Banana Oat Blender Pancakes

Name: Banana Oat Blender Pancakes
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 medium (240 g) very ripe bananas, peeled and broken into chunks (about 1 cup / 240 g peeled); 2 large (100 g) large eggs, at room temperature if possible; ¾ cup (180 ml) whole milk, any dairy or plant milk works; 1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract; 1 tablespoon (15 ml) pure maple syrup, plus more for serving (optional); 1½ cups (135 g) old-fashioned rolled oats, uncooked; 2 teaspoons (8 g) baking powder, fresh, level teaspoons; 1 teaspoon (3 g) ground cinnamon; ¼ teaspoon (1½ g) fine salt; 1 tablespoon (14 g) unsalted butter, for greasing the pan; neutral oil also works

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Fluffy, lightly sweet pancakes made by blending ripe bananas, rolled oats, eggs and milk into a smooth batter in one jug. No flour, no mixing bowl, and they're on the table in about 35 minutes.

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 15 min
Wait: 10 min
Total: 35 min
Makes: 12 pancakes, about 3½ inches (9 cm) wide (3 per serving)

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Ingredients

4 servings

2 medium (240 g) very ripe bananas, peeled and broken into chunks (about 1 cup / 240 g peeled)
2 large (100 g) large eggs, at room temperature if possible
¾ cup (180 ml) whole milk, any dairy or plant milk works
1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon (15 ml) pure maple syrup, plus more for serving (optional)
1½ cups (135 g) old-fashioned rolled oats, uncooked
2 teaspoons (8 g) baking powder, fresh, level teaspoons
1 teaspoon (3 g) ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon (1.5 g) fine salt
1 tablespoon (14 g) unsalted butter, for greasing the pan; neutral oil also works

Equipment (6)

Blender (standard jug or high-speed)
Large nonstick skillet or griddle, 12-inch (30 cm) or larger
Thin, wide spatula
¼-cup (60 ml) measuring cup or scoop
Rimmed baking sheet with wire rack (for keeping pancakes warm)
Measuring cups and spoons

Steps

Before you start

Use bananas with plenty of brown freckles. They are sweeter and blend smoother than yellow or green-tipped ones.
Use old-fashioned rolled oats, not instant or steel-cut. Instant oats make a gummy batter and steel-cut oats stay gritty.
The batter needs to rest for 10 minutes before cooking, so blend it first and then heat the pan.
Take the eggs and milk out of the fridge 15 minutes ahead if you can. Cold milk can make the batter slightly slower to cook.

1
Set up warming ovenOven 200°F / 95°C
- Heat the oven to 200°F (95°C).
- Set a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet and place it in the oven.
- This keeps finished pancakes warm and crisp-edged without steaming them while you cook the later batches.
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Ready when: Oven reads 200°F (95°C).
2
Blend wet ingredients
- Add the banana chunks, eggs, milk, vanilla and maple syrup (if using) to the blender jug.
- Blend on medium-high for about 20 seconds, until no banana lumps remain.
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Ready when: The mixture is smooth, pale and a little frothy.
Tip: Putting liquids in first helps the blades catch the oats later without sticking.
3
Add dry ingredients
- Add the rolled oats, baking powder, cinnamon and salt to the jug.
- Blend on high for 30 to 45 seconds.
- Stop and scrape down the sides once if oats are clinging, then blend for another 10 seconds.
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Ready when: The batter is thick, pourable and flecked with tiny oat bits, with no whole flakes visible. It should fall from a spoon in a slow ribbon.
Tip: Don't over-blend. More than a minute can warm the batter and make the pancakes gummy.
4
Rest the batter
- Leave the batter in the jug for 10 minutes.
- The oats absorb the liquid, so the batter thickens to the texture of thick yogurt.
- If it's thicker than that after resting, stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons of extra milk.
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Ready when: Batter mounds slightly when poured and no longer looks watery.
Tip: Skipping the rest is the most common cause of pancakes that spread thin and fall apart when flipped.
5
Heat the pan
- Set a large nonstick skillet or griddle over medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add a little of the butter and swirl or spread it with a paper towel so the surface is thinly coated.
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Ready when: A drop of batter sizzles gently on contact and the butter is foaming but not browning.
Tip: Banana sugars burn fast. If the first pancake browns in under 2 minutes, lower the heat.
6
Pour the pancakes
- Give the batter a quick stir.
- Pour ¼ cup (60 ml) per pancake into the pan, leaving about 1 inch (2.5 cm) between them.
- Cook 3 to 4 pancakes at a time.
- Cook for 2 to 3 minutes without moving them.
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Ready when: The edges look dry and set, the surface is covered in small bubbles, and some bubbles have popped and left holes that stay open.
Tip: Keep the pancakes small. Large banana-oat pancakes are fragile and tear when flipped.
7
Flip and finish
- Slide a thin spatula fully under each pancake and flip in one confident motion.
- Cook for 1½ to 2 minutes more, until the second side is golden brown and the pancake springs back when pressed gently in the center.
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Ready when: Golden-brown underside, springy center, and no wet batter oozing from the sides. A toothpick in the center comes out clean.
Tip: Don't press down on the pancakes with the spatula. It squeezes out the air and makes them dense.
8
Keep warm and repeatOven 200°F / 95°C
- Move the cooked pancakes to the rack in the warm oven in a single layer.
- Wipe the pan, add a little more butter, and cook the remaining batter in 2 more batches, adjusting the heat as needed.
- You should have 12 pancakes in total.
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Ready when: Each batch is evenly golden and cooked through, with no gooey center.
Tip: Stir the batter before each batch, because the oats keep settling and thickening.
9
Serve
- Stack 3 pancakes on each of 4 plates and serve right away with extra maple syrup.
- Sliced banana, a spoonful of yogurt or a pat of butter also go well.

Good to know

Tips

Make sure the baking powder is fresh (less than 6 months old). Old baking powder is a common reason for flat pancakes.
Cook on medium-low heat. Banana batter browns quickly on the outside while the inside stays raw on higher heat.
Stir 1/3 cup of blueberries or mini chocolate chips into the batter in the jug after blending, or drop them onto each pancake right after pouring.
If the first pancake sticks or tears, it is usually a sign the pan needs a little more butter or more time to heat. Re-grease before the next batch.

Make ahead

"Blend the batter up to 12 hours ahead and refrigerate it in a covered container. It thickens overnight, so stir in 2 to 4 tablespoons of milk until it's pourable again before cooking. Cooked pancakes can also be made ahead (see storage)."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: up to 1 hour, loosely covered. Refrigerator: cool completely, then store in an airtight container with parchment between layers for up to 3 days. Freezer: freeze in a single layer on a tray until firm, then bag for up to 2 months. Reheat from the fridge or freezer in a toaster until hot and crisp at the edges, or microwave 20 to 30 seconds (fridge) or 45 to 60 seconds (frozen) on a plate covered with a damp paper towel."

Substitutions

large eggs → 2 flax eggs (2 tablespoons ground flaxseed mixed with 6 tablespoons water, rested 5 minutes). Makes the pancakes slightly denser and more fragile; cook them a little smaller and flip with care. The 160°F (71°C) doneness temperature then no longer applies.
whole milk → unsweetened oat, almond or soy milk. Use the same amount. Any plant milk works; sweetened versions make the pancakes sweeter.
old-fashioned rolled oats → certified gluten-free rolled oats. Use these for a gluten-free version. Regular oats may contain traces of gluten.
unsalted butter → coconut oil or neutral oil such as avocado or canola. Use the same amount to grease the pan.