out the calorie content for any recipe, there are tons of free recipe calculator websites out there where you enter in the ingredients you're using and amount of servings to get all kinds of nutritional data.
Dana says
I will be trying these in a couple of days. Other banana blender pancake recipes I've tried never cooked in the middle. They tasted good but I disliked the texture. Hoping the almond will fix that for me. I have bought the Costco almond butter before, wondering if you pour the oil off the top prior to mixing? I do but would want to mimic your way when making these pancakes.
Audrey says
Hi Dana. I usually stir the oil in when I open the jar until the almond butter is really creamy and runny. Hope these turn out to be the banana pancakes you've been waiting for :) Enjoy!
rim al amine says
hello sweety 🌻🌻 can i substitute maple syrup by Mollasses?
Audrey says
If you like the flavor of molasses, then yes, for sure :) The maple syrup is optional (though I like to use it for a little extra sweetness and flavor), so feel free to use a sweetener of your choice instead if you prefer. Enjoy!
sophia says
I have a question... is there or can anyone develop a gluten free, sugar and egg free pancake recipe. I have both coconut and cassava flour. Doc removed nearly everything but greens and rice and a few other things. Horrible and have been on it only 3 days. Not sure if I can endure this. Thanks for any help at all.
Audrey says
Hi Sophia. You can use cassava flour in place of buckwheat flour in the recipe above and omit the maple syrup if you prefer. Hope that helps! If you can't do bananas, you can try using something like a thick pumpkin puree instead.
Jen says
Can the buckwheat flour be replaced with a standard GF flour?
Audrey says
Hi Jen, absolutely!
Lydia says
They look delicious and sound super easy! How could I mess them up? I used the exact ingredients but my batter was very thin, not thick at all. My pancakes are paper thin. Any thoughts on where I went wrong?
Audrey says
Hi Lydia. Hmm... that's odd! They're thin (normal sized) pancakes, but they shouldn't be paper thin unless you're making crepes :) You can try adding less almond milk next time perhaps. Assuming all ingredients were measured accurately, only thing I can think of are: the pan wasn't heated enough so they spread out too quickly?
romina says
Hi ! I want to try the recipe but need substitute for the banana, I am on the Candida diet, no bananas ( very sad about that) , can add eggs though, don’t have buckwheat flour , I can add either coconut or almond flour .
Just found your blog ! It’s beautiful !
Audrey says
Hi Romina. Thanks for your comment. That is a lot of substitutions, so it's hard to offer a concrete solution. But here are some thoughts:
eggs will pretty much turn anything into a pancake, so you're good there if you wanted to swap it out for bananas. Coconut flour is a very particular type of flour since it's very "thirsty" and requires a lot of liquid to work, so you can use it, but you'll need to add a bunch of almond milk or water to create a batter thin enough. Almond flour can work, but usually not in isolation, so you can do some coconut and some almond flour for example.
Hillary says
These have become a regular fair at our house on the weekends. The buckwheat drew me in initially (love it!) but now I'm hooked on the simplicity of these pancakes. I wish all gf + vegan recipes were so easy to make!!
Audrey says
I wish all recipes were this simple too, Hillary :D Wouldn't that be nice! I'm so glad you've been enjoying these pancakes. Thanks for the lovely feedback.
Sarah says
Hi! I really want to try these but I'm not GF, can I use regular flour? If so is it the same amount or more? Thanks !
Audrey says
Hi Sarah, feel free to use regular flour if you prefer for these -- should be the same amount. Enjoy!
Amber says
Love this recipe! I have left over batter and was wondering about keeping it in the fridge. Any experience with this? How long will it keep? What about the effects of cooking with cold batter.
Thank you for any suggestions!
Audrey says
Hi Amber. Sorry for the delayed reply. I've never tried refrigerating the batter, but I don't see a problem with it either. I think it should still cook well. If it gets a bit thick while sitting, just add a bit more water or plant milk and blend briefly. If you try it out, I'd love to hear how that works for you.
Joy says
I tried these, but the inside was raw. I didn't want to burn them. Is the inside supposed to be soft? Flavor and taste is delicious, but don't like the uncooked inside.
Audrey says
Hi Joy. No, they shouldn't be raw on the inside. You can try turning down the heat and cooking them longer so they don't burn but cook through better.
