These quick and easy protein almond flour banana pancakes are super fluffy, perfectly sweet, and taste like banana bread. They’re healthy, gluten-free, and naturally sweetened with maple syrup and bananas. No oil or butter is needed!
Gluten-free almond flour banana pancakes
I’ve made hundreds of pancakes, and my gluten-free chunky monkey banana pancakes and 3 ingredient banana pancakes are #1 on Google – so you can trust me when it comes to all things pancakes. So, say hello to the fluffiest gluten-free almond flour banana pancakes. Everyone will love them; no one can tell they are healthier and gluten-free.
This recipe calls for eight simple ingredients. You need almond flour, eggs, bananas, cinnamon, baking powder, vanilla, and maple syrup. These clean ingredients make these banana protein pancakes gluten-free, dairy-free, healthy, and oil-free.
That’s what I love about these almond flour pancakes: you don’t need butter or oil! Thanks to the almond flour, they are so soft and moist without oil!
My favorite part about these gluten-free banana pancakes is that they are super high in protein without adding protein powder. There are over 18 grams of natural protein per serving from the eggs and almond flour.
Why you’ll love this healthy recipe:
- Almond flour pancakes are light and fluffy.
- They taste like banana bread.
- They are high in protein, with over 18 grams per serving!
- The perfect healthy breakfast.
- Almond flour pancakes are gluten-free and dairy-free.
- These pancakes are oil-free and butter-free.
- They are naturally sweetened with the banana.
- Kids will love them.
- Serve them on Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Easter, or a special event.
- Try these insanely delicious chunky monkey banana pancakes or these almond flour banana muffins next!
Taste & texture of almond flour banana protein pancakes
These high-protein almond flour banana pancakes are fluffy, soft, and taste like banana bread. The primary flavor comes from bananas and cinnamon. They do not taste like almonds.
Once cooked, these almond flour banana pancakes are soft, fluffy, and light. They have buttery crisp edges and soft middles. They are not dry or dense.
Ingredients needed & substitutions
These extra fluffy almond flour banana pancakes call for 8 simple ingredients. You’ll need almond flour, eggs, bananas, cinnamon, and a few other ingredients. Here is a list of all the ingredients so you are prepared:
- Almond Flour: Instead of refined flour, we use superfine blanched almond flour, which makes the pancakes gluten-free and healthier. Almond flour is delicate, so the pancakes are light and fluffy. Do not substitute almond flour with coconut flour or oat flour.
- Baking Powder: Make sure to use baking powder, not baking soda! This helps these gluten-free almond flour banana pancakes get extra fluffy.
- Cinnamon: This makes the pancakes taste like banana bread.
- Egg: You need four eggs. It sounds like a lot, but since almond flour is very delicate, we need extra eggs to help bind the batter together and get the banana protein pancakes to rise.
- Bananas: The star of the show! Grab extra brown and spotty bananas so the pancakes are sweeter and have extra flavor.
- Maple Syrup: You only need a little to naturally sweeten these pancakes.
- Vanilla Extract: And a dash of vanilla for the best flavor.
Kitchen tools required
You only need a few kitchen utensils to make these homemade healthy almond flour banana pancakes. Here is a list:
- Two Mixing Bowls
- Whisk
- Large Saute Pan or Pancake Griddle
- Spatula
- Measuring Tools: 1/4 teaspoon, 1/2 teaspoon, 1 teaspoon, 1 tablespoon, 1/3 cup, and 1 cup.
How to make almond flour banana pancakes
These ultra-fluffy almond flour banana pancakes are so easy to make! You will be in and out of the kitchen in less than 15 minutes, plus clean up will be easy. Here are detailed step-by-step instructions with pictures for visual reference so any level cook can make them. The full recipe and ingredient measurements are at the bottom of this page in the recipe card.
Step 1:
First, mix the almond flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Make sure there are no lumps or clumps in the almond flour.
Step 2:
In another bowl, whisk the eggs, then mix in the mashed bananas, maple syrup, and vanilla.
