Gluten free banana pancakes (American-style) made with protein-rich flours and buttermilk. Topped with a home-made caramelised banana sauce for delicious decadence. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, dessert and definitely not just for Pancake Day.
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Gluten Free Banana Pancakes… Make every day a pancake day
Fancy a delicious stack of gluten free Banana Pancakes, piled high and doused with caramelised banana sauce? Read on…
We love pancakes in our house and although we don’t eat them as often as we would like, they are definitely not reserved for Pancake Day (Shrove Tuesday). In fact, any day should be an optional ‘pancake day’. Right?
After all, pancakes are as versatile as they are varied. They come sweet or savoury, wafer thin or fat, rolled, folded or piled high. They make a fantastic breakfast, brunch, after-school treat or dessert. And if you make them savoury, pancakes can be topped and filled for a nutritious lunch or tea.
If you are wondering why it’s been so long since you made any, worry not! The annual pancake fest is a great kick up the backside. And since it’s just round the corner, it’s most definitely time to get out the pan, whip up some batter and start flipping!
Why do we eat pancakes on Shrove Tuesday?
Like so many food traditions, Shrove Tuesday and its connection with pancakes is steeped in Christian history. It marks the last day before the start of Lent… a time of Christian fasting, which lasts for the 40 days leading to Easter.
Shrove Tuesday was traditionally the day for clearing larders of excess and gorging on the contents in preparation for leaner weeks of abstinence ahead. All edible temptations had to be removed and Shrove Tuesday was traditionally the time for using up remaining eggs, butter and fat. These could easily be turned into pancakes and fritters and hence, the custom began.
Pancake Day in the 21st Century
From such humble religious beginnings, Pancake Day is now an annual feature on the foodie calendar rather than a larder-emptying feast. Of course there are still some who use it as the marker for giving up something for Lent (I had a colleague who every year, would give up eating cheese, chocolate and chips until Easter). However, with the perpetual dwindling of active Christians in the UK at least, Pancake Day seems to have become more of an excuse to remind ourselves just how good pancakes are.
Indeed, glancing through the world of ‘#instapancakes’ it also seems to be an excuse for creative expression of culinary diversity. You’ll find everything from impressively presented magnificent pancake towers, to carefully rolled spirals of flavour-filled loveliness. But I think the thing that strikes me most about the modern pancake, is the trend towards topping with often insanely calorific add-ons. Add the word ‘loaded’ to your pancake search and you’ll find some stacks with what looks like an entire year’s worth of treats dumped on the top. Indulgent… yes. ‘Instagrammable’… for sure! Healthy… probably not.
Gluten Free Alchemist gluten free Banana Pancakes – a little healthier?
To be fair, you may be looking at the photos of these drool-worthy gluten free banana pancakes and thinking exactly the same. But if you take a closer look at the ingredients, you’ll find that they probably come into the category ‘sweet pancakes with a healthier twist’. And they do pack a full banana flavour punch.
These gluten free pancakes are made with a nutritious combination of protein-rich flours, egg, buttermilk, coconut oil and bananas, lightly sweetened with coconut sugar. They may be in the ‘dessert’ camp of pancake, but you can feel fairly virtuous that they remain a healthier option. They are incredibly satisfying too… We ate them for brunch and they kept hunger at bay for hours.
Okay… We also caramelised a bunch of bananas in brown sugar syrup to make Caramelised Banana Sauce and spooned them over the top… And yes, this action may have knocked me off the moral ‘healthy-eating’ pedestal. But it tasted fantastic and was more than worth the act of moral corruption that ensued… At least we stayed clear of the whipped cream.
Making the best gluten free pancakes at GFHQ
These gluten free banana pancakes are more the thick ‘American style’… Luscious, fluffy and made for tower-building, rather than rolling. But they are not the only American buttermilk pancake recipe here on Gluten Free Alchemist. You will also find a glorious recipe for Vanilla Buttermilk Pancakes topped with berries and Chocolate Sauce, which is a firm family favourite and often made for staying guests. And there are also super-easy no buttermilk fruity Blender Pancakes (Protein Pancakes) which may quickly become an obsession.
