Healthy Chunky Monkey Banana Pancakes

These are the fluffiest and easiest healthy oat flour chunky monkey banana pancakes! They are naturally sweet, made in a blender, and call for 6 simple ingredients like rolled oats, banana, almond milk, and cinnamon. The perfect healthy and gluten-free breakfast!

The best ever banana oat flour pancakes

Pancakes are my favorite breakfast! I love these protein oatmeal pancakes (ranked #1 on Google) and these 3 ingredient banana oat pancakes (also #1 on Google). But, these healthy chunky monkey banana pancakes are for all my pancake lovers who want a fun and delicious new pancake recipe.

I am drooling writing this blog post right now! These chunky monkey banana pancakes are insanely delicious. They are so easy to make and call for simple ingredients like oats, a banana, an egg, any type of milk, and cinnamon. They have the softest and fluffiest texture with crisp, buttery edges.

The best part about these extra-fluffy banana pancakes is that they are made healthier with oat flour. You can make your own oat flour with rolled oats in a blender or use store-bought oat flour. I left instructions on how to do both below.

I make these chunky monkey banana pancakes at least once a week. They are perfect for weekend breakfast, or you can meal prep them for quick weekday, on-the-go meals. I cannot wait to hear what you think!

What makes these banana pancakes healthy?

These fluffy oat flour chunky monkey banana pancakes are healthy and delicious! This recipe has NO preservatives, NO added sugars, and NO random ingredients. Here are four ways I made these pancakes healthier for you:

1. Bananas for natural sweetness. There are no refined sugars in this banana pancake recipe. Remember to use extra brown and spotty bananas for extra sweetness; it’s natural sugar!
2. No oil or butter. There is no oil in these healthy banana pancakes. They are super soft and fluffy.
3. Dairy-free & gluten-gree. These chunky monkey banana pancakes are made dairy-free with almond or oat milk and gluten-free with oat flour.
4. Oat flour to boost fiber. We turn rolled oats into oat flour, which is a great unprocessed and healthy flour alternative. There is no all-purpose flour in these banana pancakes!

Ingredients & subsitutions

You need 6 simple and healthy ingredients, plus optional mix-ins, for these oat flour chunky monkey banana pancakes. This recipe is healthy, gluten-free, and dairy-free. Here is a list of everything you need so you are prepared:

• Banana: First up, grab a super spotty banana. The browner the banana, the sweeter and more flavorful these chunky monkey pancakes are!
• Egg: You only need 1 egg for this pancake recipe. It helps make these oat flour pancakes extra fluffy and binds them together.
• Milk: I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk because it is dairy-free and has a nice nutty flavor, but you can use any milk you want! Oat milk, cow’s milk, skim milk, and cashew milk work too.
• Vanilla Extract: For the best flavor.
• Rolled Oats: This pancake recipe is made with oat flour. We’ll blend old-fashion rolled oats into homemade oat flour to make these healthy banana pancakes. It makes these pancakes gluten-free too. You can substitute rolled oats with quick oats, but don’t use steel-cut oats.
• Cinnamon: We love adding ground cinnamon to these chunky monkey pancakes for some extra flavor.
• Baking Powder: This helps these fluffy pancakes rise. Baking powder is not the same as baking soda.
• Mix-Ins: I added chocolate chips and walnuts to these healthy chunky monkey banana pancakes.

Kitchen tools required

Here is a list of kitchen utensils you will need to make this easy healthy banana pancake recipe.

• High-Speed Blender
• Large Nonstick Pan
• Spatula
• Measuring Tools: 1/2 teaspoon, 1 teaspoon, 1 Tablespoon, and 1/2 cup.

How to make healthy chunky monkey banana pancakes

Healthy chunky monkey banana pancakes only take 15 minutes to make! Here are super 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, add all the ingredients into a blender and blend on high for 20 – 30 seconds until fully combined. Let the batter sit for 3 – 5 minutes (to thicken).

Step 2:

Meanwhile, heat a large nonstick pan over medium heat. Lightly butter or oil the pan with nonstick spray.