Step 3:
Next, add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture, and whisk gently until a batter is formed. If your batter is very thick, add 1 tbsp of milk (oat, almond, or cow’s) until it looks like the picture below.
Step 4:
Then, heat a large pan or pancake griddle to medium (or medium-low) heat and grease it with butter. Once melted, pour about ¼ cup of batter onto the hot pan for each pancake. Next, add mix-ins, if desired, by arranging blueberries, banana slices, or chocolate chips on top of each pancake. Almond flour is delicate, so don’t make the pancakes too big, or they will break when you flip them.
Step 5:
Cook for about 2 minutes until the edges are browned, and the bottoms are golden. Almond flour pancakes brown easily, so turn the temperature down to medium-low if they are browning too fast. Gently flip and cook the other side for about 1 – 2 minutes.
Step 6:
Wipe the pan between each batch and repeat with the remaining batter. After the first batch, I turn the heat down to medium-low because an over-hot pan will burn the pancakes. Almond flour pancakes get darker faster than regular flour pancakes.
Finally, top your banana protein pancakes with your favorite maple syrup and top with banana slices or fresh berries/fruit. Enjoy!
Expert recipe tips for fluffy almond flour pancakes
- Use superfine, blanched almond flour. This is super important! Make sure to make these pancakes with superfine almond flour so they have the right texture. Whatever you do, don’t use almond meal! It will make the pancakes gritty and mealy and fall apart.
- Whisk the almond flour between adding the wet ingredients. It seems silly, but this is so important! Almond flour has the natural tendency to have clumps, so make sure to whisk them all out so your pancakes are smooth. No one wants a random flour clump in their pancakes.
- Cook almond flour pancakes on medium-LOW. This is my #1 tip for almond flour pancakes. These banana protein pancakes brown easily because almond flour is delicate – make sure to turn the temperature down to medium-low if they are browning too fast.
- Make smaller pancakes. Almond flour is delicate, so don’t make the pancakes too big, or you will have a very hard time flipping them – they will likely break in half.
- Check the freshness of your baking powder. If your baking powder is expired or old, the almond flour pancakes will not rise!
- Wipe the pan between batches. I always wipe down the pan with a paper towel between batches; then I add fresh butter or cooking oil, let it heat up, and continue making pancakes. This ensures the fluffiest pancakes without the taste of burned butter.
- Don’t substitute almond flour with another type of flour. Try another recipe if you want to substitute the almond flour – I love these oat flour banana pancakes and these healthy buttermilk pancakes.
Variations & topping ideas:
- Swap cinnamon for pumpkin pie spice
- Add chocolate chips, blueberries, or m&ms to the pancake batter
- Fresh berries
- Banana slices
- Maple syrup
- Honey
- Greek yogurt
- Whipped cream
- Chocolate chips
- Chocolate sauce
- Peanut butter or almond butter
- Nutella
- Date syrup
Why these almond flour banana pancakes healthy:
These almond flour banana protein pancakes are healthy for many reasons – here are five:
- Simple Ingredients. Almond flour banana pancakes are made with minimal ingredients that will leave you feeling nourished and good.
- No Refined Flour. We use almond flour instead of refined flour, which makes these pancakes naturally gluten-free and higher in protein and healthy fats.
- High Protein. There are 18 grams of protein per serving in these banana pancakes.
- No Butter or Oil. There is no butter and no oil in these pancakes.
- Refined sugar-free. There is NO refined sugar in this recipe. The mashed bananas and maple syrup naturally sweeten these pancakes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is blanched almond flour?
Blanched almond flour is made from almonds that have had their skin removed. Blanched, superfine almond flour has a smoother texture,
Can I use almond meal instead of almond flour?
No, almond meal is grainy, which will change the texture of these pancakes. Make sure to use superfine almond flour!
Can you substitute regular flour for almond flour?
No, do not substitute regular all-purpose flour for almond flour.
What are the best substitutes for pure maple syrup?
You can substitute pure maple syrup with honey, date syrup, or agave syrup.
