These Spinach Banana Blender Pancakes are an easy, nutritious breakfast option, that will truly change your life! They are so damn good; and because the recipe uses banana and a lot of spinach (that you can’t taste!), you will be starting the day on the right foot. They are naturally sweetened and perfectly kid-friendly, too – because what kid wouldn’t want to eat green pancakes? Oh, and did I mention that you can meal prep a big batch of these in advance and freeze them?
The Perfect Blender Pancakes
One of my favorite things about this recipe – besides the taste – is that it comes together in the blender, which means that you won’t need a million dishes to make them. And as a busy mama, saving time is everything. Additionally, because the recipe uses one banana and a lot of spinach, you’ll get a hefty dose of vitamins and minerals to start the day right.
And note, even if you aren’t spinach fan, trust me when I tell you that you can’t taste it in this recipe; so despite the color, they taste like healthy banana pancakes! It’s a win win!
What you need to make these pancakes
As you can see from the ingredient list, you only need a simply handful of ingredients to make these perfect green pancakes!
- Banana: You need one, very large and ripe banana. Because this recipe only uses a few tablespoons of maple syrup, the sweetness in these pancakes relies heavily on the banana. So the riper the banana, the better, because riper bananas are sweeter.
- Spinach: You will need two cups of fresh spinach. I’ve never tried with frozen spinach and I don’t recommend it. Use fresh spinach and pack in two cups into a measuring cup. If you are wondering whether these pancakes will taste like spinach, the answer is no! They taste just like banana pancakes…only green, because of the spinach!
- Coconut oil: These pancakes get their moisture from a few tablespoons of coconut oil. If you prefer another oil, feel free to use that!
- Maple syrup: Like I mentioned above, this recipe uses a combination of one fresh banana and a few tablespoons of maple syrup. I love the fact that these pancakes aren’t too sweet, and that’s because I love adding toppings, like fresh fruit, yogurt, and even some shredded coconut.
- Almond milk: When I make this recipe, I use almond milk, because that is what I almost always have on hand. You can use any milk of choice, including regular milk!
- Vanilla extract: Vanilla extra gives these pancakes a little extra flavor boost, so make sure to use it!
- Egg: I love the fluffiness of these pancakes, which comes from the egg. However, you can substitute the egg for a flax egg.
- Flour: So, here you have options. I have made these pancakes with all-purpose flour, gluten-free flour, and oat flour. They all came out perfect.
- Baking powder: Baking soda is the leavening agent in this recipe, so don’t skip it!
How to make these pancakes
To make these pancakes, it truly could not be easier. You simply add all of the ingredients to a blender, and blend until the mixture is smooth and there are no lumps. The batter should be nice and thick. If it’s not, do not freak out! I feel like this is where people panic when things don’t go exactly right. So listen up – the batter should be thick. If it’s not, it could be because of the size of the banana used or your flour choice – no biggie! Add a tablespoon or two more flour! And, if the batter is too thick, add a touch more milk. I promise you will get it right. Just calm down and remember that recipes are recipes, but there are sometimes other variables that I can’t take into consideration every time I share a recipe! That said, these pancakes are freaking perfect, so I cannot wait for you to make them!
Place a skillet over low-medium heat. You don’t want the heat higher than that, so that the pancakes don’t burn. Grease the skillet well, with oil or butter or cooking spray. Add about 1/4 cup batter to the pan, forming a pancake shape. Watch it, and once the pancakes starts to bubble (after about 2 minutes), flip the pancake to the other side and cook for about 1-2 minutes more. Repeat until all of the batter is done!
Note: you might have to reduce the heat to low after you’ve made a few pancakes. The pan gets hot, so it’s important to reduce the heat to low so that the remaining pancakes don’t burn.
