Healthy Banana Pancakes

These bite sized healthy banana pancakes are made with whole wheat flour and caramelized bananas. They’re easy to make and super kid friendly!

We go through bananas at an astonishing rate around here. My girls each eat at least one per day, that’s 21 bananas a week right there. I make multiple trips to the store just to buy bananas. So it’s rare that we end up with too many bananas around here but it does happen sometimes. On this particular day my mom brought over a big bunch on the same day that I had been to the store. When we have extra bananas around, it’s either banana bread or these healthy banana pancakes.

Most banana pancakes call for mashed up bananas in the batter. In this recipe for mini banana pancakes slices of banana are caramelized on the skillet and the batter is poured on top of the slices. The small size of the pancakes allow for maximum banana flavor in each bite. Plus it’s extra fun for the kids (and no cutting required!).

I use part whole wheat flour in this recipe to make it a bit healthier. I feel guilty when I feed my kids something made completely with white flour when it’s so easy to add in the whole wheat flour without them noticing. These healthy banana pancakes are sweet enough on their own that you can actually skip the syrup if your kids will stand for it.

I have to admit, I am not a huge fan of bananas. But I will eat these pancakes any day, so that’s saying something right there. Most important though is that the kids inhale these, they love the caramelized bananas and the novelty of a mini pancake. If you’re feeling fancy (or extra ambitious) you can cook up some extra banana slices to serve over the top. If you’re pressed for time you can just use this batter sans bananas to make a relatively quick batch of plain mini pancakes. Either way everyone will be happy!

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5 from 5 votes

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Healthy Banana Pancakes

These Healthy Banana Pancakes are made with caramelized bananas and a whole wheat flour for added nutrition. Adapted from Martha Stewart.

Course Breakfast

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 6 Approximately 2 dozen

Calories 195 kcal

Author Dinner at the Zoo

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup white whole wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg , lightly beaten
• 1 cup milk (I use 1%)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted, plus more for griddle
• 2 bananas , peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
• sauteed banana slices for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. In a large bowl mix together the flours, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the egg, milk, vanilla and butter; stir until thoroughly combined (batter may be slightly lumpy).
2. Place a buttered griddle over medium heat.
3. Place 6-8 banana rounds on the griddle, about 3 inches apart. Spoon a scant tablespoon batter over each banana slice; cook until large bubbles cover surface, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip, and cook until bottom is golden, about 1 minute more.
4. Serve immediately and top with sauteed banana slices if desired. (Saute 1 sliced banana in 2 teaspoons of butter until lightly browned)

Recipe Notes

Make Ahead: Sometimes when I make pancakes or waffles I mix up an extra batch of the dry ingredients and keep it in a labeled bag. That way, the next time I want to make pancakes all I have to do is add the wet ingredients and I'm done.

Nutrition Facts

Healthy Banana Pancakes

Amount Per Serving

Calories 195 Calories from Fat 54

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 6g 9%

Saturated Fat 3g 15%

Cholesterol 41mg 14%

Sodium 224mg 9%

Potassium 361mg 10%

Total Carbohydrates 30g 10%

Dietary Fiber 2g 8%

Sugars 11g

Protein 4g 8%

Vitamin A 4.9%

Vitamin C 4.1%

Calcium 11.6%

Iron 6.3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Things You’ll Need (or Want!)

Pancake Pen Of course you can just use a spoon to put your batter on the pan, but this pancake pen is so much more fun! You can squirt perfect circles of batter or even draw fun shapes for the kids!

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Pancake and Egg Rings These rings can be used for eggs or pancakes and they definitely make breakfast time more fun. I know when I feed my kids food that’s cut into fun shapes they eat more of it because of the fun factor.

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Flexible Pancake Spatula This spatula is thinner and more flexible than a standard one, making it easier to get underneath and perfect flip pancakes, hamburgers and any other round delicate objects!

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