Are these pancakes gluten-free?
These banana pancakes are gluten-free since almond flour is naturally gluten-free.
Are they dairy free?
These banana pancakes are also dairy-free because this recipe has no butter or milk.
Can I make mini pancakes?
Absolutely! To make mini silver dollar almond flour banana pancakes, only add 2 Tablespoons of batter to the hot pan. You will also need to reduce the cooking time by about 1 minute.
Blanched vs. unblanched almond flour
Unblanched almond flour is made while whole almonds (with skin), and blanched almond flour is made with skinless almonds. Since unblanched almond flour uses whole almonds, it is speckled brown. Blanched almond flour is better for baking because it has a super fine and smooth texture.
Almond flour vs. coconut flour
Overall, almond flour and coconut flour are different and shouldn’t be used interchangeably in baking recipes. Both flours are gluten-free; however, almond flour is between for 1:1 gluten-free baking. It has a higher natural fat content, more protein, and is less absorbent than coconut flour. Flavor-wise, almond flour has a nuttier flavor, while coconut flour is sweeter. Consistency-wise, almond flour is soft and fluffy when used in baked goods, while coconut flour tends to dry baked goods out because it is so absorbent. I prefer to use coconut flour when making no-bake recipes.
How to store, freeze, and reheat:
Storing: If you have leftovers, store the almond flour pancakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freezing: Yes, you can freeze leftover pancakes. Let them cool to room temperature, then wrap them in plastic wrap and place them into a freezer-safe bag. You can freeze pancakes for up to 3 months. When you are ready to enjoy them, place frozen pancakes on a microwave-safe plate and microwave for 30 – 60 seconds until warm. You can also reheat in the oven at 300°F for 5 – 10 minutes until warm.
Reheating: For best results, reheat them in the microwave for 30 – 90 seconds until warm or in the toaster oven at 275°F for 5 – 10 minutes.
If you loved this recipe, try these next!
- Chunky Monkey Banana Pancakes
- 3 Ingredient Banana Oat Pancakes
- Banana Foster Pancakes
- Almond Flour Banana Muffins
- Blueberry Banana Bread
Did you make this recipe?
If you make this recipe, be sure to comment and rate it down below. Also, don’t forget to tag me @healthfulblondie on Instagram and use the hashtag #healthfulblondie so I can see your delicious creation and share it with my followers!
Almond Flour Banana Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 ⅔ cups superfine blanched almond flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup mashed bananas, (about 2 medium-sized brown & spotty bananas)
- 1 ½ tbsp pure maple syrup
- 2 tsp real vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the almond flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Make sure there are no clumps of almond flour!
- In another bowl, whisk the eggs, then mix in the mashed bananas, maple syrup, and vanilla.
- Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture, and whisk gently until a batter is formed. If your batter is very thick, add 1 tbsp of milk (oat, almond, or cow’s) until it looks like the picture below.
- Heat a large pan or pancake griddle to medium (or medium-low) heat and grease it with butter. Once melted, pour about ¼ cup of batter onto the hot pan for each pancake. Almond flour is delicate, so don't make the pancakes too big or they will break when you flip them. Add mix-ins if desired by arranging blueberries, banana slices, or chocolate chips on top of each pancake.
- Cook for about 2 minutes until the edges are browned, and the bottoms are golden. Almond flour pancakes brown easily so turn the temperature down to medium-low if they are browning too fast.
- Gently flip and cook the other side for about 1 – 2 minutes.
- Wipe the pan between each batch and repeat with the remaining batter. I turn the heat down to medium-low after the first batch because an over-hot pan will burn the pancakes. Almond flour pancakes get darker faster than regular flour pancakes.
- Serve with your favorite maple syrup and top with banana slices or fresh berries/fruit. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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Mary says
tried this recipe for the first time today and i LOVED it!! The pancakes were so cakey and delicious. I definitely will make them again.
Tati Chermayeff says
Hi Mary – thank you so much for this kind review. I love these pancakes too!