If you’ve never made buttermilk pancakes before, I would definitely recommend you try. The buttermilk adds a richness and lightness that makes eating them an absolute delight. Check out my top tips for cooking them at home.
If you prefer a thinner, rolled or folded pancake, we have those too… I’ve developed a few gluten free pancake recipes over the last few years!
One of my favourites is actually more of a savoury gluten free pancake, made with a base of oat flour. Healthy and delicious, Oat Crêpes make the perfect wrap for mushrooms, cheese, tuna or anything else you want to throw at them. Miss GF loves them with sweet toppings too. Even if you are not a gluten-avoider, they certainly make a wholesome alternative to traditional wheat-flour batter and are simple to make. And it’s really easy to make oat flour at home by grinding oats into a fine powder.
Or if you want to stay sweet… Why not try some fruity gluten free Cherry Pancakes instead? Or go mini with some gluten free Blinis?
Other Gluten Free Pancakes from around the web…
If you don’t fancy any of these pancakes (although I can thoroughly recommend all of them), there are plenty of others to whet your appetite. Here is a selection of some of my gluten free favourites from around the web.
- Buckwheat Blini Pancakes from Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary
- Totally Free From Pancakes from Intolerant Gourmand
- Spicy Vegetable Pancakes from Supergolden Bakes
- Simple Pancakes from Glutarama
- Buckwheat Banana, Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chip Pancakes from Apple & Spice
- Spinach Chickpea Crepes from Sneaky Veg
- Courgette Chickpea Pancakes from Tin & Thyme
- And why not visit our dedicated Gluten Free Batter Index too?
WHAT DID I USE TO MAKE THESE PANCAKES? (AD)
Don’t forget… If you do try my gluten free Banana Pancakes, let me know! Leave a comment below or Take a photo and tag me on social media (Facebook; Instagram; Twitter). And if you like what you make, I’d love it if you could share with your friends and leave a recipe rating. Thank you
You may also like to try
Gluten Free Banana Pancakes with Caramelised Banana Sauce
Key equipment
- mixing spoon
- fork
- whisk
- third-cup measure or large spoon/ladle
- hob
- flat silicone spatula
- heat-proof plate
- clean tea towel
- sharp vegetable knife
Ingredients
Gluten Free Banana Pancakes
- 60 g buckwheat flour
- 40 g tapioca flour
- 60 g oat flour SEE NOTES BELOW
- 60 g sorghum flour
- 30 g almond flour
- 50 g coconut sugar or light soft brown sugar
- 2 tsp GF baking powder
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- 570 ml buttermilk 2 x 284 ml pots
- 1½ ripe bananas mashed
- 2 large eggs (UK large)
- 50 g coconut oil melted – low microwave or set over hot water
- 1 tsp vanilla paste
Caramelised Banana Sauce
- 3 firmer bananas sliced
- 150 g soft light brown sugar
- 2 to 3 tbsp water
To Decorate
- toasted chopped hazelnuts
- a handful of chocolate chips
Instructions
Banana Pancakes
- Weigh and mix together the flours, sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a large bowl, making sure all are fully combined. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, beat together the buttermilk, mashed banana, eggs, melted coconut oil and vanilla paste, until thoroughly combined, light and airy.
- Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and pour the liquid into the bowl.
- Stir the mixture briefly and then whisk until the ingredients are just evenly amalgamated. Be careful not to over-mix.
- Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes whilst the bicarbonate of soda activates.
- Prepare your frying pan by brushing (or sponging) with a little vegetable, sunflower or coconut oil and heat over a medium setting.
- When the pan is hot, add a large spoonful of batter (I use a third-cup measure), and gently push out to form an American pancake shape about 5 mm thick.
- Allow the underside to cook and when the bubbles that form on the top have popped, flip the pancake over and cook the other side.
- Repeat this process until all the batter has been used. But place the pancakes as they cook in a pile on a heat-proof plate, wrapped in a clean tea towel and keep warm in a low oven until ready to eat.
Caramelised Banana Sauce
- In a medium saucepan, mix the sugar and water together and heat over a medium heat, stirring until the sugar has melted and darkened slightly. Be careful not to over-cook, or the sugar will burn.
- Add the sliced bananas to the pan and gently toss in the syrup, continuing to heat gently for a couple of minutes.
