These healthy pancakes for kids will give your youngster a great start to their day. Our fluffy banana oat pancakes are packed with healthy goodness.
This healthy pancake recipe is made with only 4 simple ingredients: mashed bananas, eggs, oat flour, a little baking powder. That’s it!
Topped with fresh fruit or almond butter these fluffy American-style pancakes are perfect as a healthy breakfast. Or drizzle with syrup for an undulgent weekend treat.
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A FAVORITE PANCAKE RECIPE OF MY KIDS
Pancakes are hands down a favorite breakfast among kids. This is definitely true around my house.
We wanted to have an easy, healthy pancake recipe for kids that they could, in time, learn to make themselves. And if they’re going to make them, a recipe with a handful of simple ingredients is a must.
After several recipe variations, we ended up with this healthy pancake recipe using just 4 ingredients. Now my 8-year-old heads to the kitchen and whips these up with ease. A dream come true!!
It’d be even better if he made them for his twin toddler siblings too, but that wish is a little ambitious on my part..
But this is also my go-to healthy toddler pancake recipe and one you can use as part of your baby led weaning journey.
HEALTHY PANCAKE RECIPE FOR KIDS WITH 4 SIMPLE INGREDIENTS
- Banana
- Egg
- Oat Flour
- Baking Powder
Make this simple healthy pancake recipe for kids and top with their favorite ingredients. Try nut butter, fruit, jam or a drizzle of honey.
On this occasion, we used vanilla Greek yogurt, maple syrup, and a few fresh blueberries. These healthy toddler oat flour pancakes are so delicious that you make them daily for a week or two. LOL
STEPS TO MAKE HEALTHY PANCAKES FOR KIDS FROM SCRATCH
Seriously, it’s so simple to make this fluffy healthy pancake recipe for kids!
Equipment
- Medium pan or skillet
- Mixing bowl or 2 cup measuring cup with a pour spout.
This is my preferred option for small quantities as you can, first, mix your pancake batter in it, and then use it for pouring the batter into the hot pan.
Recipe Directions
Medium heat a 12 inch skillet, then add butter to the pan.
Add a ripe banana to your mixing bowl, or measuring cup, and mash using a fork until all the lumps are mashed. (It’s ok to leave a few small lumps in.)
Crack the eggs into the bowl right over the banana, then whisk with the banana until well mixed.
Next, add the baking powder and oat flour into the banana and egg mixture, mixing until incorporated.
The pancake mixture is ready and the pan should now be hot, and the butter melted.
Pour the batter into the pan to form pancakes around 3 inches in diameter, or smaller if you want mini-pancakes. Alternatively, use a dessert spoon: I find 1 to 2 dessert spoons per pancake is normally a good amount.
Let the pancakes cook until you see air pockets forming around the edges of the pancake. This normally takes 2-3 minutes. Check it’s golden brown underneath before flipping and cooking the other side for a further 1-2 minutes.
Remove from hot pan, and set on a plate or wire rack while cooking the next batch of pancakes.
Then add your favorite toppings. We like them with Greek vanilla yogurt, fresh berries, and a drizzle of maple syrup.
BANANA OAT PANCAKES VIDEO
TIPS TO MAKE THESE HEALTHY BANANA OAT PANCAKES
- Use very ripe bananas that have lots of brown spots or speckles. This ensures softer, sweeter bananas.
- If you’re making your own oat flour, be sure to grind it to a very fine flour consistency.
- Sift the dry ingredients through a sifter to remove any lumps or debris, and ensure that the oat flour mixes evenly with the baking powder.
- If you’re making 1-2 servings, mix the ingredients in a 2-cup measuring cup for easy pouring into the pan.
- If you like fluffier pancakes, add in an additional half teaspoon of baking powder
HOW DO YOU MAKE OAT FLOUR?
I use oats, and oat flour in several different recipes. It gives a lighter, fluffier texture, and is a healthier option to plain white flour.
Sometimes I purchase oat flour at the market, but I also make this simple oat flour recipe at home.
