These easy vegan banana pancakes are light, fluffy and naturally sweetened with ripe bananas, making them a delicious way to use up overripe fruit. Ready in around 10 minutes with simple store-cupboard ingredients, they're perfect for a relaxed weekend breakfast, brunch or even in a school lunch box for a sweet treat at lunchtime.
Unlike many banana pancake recipes that turn out heavy or dense, these pancakes are soft and airy with a delicate flavour of banana. They are completely egg-free. dairy-free and easy enough for beginner cooks.
They are delicious served spread with vegan butter (or this gorgeous Maple Butter), Chocolate Peanut Butter, or served with maple syrup and fresh fruit.
🥞 Why You'll Love These Pancakes
- Ready in about 10 minutes
- Great way to use overripe bananas
- Soft and fluffy texture
- Made with everyday ingredients
- Freezer-friendly
- Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or lunch boxes
- Easy for children to make or help to make
At-a-Glance - Vegan Banana Pancakes
⏲️ Ready in: 8 minutes
👪 Serves: 9 - 12 depending on size
🍽 Calories: 58 calories
🧾 Main ingredients: Banana, plain flour (all-purpose flour), caster sugar, baking powder, salt, oat milk (or your regular milk), vanilla extract
👩🏻🍳 Suitable for: Vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, egg-free, vegetarian
❄️Freezer-friendly
You will love these pancakes, they are so quick and simple to make and always such a treat.
Summarise & save this recipe:
🥞 What's different about Scotch Pancakes?
Traditional pancakes in Scotland are small with a thick, fluffy rise, whereas pancakes in England and Ireland are thin and more like French crepes.
The Welsh make pancakes that are a bit more like the Scottish pancakes are called Crempog, which are somewhere between a crepe and a Scotch pancake.
American pancakes are more like our Scotch pancakes but much bigger. So many options, so many delicious pancakes!
📋 What You Need To Make These Vegan Pancakes
These fluffy Scottish-style pancakes (similar to American pancakes/flapjacks but smaller) are made with a few simple ingredients and great for using up bananas.
The full recipe and method is in the recipe card.
- Bananas - this recipe is great for using up bananas, but mash them well into a smooth mush, they bind the batter instead of eggs
- Oat milk - I use oat milk, but you can use whatever your favourite milk is
- Vanilla extract - if you can afford to buy extract and not essence, you don't use much, and the flavour is far superior
🥞 What Makes These Banana Pancakes Fluffy?
- Baking powder gives lift (make sure it's quite new and fresh)
- Letting the batter rest for a few minutes before making the pancakes
- Cooking them over a medium heat instead of a high heat
🍌 How Ripe Should The Bananas Be?
| Yellow Bananas | Speckled Bananas | Very Brown Bananas |
|---|---|---|
| Less sweet | Perfect | Strongest flavour |
| Firmer texture | Sweeter & mash well | Use, don't waste them |
🥣 Add Extras to the Batter
The banana pancake batter is perfect as it is, but you can tweak it with one or two of these extras.
- Ground ginger - or cinnamon
- Chocolate chips
- Desiccated coconut (dried coconut flakes) - you may need to add a like extra milk
- Raisins - or sultanas
- Dried cranberries - or dates chopped into little pieces
👩🏻🍳 How to Make Vegan Banana Pancakes
These step-by-step photos will show you how easy these vegan Scotch pancakes are to make with a few simple ingredients.
The recipe card has the full ingredient list and method.
- Step 1: In a bowl or jug, add the well-mashed banana and sugar.
- Step 2: Next, add the flour, baking powder and salt.
- Step 3: Add the milk and mix well with a whisk or a fork; don't worry about any little lumps. The texture should be like a thick cream or custard.
- Step 4: Add dollops of batter to a hot frying pan, griddle or Scottish girdle. I use an electric crepe maker. Cook until you see bubbles on the top of the pancake, then flip and cook for a couple of minutes until the second side is golden. Serve and enjoy!