Topping ideas for spinach banana blender pancakes
- Fresh berries, such as raspberries, strawberries and blueberries
- Nut butter or sunflower seed butter for a nut-free option
- Maple syrup
- Honey
- Vanilla yogurt
- Homemade Strawberry Chia Jam
- Granola
Tips for preparing these spinach banana blender pancakes ahead of time
I know I am going to get many questions about whether these can be made ahead of time. The answer is YES, and doing so is a great idea because it will make breakfast time a breeze, especially on busy mornings! Here’s what you need to know. I like to make a big batch on Sundays, my typical meal prep day, but pick a day and time that works best for you!
- To store the pancakes the fridge: Prepare the pancakes and let them cool completely. Then store them in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To reheat, I use the microwave or the toaster oven.
- To store the pancakes in freezer: Prepare the pancakes and let them cool completely. Then store them in a freezer safe container/storage bag and enjoy them whenever you’d like. Thaw them in the fridge overnight or pop into the microwave or toaster oven to reheat.
If you make this recipe, please take a moment to leave a review and comment below! And of course, since I practically live on Instagram, tag me in your creations so I can see them and repost on my IG stories! Enjoy! xx
Ingredients
- 1 large, very ripe banana
- 2 cups spinach, packed tight
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- ½ cup almond milk, or dairy-free milk of choice
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 egg, or flax egg if vegan
- 1 ⅓ cups gluten-free all purpose flour, or oat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a blender, add add all of the ingredients and blend until everything is smooth.
- Note, depending on factors like how large your banana is, whether you use the gf flour or oat flour, how well packed your spinach is, you might need to add a touch more non-dairy milk to achieve the desired consistency.
- The batter should be THICK, but still pourable.
- Heat pan on low/medium and grease a pan well with butter (or coconut oil).
- Pour 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake onto the pan and brown on both sides (flip when you start to see bubbles).
- Note, be sure to adjust the temperature back to low heat if you notice that the pancakes are browning too quickly/starting to burn.
- Enjoy!
Rate & review
SELECT A RATING and tell me what you think!
What others are saying
Made these pancakes and I loved them.not only are they are tasty but full of so much goodness. Thanks for posting such wonderful wonderful recipes.
Hi Leda, I am so happy you gave these a try! I love them so much, and it’s a nice way to start the day getting those nutrients in!
Thank you so much! This is what I love to hear! We love them too!
Delicious!!!! My new favorite
These are so amazing and filled with so much good stuff! I used oat flour and made it in my waffle maker and they came out perfect! Thank you for this tasty recipe 🙂
Oohhh that sounds amazing!! Thank you so much for your review, Laken!
I’m a bit picky about my pancakes and these are amazing! I love them and I feel great serving them to my 5, 3, and 6mo old who all gobble them up.
Woohoo! Love hearing that your kids love them too! Thank you for your review, Sarah!
You really CAN’T taste the spinach, I promise, I promise, I promise! These are so delicious and I made them plain (no choco chips, berries, etc). Texture is just like a pancake. The recipe makes about 8 small/medium sized pancakes for me! Used Bobs Red Mill 1:1 GF flour and 1/2 almond, 1/2 coconut milk. Fantastic!
Thank you for sharing such a detailed review, Alison! I am so thrilled that this recipe turned out so well for you!
These are so awesome! I was looking for a healthy breakfast and/or snack option so I made a big batch of these and froze them, so I can defrost anytime I want one. I love that it’s very clean ingredients and the color is soo vibrant. I reduced the maple syrup a little bit for a slightly less sweet pancake and they still taste amazing. Thanks for this recipe!
I am so thrilled to hear that, Madeline!! That makes me so happy to hear that you’ve batched these pancakes for later. 🙂 Thank you so much for making this recipe, your review made my day!
These pancakes are so good! My kids love them and we make them weekly. For valentines we subbed 3 cooked beets for spinach to make them pink! So fun. Thank you for making easy and flavorful recipes.
Woohoo! I am thrilled that you loved this recipe Nicole, and the beet substitution sounds adorable! Thank you so much for your review!
I make these pancakes every Saturday morning. This recipe is that good! I find that I do have to add more almond milk, but the recipe says you might have to.