Gluten Free Banana Oat Pancakes

Not surprisingly, these pancakes tasted a lot like banana bread in a different form. They came out thick and a little dry so the addition of the honey cinnamon butter plus a drizzle of maple syrup made the difference.

I was trying not to eat more than one but that turned out to be a losing proposition once I tasted them with both toppings. They were great tasting and not at all heavy.

It took a bit longer than a minute to blend the batter because I was using an older and not especially powerful blender. Getting the liquid to the bottom so that the dry ingredients would blend and not simply pulverize required stopping, mixing, and starting again several times, but once I had done it about 3 times, the mixture came together and resembled the consistency and thickness of oatmeal.

The pancakes cooked in 2 batches in a cast iron skillet set at medium heat. Each one took about 4 minutes total cooking time to ensure the middle was completely done.

My recommendation would be to use a food processor to mix the batter unless you have a really powerful blender with a wide-mouthed container that makes it easy to transfer the batter to the griddle or pan. And don’t skimp on the butter or syrup.

After reading the recipe, we were intrigued by the list of ingredients for these pancakes. So with everything needed on hand, we made them immediately. The pancakes are very good—the texture is light and the flavor good, if a bit mild. The whipped butter is excellent, and is good enough to double next time to have more on hand for toast.

We wondered about adding chopped apples and lemon zest to the batter next time.

Making the whipped butter and the pancake batter took less than 5 minutes but cooking the pancakes took almost 30 minutes as the batter was very thick.

We kept the cooked pancakes in a warm low oven at 200°F. Because we made these on a lazy weekend morning there was no rush for us—you just want to be aware that these pancakes may take a bit longer if you’re cooking in one skillet. If you have a large rectangle skillet, of course, the cooking time will be shorter.

We cooked the pancakes on a cast iron round skillet, one 4-inch pancake at a time, yielding six pancakes total. The pancakes are very thick and light and the house smelled wonderful as they cooked. All-in-all, a delightful option new to us, definitely a winner.

I’m curious about the intent of this recipe. If the goal was a gluten-free alternative to buttermilk pancakes, then these are a successful, albeit different rendition. They are very hearty and dense—certainly not your golden, fluffy, soak-up-the-syrup pancakes. With that out of the way, they’re easy and filling and undoubtedly a more nutritious way to start the day than the standard breakfast fare.

The banana flavor is subtle, especially with the honey butter and syrup as toppings, which I definitely recommend. I can see where they would fit nicely into a gluten-free diet and the recipe is simple and swift. For some, one pancake would be plenty. If I make these again, I’ll double the quantity, as the amount specified is just barely enough.

I cooked the pancakes in 2 batches and easily had enough batter for 5 pancakes using a generous 1/2 cup batter for each. I would probably suggest making a total of 8 slightly smaller (1/3 cup) pancakes so that there would be 4 servings of 2 pancakes each.

The pancakes definitely brown very quickly, so you need to pay attention and flip after just one minute per side. I was concerned that they were underdone in the middle after such a brief time in the pan, but they continued to cook after removing from the pan and were thoroughly done by the time I served them.

Because they are so dense and hearty, most folks are going to want the optional syrup. The butter was delicious but the oatmeal soaks it up quickly and without syrup, these border on being a little dry and chewy. On the other hand, some raspberry jam in place of syrup might be wonderful.

What a great way to start the day! This recipe was so easy to make and yielded delicious, gluten-free and very hearty pancakes. The cinnamon butter is a really delicious accompaniment. I dearly love maple syrup but the cinnamon butter was so good I didn’t end up using any. Pro tip: make a double recipe of the Whipped Cinnamon Butter so you can have some on hand for toast, English muffins or bagels. It is wonderful stuff!

The texture of these cakes is quite enjoyable as the oats really soften up after blending with the wet ingredients. I did find the batter to be a little thick and would perhaps add a little milk (oat, cow or whatever you like) in the future. I had to spread the batter out after pouring it onto the skillet and they were still quite thick. As a result, they took a little longer to cook than the recipe stated (more like 3 minutes on the first side and 2 on the second).

My bananas were slightly less than very ripe so that may have affected the moisture of the batter. I cooked these in a nonstick skillet on the stove top and did only one at a time so that they would cook evenly. I kept the cooked ones on a sheet pan in the oven at 150 degrees and they stayed nice and warm. Although the recipe didn’t call for it, I added a little butter to the skillet for each pancake.

One more note: I think it would be a good idea to add the bananas and all of the wet ingredients to the blender before the oats; it will help it blend more easily. Overall, these were wonderful pancakes and easy enough for a weekday morning (especially if you make the cinnamon butter ahead of time).

The batter was quite thick and made for thick pancakes even after I spread them with a spoon. I think the batter could have used a little milk, perhaps a tablespoon or two.

I cooked the pancakes one at a time so they would cook evenly and kept the finished ones warm in a 150 degrees oven.

The size of the cakes was a bit large for so thick a batter and might have been better as six or eight so you could control the portion size. Also, they took longer to cook than the recipe stated (about 3 minutes on first side and 2 on the second side).

These could be 2 or 4 servings depending on whether you are serving them with sides.

If you are making these expecting fluffy buttermilk pancakes like your parents would make on Sunday morning, this is not your recipe. If you are looking for a simple satisfying recipe that will keep you full on a twenty mile uphill run, look no further. When I first read the recipe, I wondered if four pancakes would be enough for my husband and I, as it was a pre-long-run meal. I had nothing to worry about. I struggled to finish my second pancake. Not because it wasn’t delicious. But because it was just that hearty. The cinnamon butter was a perfect compliment to the pancakes, and not too sweet as I had feared. They are wonderful with maple syrup. I ate my second one with sour cherry jam and that was the bees knees. We will certainly make these again!

Almost perfect, these pancakes are hearty and have a great flavor balance. The batter was a bit too thick and resulted initially in a dense but delicious pancake that was closer to a drop scone (or Scotch pancakes).

After making 4 pancakes, I had a bit of batter remaining to scrape out of the blender, and added 1 to 2 tablespoons water beat in, so that the batter would thin out more to spoon into the skillet. I think since moisture levels of bananas might vary, adding a few tablespoons of water or almond milk or even reducing the oats by a 1/4 to 1/3 cup would fix this so you could pour the batter and get a nicer, round pancake.

This batch made 6 pancakes which would serve 4 to 6 people and are a welcome warm hearty breakfast on a winter morning. The whipped cinnamon butter was all the sweet topping I desired, although some would like a bit of maple syrup as well.

I used a thin fish spatula to turn them in the pan.

One seemed like a serving though they are tasty enough to tempt one for more.