🥞 Best Toppings for Pancakes
- Maple syrup & slices of banana
- Fresh berries - blueberries, strawberries, raspberries or blackberries
- Chocolate sauce and peanut butter (Homemade Peanut Butter or Chocolate Peanut Butter)
- Homemade Vegan Maple Butter
- Coconut yoghurt - or vegan Greek yoghurt and berries
- Berry compote - or try this Chia Strawberry Jam
Serve them Warm with:
- Pear slices and chocolate sauce
- Vanilla ice cream and berries
🥞 Serve them Scottish Style
Here in Scotland we like to enjoy our pancakes spread with butter (vegan butter in my case).
Simple, but delicious, and be generous! Sometimes we also add a layer of jam.
💭 FAQs
Yes, let them cool first, stack baking paper between them to prevent them sticking together, and pack berries to eat with them.
Yes, pancake batter can be made ahead and kept in the fridge overnight; it will thicken, so add a splash of milk and give the batter a good whisk before making the pancakes.
It's time to flip the pancake when there are lots of bubbles forming on the top; cook the other side until golden, usually a couple of minutes,
If your pancakes are not light and fluffy, either the baking powder is too old, or you have added too much flour.
Usually, pancakes stick in the pan because it isn't hot enough, but if the pan isn't non-stick, you may want to oil it a little before heating.
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Banana Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 small banana or half a large banana
- 2 tablespoon caster sugar
- 150 g plain flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- pinch salt
- 150 ml oat milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients into a large measuring jug or a bowl and whisk until you have a smooth batter.
- Heat your pan, griddle or crepe maker. Brush it with a little oil if it isn't a good non-stick.
- Pour or spoon batter into your pan. Once the pancake bubbles all over you can flip it and cook on the other side for a couple of minutes.
- Make in batches and serve hot or cold.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Once cool these pancakes can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- If you want them fresh in the morning and want to save time, make up a batch of the pancake batter and leave it in the fridge overnight.
- You may need to add a little milk in the morning, but they will be super quick and delicious.
- Once cool, these pancakes can be frozen for up to 3 months. To defrost, take them out at night and leave to defrost in the fridge overnight.
Collin says
Love these, make them every fortnight or so and they're delicious every time.
Jacqueline Meldrum says
I'm so glad you like them Collin. They are popular in my house too!
Jill says
The updated page looks good Jacqs and you know I love these. Jill x
Jacqueline Meldrum says
Thanks, I am updating a few old recipe to make them more useful. I remember you saying you love these pancakes.
Graham says
I love these for breakfast. I might not be great in the kitchen but I can make these and my son loves them.
Jacqueline Meldrum says
It's one way to a boy's heart and what's not to love.
Jacqueline Meldrum says
Glad you enjoyed them.
Jacqueline Meldrum says
I like a recipe to be right before I share it and anyway it was a good excuse to eat lots of pancakes.
Jacqueline Meldrum says
Oh yes good choice. You could add blueberries to this pancake batter and serve some on the side too.
Shelley says
What a brilliant idea to sub banana in place of the egg! And I totally appreciate that you worked all the angles and did all that testing to figure out jussssst the right amount of banana. Mmmmm ... plus the addition of vanilla (I wouldn't have known it wasn't a traditional addition, anyway!), to even out the banana flavor. You've thought of everything - thank you!
Julia says
What an easy and delicious recipe! I love my pancakes with a ton of fresh blueberries and maple syrup.
kidgredients says
These are so good! Yummo!
Jacqueline Meldrum says
I'm so glad you enjoyed them. You aren't the only one to make them this morning.
Jacqueline Meldrum says
Oh I love the crepe maker. I use it for quesadillas for lunch too. I highly recommend it.
It's sods love that the one you wanted was out of stock.
Enjoy the pancakes!
Michelle says
These pancakes are delicious! I've been looking for a good vegan pancake and these did not disappoint! Thanks so much for sharing.
Valerie says
I love chocolate chip pancakes, I have for years. My Mom loves bananas, I know she'd enjoy trying these. I'll have to look at that Breville Crepe Maker, I got my Mom their muffin maker and it was awesome and when I decided I wanted one for myself learned they don't make it anymore.
Jill says
These are my go to pancakes, I had to give them 5 stars. Jill x
Jacqueline Meldrum says
Awww thanks Jill, they are super popular!