OAT FLOUR RECIPE
Ingredients:
- 1 cup rolled or old fashioned oats
Instructions:
- Place the oats into your food processor, or blender
- Blend the oats on high until they are ground into a powder-like consistency
- About 1 minute, depending on speed and blender
- Stop and check that all the oats have been ground into flour consistency
ARE BANANA OAT PANCAKES HEALTHY FOR KIDS?
Old fashioned pancake recipes typically use white flour, sugar, and usually milk. Most all-purpose wheat flours have a relatively low nutritional value, as nutrients are stripped out during the refining process. The same can be said of processed sugar. It adds sweetness, but little else.
Pancakes made the traditional way taste great and if you add healthy toppings such as nut butter and fresh fruit, then they can still make a healthy snack.
But this healthy pancake recipe is so much better for kids since it uses whole food ingredients and a natural sweetener.
Let’s take a closer look at the ingredients in these healthy kid-friendly Pancakes:
Bananas – They’re so versatile and can be used in so many ways. They contain antioxidants, several nutrients, and are rich in fiber and have naturally occurring sugars. They had sweetness and fluffiness to this healthy toddler pancake recipe.
Eggs – Besides the fact that they’re high in protein, eggs also contain Omega-3s fatty acids. Omega-3s are good for many things, from heart and brain health to protecting our eyes.
Oat Flour – Oat flour is made of rolled oats ground into flour. They’re a great source of dietary fiber, and are higher in protein and healthy fats than most other whole grains. Moreover, they’re loaded with vitamins, and antioxidants.
Baking Powder – Leavening agent to give some fluff to the pancakes.
Butter for the pan – Butter can be substituted for a vegan butter, or vegetable oil to avoid the dairy and saturated fats.
INGREDIENT SUBSTITIONS
Substitute regular milk with unsweetened almond milk or another dairy-free milk of choice if you need to.
Substitute oat flour with:
- all purpose, cake or plain flour (depending on where you’re from)- although this will lower the nutritient value of these healthy pancakes
- self-raising flour – if you use this omit the baking powder as self-raising flour has it’s own raising agent
- buckwheat flour, spelt flour or whole wheat flour – each of these have their own unique benefits from a nutritional point of view but the also have their own unique and fairly strong flavor. *
*I’d advise a mix of one of these flours with oat or regular flour unless you and your kids are used to the taste. Alternatively add toppings that’ll hide the taste.
PANCAKE RECIPE ADDITIONS
Try adding in:
- ground flaxseeds– a good source Omega-3s, particularly alpha-linolenic acid, and dietary fiber. Replace 1 or 2 tablespoons of oat flour with ground flaxseed
- chocolate chips – add if you want indulgent chocolate pancakes with the health benefits of the other ingredients
- teaspoon of ground cinnamon – cinnamon and bananas are always divine together, plus cinnamon has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
- coconut sugar – if want sweet fluffy American-style pancakes and the banana isn’t providing enough sweetness, coconut sugar is a healthier alternative to refined sugars
STORING LEFTOVER PANCAKES
If you have any of these yummy pancakes left over, pack in an airtight container in a cool place or in the fridge.
You can eat them cold or warm them through in the pan, microwave for 30 seconds, or, if your banana oatmeal pancakes are large enough, pop them in the toaster (they need to be large enough not get lost in it!).
Alternatively freeze them in a freezer bag and defrost using the same method.
BANANA OAT PANCAKES
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoons butter or vegan butter, vegetable oil
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 medium banana mashed ripe with brown speckles
- 3 tablespoons oat flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Toppings
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons Greek vanilla yogurt
- fresh blueberries
Instructions
- Heat a the skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add butter or oil to the pan.
- In a small bowl whisk the egg, then add banana and mash with a fork into the egg.
- Stir in the baking powder and oat flour 1 tablespoon at a time. Don’t over mix, as soon as the mixture is combined, then stop stirring.
- Pour or spoon batter onto hot pan, 2-3 pancakes will fit in the pan at one time.
- After 2 minutes flip pancakes with spatula to other side for an additional 2 minutes. With spatula, lift out pancakes and set on plate. Repeat steps for the remaining batter.
- Pour maple syrup over top of pancakes, spoon yogurt over pancakes, add berries on top or on the side.
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