- Remove from the heat.
- Serve the pancakes with the sauce and a sprinkling of roasted chopped hazelnuts. For extra decadence, throw on some chocolate chips.
Notes
Nutrition
© 2019-2023 Kate Dowse All Rights Reserved – Do not copy or re-publish this recipe or any part of this recipe on any other blog, on social media or in a publication without the express permission of Gluten Free Alchemist
For lots of other gluten free inspiration, we now have a Gluten Free Recipe Book Index that you can browse for ideas.
This post was originally published on 6th February 2016 and updated on 20th February 2020
Hi I made the pancakes on Tuesday, I was a bit surprised by the 2tbsp of baking powder, thought this must be an error and used 2 tsp
Used plain kefir instead of buttermilk ( as didn’t have any) the mixture was very thick ( not sure if this was correct ? ) so let it down with some milk. However they tasted great and my grandson loved them. We didn’t eat them all so have frozen the rest ready for next weekend….. will they freeze ok ?
Thank you
Hi Gail
Thank you so much for making contact. And thank you! Yes… The 2 tbsp was a typo… I always check and double check recipes, but I think what happened was the original draft that I transferred to the recipe card was typed wrong and I missed it on checking. It has only ever happened once before, but I am always eternally grateful when people pick up an error. So thank you… It has now been amended on the recipe card.
Buttermilk pancake batter is generally thicker, but slight variations in ingredients and even flour manufacture can also shift consistency slightly. At the end of the day… with pancakes, you can make them the consistency that works best for you. So loosening the mix as you feel helpful is just fine.
As for freezing? Yes. That’s absolutely fine. Pop a square of baking paper between each and they won’t stick together.
xx
Hi, did as you suggested with the baking paper. They were just as good the following weekend and so easy to just get out and microwave will freeze some again.
Xx
Brilliant! I’m so pleased to hear that. Thank you for letting me know xxx
These look amazing! Thanks for sharing #cookblogshare
Thanks Louise… You’re welcome x
Wow – now that is a stack of pancakes. Looks amazing! Thanks for linking up to #CookBlogShare. Michelle
Awww… Thanks x
Beautiful pancakes and they sound so good! Thanks for sharing at last week’s What’s for Dinner party. Hope to see you this week – and have a fabulous day!
Thanks Helen. You’re welcome x
Your pictures are just so tempting! The recipe sounds awesome too!
Thanks Chloe…. Pancake stacks always make great models!! x
Honestly, you had me at “caramelised banana”. Absolutely can’t go wrong with that combination but with pancakes too,,,,
Oh yes! What’s not to tempt about Caramelised Banana. Always a winner! x
your pancakes look delicious – I was very fond of a banana pancake recipe until Sylvia stopped loving it but perhaps I need to try this caramelised banana topping – it looks specially tempting with choc chips!
Oh no…. That’s such a shame. But kids can be so faddy. I’m sure she’ll come back to them xx
These look gorgeous! We have a more basic banana pancake for breakfast quite a lot, but something more decadent like this is perfect for pancake day!
Thank you Donna. Banana pancakes are always a treat… whatever the recipe x
This looks great. I never knew until a day or two ago that pancakes are traditional for Shrove Tuesday (I end up with Mardi Gras Cajun cookery), but I will try this, not necessarily this coming Tuesday – but leaving off any trace of hazelnuts. Caramelized banana, however, sounds like a great idea.
Thank you… Shrove Tuesday has wonderful pancake roots… Always good to indulge x
I'd definitely like to try it as I'm sure it tastes amazing! Thanks for sharing!
You're welcome Sophia. Enjoy!
How incredibly gorgeous are these pancakes! Yum! Thank you for sharing with the No Waste Food Challenge 🙂
Thank you! x
I'm so sad that pancake day is over! Although I don't really need it to be pancake day to make pancakes! These look absolutely amazing! Thank you for sharing with this month's treat petite!
Thank you Lisa. You're welcome….. I would be happy with these any day of the year!