Audrey says
Hi Joy,
Just following up here -- I got your email. You mentioned you used a different flour blend, so I think that would account for the different texture -- flour blends tend to have starches, gums, and other ingredients in them that would create a very different result to plain buckwheat.
I'm glad you were able to salvage the batter and turn them into crepes though :)
Sarah @ Bourgeois Essence says
ooh wow Audrey your pancakes look absolutely delicious! I know what you mean when you say you did not know pancakes were so "popular" growing up. Coming from Switzerland we don't really eat pancakes... can you believe that?! We would usually make Crepes for dessert but never for breakfast. I love how you have come up with a recipe using only 4 ingredients! I will give it a try since I have been searching for a dairy free option.
Audrey says
Hi Sarah, thanks so much for stopping by!
And I can totally relate -- crepes were more of a dessert too.
Hope you enjoy them if you give them a go :)
Bobbie O says
4 ingredient blender pancakes...
What other flour besides buckwheat can be used?
I am GF, dairy free, corn free, soy free, egg free, and following a low-fodmap diet for potential sibo. I can't tolerate buckwheat very well even though gluten free. Suggestions please? Thanks for all the egg free options. So hard to find good ones. Have a wonderful day. LOTS OF LOVE
Audrey says
Hi Bobbie,
I was going to share a separate grain-free recipe soon, but didn't get a chance to put it up yet. But you can definitely make these low-FODMAP and buckwheat-free:
1 cup almond milk
1 large banana
1/2 cup almond butter
4 tbsp tapioca starch
4 tbsp coconut flour
1 tbsp maple syrup {optional, but nice. Can also use your favorite liquid sweetener}
dash salt
dash cinnamon
Blend. Let the batter sit a minute to thicken up while your pan is heating up. It'll be thicker than the buckwheat version and I find you definitely need a good non-stick pan or a bit more oil. Makes fluffier pancakes though on the upside :)
Alternatively you can also use oat flour in place of buckwheat in the original recipe, but something tells me you might not do oats either -- though I may be wrong..
Enjoy the pancakes!
Joy says
These are amazing! Thanks for sharing!
Audrey says
Aw, thanks for the feedback Joy! So glad you liked them :)
Michelle @ My Gluten-free Kitchen says
I've tried refined sugar free pancakes before without much success. I love that instead of alternative sugars, you are getting the sweetness from the banana. Definitely want to try these!
Audrey says
Yes, between the banana and almond butter these don't need much more sweetness. I do like adding a touch of maple syrup though. I hope you get to try these out sometime :)
Melissa @ Vegan Does It says
We have an unofficial pancake week going on! I love it! I've always been a big fan of pancakes especially for dinner. It didn't happen often when I was a child, but when it did I was always super excited. Of course, I've made pancakes for dinner in my adult life probably more times than I should have, but I still love it!
Audrey says
Pancakes for dinner sound good to me :D
The vegan 8 says
These are so pretty Audrey! I love your variation! I've seen a lot of 3/4 ingredient banana pancake recipes around but they are usually with oat flour, I like that you used almond butter, yum! I love to use nut butters in mine too! I use peanut butter in my peanut butter chocolate chip pancakes and I love to use almond butter all the time instead of oil, especially in my waffles. Gives so much more flavor! I definitely would add your "optionals" the salt, cinnamon and syrup! I gotta have syrup and salt in my pancakes for the best flavor, so I'm in agreement with you :)
Audrey says
Thanks Brandi! I just saw your message tonight about some awesome new pancakey creation of yours -- can't wait to see what they are :)
Sharon @ What The Fork Food Blog says
I just recently got a really great blender. Being able to make batter in it is awesome!
Audrey says
Absolutely :) What kind did you get?
Sharon @ What The Fork Food Blog says
A BlendTec!
Audrey says
Oh, awesome. I've never tried one, but I'm always curious how it compares to a Vitamix. I was gifted both of mine and never looked back. But having a power blender makes all the difference. Enjoy it!
Linda @ Veganosity says
I'm going to have to try this recipe. I haven't had much luck making gluten free pancakes, they always turn out gluey.