Step 3:

Then, pour about 1/4 – 1/3 cup of batter onto the hot pan. Top each pancake with a sprinkle of chocolate chips and walnuts. Cook for about 2 – 3 minutes until the pancakes puff up and the edges are crispy and firm up.

Tip: Since oat flour is denser than all-purpose flour, bubbles will not form on the tops of the pancakes. To check if they are ready to flip, gently lift them with a spatula to see if the bottoms are browning. If you find pancakes browning too quickly, you need to lower the heat.

Step 4:

Finally, gently flip and cook the other side for about 1 – 2 minutes. Don’t overcook them.

Then, serve immediately with banana slices, extra chocolate chips, walnuts, maple syrup, or honey!

How to make these oat flour pancakes without a blender:

If you don’t have a blender, no problem! You can make these pancakes in a mixing bowl too. Here are step-by-step instructions:

1. Mash your banana in a mixing bowl.
2. Whisk in the egg, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon.
3. Add 1/2 cup of oat flour (store-bought or homemade) and baking powder.
4. Let the batter sit to thicken & cook the pancakes as directed in the instructions.

Topping ideas:

The sky is the limit when it comes to what to top these healthy banana pancakes with. Here are a few ideas:

• Banana slices
• Maple syrup
• Chocolate chips
• Walnuts
• Pecans
• Chocolate shavings
• Honey
• Whipped cream
• Greek yogurt or vanilla yogurt
• Fresh berries

Expert tips for fluffy oat flour banana pancakes

I love fluffy pancakes, but oat flour tends to be dense. Don’t worry! Here are my tips and tricks for making the best, fluffiest, and softest oat-flour pancakes:

Let the batter sit to thicken. This is my #1 tip for oat flour pancakes. Oat flour needs to sit for 5 minutes to soak up all the liquid and wet ingredients. If you skip this step, the batter will be loose, and your pancakes will be flat.

Make sure your baking powder is not expired. If your baking powder is expired, the oat flour pancakes will not rise. Also, baking powder and baking soda are not the same things! Don’t use baking soda.

Add pancake batter to a fully heated pan. Ensure your pan is hot before adding the pancake batter, or else the edges will not get crispy, and the pancakes will not be as fluffy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are these pancakes called chunky monkey?

Chunky monkey is a classic Ben & Jerry’s banana ice cream flavor with fudge chunks and walnuts. I decided to call these pancakes chunky money banana pancakes because they are banana flavored, and we add chocolate chips and walnuts!

What do chunky monkey banana pancakes taste like?

Chunky monkey banana pancakes taste like classic cinnamon banana pancakes and banana baked oatmeal. They have chocolate and walnuts, too, which give them a sweet and nutty flavor.

Can I use quick oats?

Yes, you can use rolled oats or quick oats for these oat flour banana pancakes since we blend all the ingredients together before cooking.

Can I make this recipe vegan?

You can make these healthy banana pancakes vegan by substituting the egg with one flax egg. Make sure to let the batter sit for 5 minutes to thicken as directed in the original instructions.

What if I don’t have a blender?

You can also use a food processor or Nutribullet to blend the batter. If you don’t have any type of blender, you can make these pancakes in a mixing bowl. I left instructions on how to do this in the recipe card and above in my blog post.

Can I double the recipe?

Yes! You can easily double or triple this recipe.

Are they gluten-free?

Yes, these healthy banana pancakes are gluten-free. Just make sure you use gluten-free certified rolled oats.

Can I freeze them?

Yes, you can freeze these banana pancakes for meal prep. Simply make the pancakes as directed, let them cool, then loosely wrap them in plastic wrap, place them in a freezer-safe bag, and freeze them for up to 3 months.

How to store and reheat:

Storing: If you have leftovers, store the oat flour pancakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Reheating: For best results, reheat them in the microwave for 30 – 90 seconds until warm.

If you love this recipe, try these next!

• protein oatmeal blender pancakes
• 3 ingredient banana oat pancakes
• banana foster pancakes
• pumpkin protein pancakes
• fluffiest blueberry lemon pancakes

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!

I only recommend products I absolutely love and use myself. In full disclosure, by purchasing a product I recommend, I may receive a small compensation. Thank you for supporting Healthful Blondie!

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