Oh wow, you are making my mouth water with those pictures! banana and syrup has always been my go-to pancake topping. #freefromfridays
Thanks Emma xx
YUM! I wish I had seen this in time for Pancake day! At least I have the weekend 🙂
Ha ha! Any day might be pancake day in my house!! x
Oh wow!! These look soooo good! I would love a plate of those especially with the caramelised banana sauce. Thank you for sharing with #CookBlogShare x
Thanks Kirsty. You're welcome xx
Your gluten-free Pancakes look absolutely fab! Pinning! I will be making these!
Fab. Thank you!! Let me know if you make them xx
I love pancakes, though because OH is fond of them (! I know) I don't have them as often as I'd like. Mum always used to make them for my brother and I when we were young on Shrove Tuesday and it was always so much fun watching mum flip them and then eating them! Lovely to hear your daughter is so proficient in the kitchen.
Angela x
Only Crumbs Remain
Thanks Angela. I love those little childhood memories which pop up with festivals. I think most people probably have some great pancake memories from childhood. They are one of those dishes which are iconic and traditional!
Oh boy these look good! You kill me with your creations. Once again I am attempting no sugar so these babies are out for me! Enjoy them though…and thank you so much for linking to my recipe!!
Sorry Vicki! It must be so hard looking at lovely recipes that you can't eat. I know you can't eat any sugar, but these aren't so bad without the sauce as they only have some coconut sugar in them xx
These look lovely, great flavours
Thanks Alison x
Woow! These pancakes look great! Love the banana on top. Great presentation (as always) and a great combination of flavours!
Awwww…. thanks Alida! x
Oh my! These look very good indeed, Kate. I love the caramelised banana topping. And your photos are gorgeous. 🙂 I'm impressed with Miss GF's skills in the kitchen. How old is she? I had a similar moment today with my daughter, who is 7…I was helping her wrap a present for a friend, I was doing most of it and she was sticking on the sellotape. I turned my back for a moment and when I turned around again I found her merrily getting on with it all on her own and actually doing it more neatly than I usually manage! Eb x
Thanks Eb. Miss GF is 10. She does seem to have suddenly come into her own in the kitchen and it's getting to the point where if we leave the room, she rustles something up. I came in to find jelly had appeared today! Sounds like you have a natural too. They are so fearless….. it's wonderful! x
Wow! It's hard to believe these pancakes are GF, they look so light & delicious, I will definitely give them a try 🙂 I would love it if you added the recipe to my Sunday Fitness & Food Link-up at: http://www.marathonsandmotivation.com
Thanks Angela. They are really good and I would thoroughly recommend them. If you do make them, let me know how you get on……
Thanks for letting me know about the linky. I will pop over and add them on!
Thank you for joining the Linky! I have pinned the recipe to be sure to try it. Hope to "see you" next Sunday at the Fitness & Food Link-up. ps-I love the the info. you gave about "Pancake Day"
Thanks Angela. Let me know if you make them and how you find them!
I've been away for a few days, so missed this weekend, but I'll try to join soon!
I've never been mad for pancakes, but if anyone was ever going to 'turn' me it would be you with these photos!
Ha Ha…… Thanks CC x
These sound delicious, I especially like the addition of the caramelised bananas – that's definitely something I'll be adding to mine in the future 🙂
That's a lot of different flours, is it possible to use one of the GF flour blends available in the supermarkets instead?
Thanks Charlotte. The bananas were lush and really quick to throw together….. so absolutely worth the extra effort.
I mixed the flours predominantly because I wanted to have a healthy and nutritious mix (which you rarely get from commercial blends, that are mostly rice-flour based). Although I haven't tested the recipe with supermarket flour, I would not see a significant reason why they wouldn't work…… although for texture, I would still add the oat flour in the mix.
they really do look superb… nice and thick and perfectly golden. Thanks for linking to SimplyEggcellent xxx
Thanks Dom. You're welcome x
These look stunning! I'm sure they were gobbled up quickly. Definitely going to check out the other recipes in the post too! Thanks for linking up with #cookblogshare
Thanks Mandy. You're welcome. They certainly didn't last long! x
These look so scrumptious! I love the addition of caramelised banana – genius! My mouth is genuinely watering!! Thanks for entering into Treat Petite.
Thanks Kat…. I could quite happily have eaten a whole bowl of the caramelised banana on its own….. But the pancakes were so good with them, that I ate a pile of them as well!