Audrey says
Ah, the bane of gf pancakes -- the horrible glueyness... Well, I've seen your latest stack and they look amazing :)
genevieve @ gratitude & greens says
Pancake sundays used to be a thing around here, but then I got my waffle maker... and unfortunately for the pancake, it's been replaced by waffles ever since, haha! These pancakes look so fluffy and delicious. If we are ever in the same city we MUST have an ice cream and pancake party since you seem to make the best of both! <3
Audrey says
Mmm... waffles sound pretty good to me :) As does that ice cream and pancake party!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
I declare this pancake week! Love that you used my favorite flour and I think I need to try some almond butter IN my cakes ;) Sounds delightful ;) haha! I think we should make some "stuffed" pancakes next! Like a Reese's in pancake form!
Audrey says
Almond butter in pancakes is amazing. I'm surprised you haven't tried it yet! :) And stuffed pancakes... Hmmm.. sounds interesting. I think you just gave me an idea for something! <3
Anu-My Ginger Garlic Kitchen says
I am so loving these super, super gorgeous and super deeeelicious pancakes. Love they are gluten-free and dairy-free too. It's a wonderful share, Audrey. Can't wait to try my own! :)
Audrey says
Thanks Anu! Enjoy them.
Tina says
Audrey we never had pancakes growing up, the only time was occasionally as an adult going out for breakfast or brunch! I never made pancakes previously but I have been wanting to do these for Saffy and have tried twice, once with a packet mix....yuk, the second was only partially successful. Saffy has had issues with banana in the past but it is next on the list to be tested again. We have now re-tested peanuts for 2 weeks, then last week Saffy was sick and went off nuts! So now I have to wait a few weeks before re-testing bananas, then more nuts! When bananas are ok, this is the first thing Saffy will want as she was excited when I had attempted them previously.
They look divine, can't wait and will definitely let you know how yummy they will be :)
Oh and I have two events this weekend where I hope to trial some of your recipes.
Audrey says
Aw, thank you Tina. Same here -- I think I had pancakes once {outside of visiting my grandparents} and it was for brunch in some kind of breakfast restaurant on a trip! But they did grow on me over time :)
Too bad about the bananas -- I hope she'll be ok with them. They're such a versatile and easy to work with ingredient. You can try this with mango too by the way. They don't come out exactly the same, but still pretty good.
Natalie | Feasting on Fruit says
Almond butter!?! I never would've guessed that ingredient, I bet it makes them super delicious though <3 I'm totally with ya on the easy peasy squeezy baking, 4 ingredients is the way to go! You just taught me something new, I never realized that fresh bananas would make them fluffier than frozen :o I almost always use frozen because I can rarely time my pancake cravings with my fresh banana stash, but good to know now I'll try harder to coordinate that :D I love the snowy coconut milk look, but are you not a maple syrup on top person??
Audrey says
Yes! Fresh bananas = fluffier pancakes. Learned that years ago when I used to make banana pancakes all the time -- some lady mentioned it in a book and I found it to be true. I think it's because when they're fresh, you don't need to blend them as much or mash them as much. Whereas when they're frozen you keep blending until they're basically pulverized, losing all their texture.
Alison @ Food by Mars says
Yum! I haven't thought of putting almond butter in pancake batter... shockingly? These look like the perfect fluffy texture ;) I will have to try it!
Audrey says
Yeah, somehow, of all the nut butters, almond butter does wonders to the texture of these!
Leah @ Grain Changer says
Audrey these look so yummy! And fluffy even without egg and dairy? LOVE! I'm definitely making these on the next rainy morning we have (my husband has a very strict rule about only eating banana pancakes when it's raining, thanks to Jack Johnson haha).
Audrey says
Haha. Well, you must eagerly anticipate rainy days then! ;)
Sina @ Vegan Heaven says
These sound so easy and delicious, Audrey! :-) I love that you're using buckwheat flour. Every time I visit your blog you got something super yummy!! <3
Audrey says
Thanks Sina! Buckwheat is the easiest for these {besides oats} -- least complicated gluten-free pancake flour :)
Nissrine @ Harmony a la Carte says
I love the look of these Audrey and how simple they are. One of my favourite pancakes is a banana chia oat blender pan-cake from my blog...it's more like a fritter. So simple and delicious but I don't make it often because hubby doesn't like bananas and he loves pancakes, so I usually make them with whole spelt for his benefit on either Saturday or Sunday. We were a crepe and french toast household when I was growing up.
Audrey says
Argh, what's with these non-banana loving husbands?! ;) Mine can't stand them too *sigh* {or maybe it's a good thing because it keeps my banana-loving at bay, otherwise I might need a second freezer ;)}. I'll have to check out your pancakes -- sound so interesting!