Gluten and Dairy Free Banana Bread Pancakes

Is there anything better than sinking your fork into a cheery stack of pillowy pancakes piled high with all of the toppings? Gluten and Dairy Free Banana Bread Pancakes will have your family flocking to the table ready to conquer the day. Lightly sweet, kissed with warm spices, and packing texture in every bite, these are sure to become a new favorite.

Pancakes are the right answer any time of day. Whether they’re pretty in pink Gluten Free Strawberry Shortcake Pancakes or this granola topped creation, they’re truly a comfort food and the perfect canvas for playing with flavors.

Ingredients

These Gluten and Dairy Free Banana Bread Pancakes are perfect for a quick twist on traditional banana bread. Ripe banana makes this lightly sweet, tender, and moist while granola delivers all of the nutty crunch.

• Grandy Organics Classic Granola – This small batch made granola contains 50% less sugar than traditional granola. It’s made with USDA certified organic ingredients including sunflower and pumpkin seeds, cashews, oats, and coconut. It adds texture to the pancakes themselves and also the topping.
• Ripe Banana – Gives these pancakes their sweetness and also tender texture. The riper the banana, the more flavor it will give.
• Baking Powder – Keeps these pancakes light and airy.
• Gluten Free Flour – Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Baking Flour is my go-to flour for both sweet and savory recipes. It makes it easy to measure for recipes that aren’t written as gluten free without having to add any additional ingredients.
• Sugar
• Dairy Free Milk – Use your favorite unsweetened variety such as oat milk.
• Vanilla Extract – The better the quality of the vanilla, the more pronounced the flavor will be.
• Salt – Accents all of the flavors of the ingredients.
• Cinnamon – Adds warmth to the banana pancakes.
• Egg
• Topping – Pancakes are all about the toppings! Don’t skimp on extra granola and sliced bananas and of course maple syrup.

How to Make Gluten and Dairy Free Banana Bread Pancakes

Making homemade pancakes is both easy and rewarding. Not only do you have control of all of the ingredients, but you can also have fun playing around with different flavor combinations.

Variations

This recipe is completely Gluten Free and Dairy Free. However, you can make this same recipe with full dairy milk and all purpose flour.

How to Store and Reheat Pancakes

Pancakes are delicious the first time around, and can be just as delicious the second time. Allow the pancakes to fully cool. Place them in an airtight container or zip top back with parchment paper in between them. They will keep for five days refrigerated.

When you’re ready to have them again preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the pancakes on the baking sheet and allow them to bake for 5-10 minutes until warmed through. You can also reheat them in the microwave.

How to Measure Bananas

We’ve all made banana bread or seen recipes that call for half a cup or a cup of bananas. But how much do you actually need when it comes to measuring bananas themselves? When it comes to measuring bananas, a recipe can state whether it’s chopped, or mashed, as in most banana bread recipes. However, they both measure slightly differently! Keep in mind that when adding bananas to a recipe more banana doesn’t equal more flavor. Instead, it could leave you with a dense or mushy finished product. Instead, you want to use the ripest bananas possible for the most intense banana flavor. 

Here is an easy guide to use the next time you need to measure out fresh banana for a recipe. 

• 1/2 banana: 1/3 cup chopped | 1/4 cup mashed
• 1 banana: 2/3 cup chopped | 1/2 cup mashed
• 1-1/2 bananas: 1 cup chopped | 3/4 cup mashed
• 2 bananas: 1-1/3 cups chopped | 1 cup mashed
• 3 bananas: 2 cups chopped | 1-1/2 cups mashed
• 4 bananas: 2-2/3 cups chopped | 2 cups mashed

Top Tip for Gluten and Dairy Free Banana Bread Pancakes

Always allow your pancake batter to rest before making your pancakes. This will give you a more tender finished dish that is also fluffier. In addition, it allows the granola in this pancake recipe to slightly soften while still retaining its crunch.

How to Make the Perfect Pancakes

There is nothing like sinking your fork into a mile high stack of pillowy pancakes. Perfectly crisp on the outside and airy inside, they’re a food group unto themselves. Whether you’re making homemade pancakes from scratch or using your favorite Gluten Free mix, here are some top tips to make the best pancakes.

• Don’t Overmix the batter! – It’s better to have a few lumps in your batter than it is to over mix. Overmixing your batter will create a tough and chewy pancake instead of a tender and airy bite.
• Let your batter rest. – After mixing up your pancake batter, allow it to rest for at least ten minutes. This will let it relax, giving you that tender bite.
• Make sure your pan is fully heated – A hot pan or griddle equals happy pancakes. Make sure your griddle or skillet is fully heated. This will give you that golden brown exterior and prevent the pancakes from spreading out and being too thin as the heat helps cause them to puff. 
• Don’t scorch your pancakes! – You want a hot pan to cause that puff, but you don’t want your pan or griddle so hot that the exterior of your pancakes burn before the interior has a chance to cook. Maple syrup makes everything better, but not burnt pancakes.
• Grease your griddle or skillet. – Make sure that you use either melted Dairy Free butter or nonstick spray on your pan or griddle before adding your batter. Even if you’re using a nonstick pan, this helps the to easily release.
• Measure your batter. – Use a ladle or squirt bottle to easily and evenly distribute your batter. Cooking consistent sized pancakes at the same time makes it easier to manage.
• Don’t overcrowd your pan or griddle. – It’s better to make your pancakes in batches than it is to try and make too many at one time. Not only does the batter drop the temperature of the hot surface, but you also risk them running together. Plus, they’re easier to flip when they’re more spread out. 
• Flip Once – Be careful of over flipping your pancakes. The first side may cook a little longer than the second side and that’s okay. How do you know when to flip your pancakes? Watch for bubbles. You will see bubbles begin to form both on the outside edges of the pancakes and also in the middle. Gently ease your spatula under the cake, and then flip with confidence.
• The first pancake is never perfect. – If your first pancake isn’t Instagram worthy, this isn’t a big deal! Crepes and pancakes have an unwritten rule, the first one might look a little wonky. This is a great way to gauge the heat of your pan or griddle, if you have enough grease, and how long to let your pancakes cook.