These spinach banana pancakes are an ideal healthy breakfast or snack for baby led weaning, toddlers, and even older kids and adults! Made with whole wheat flour and naturally sweetened with bananas, they’re a wholesome choice with no added sugar. And the best part? You mix the batter in a blender!
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Lizzie’s Notes
While I love reading recipe reviews from all of you, the critique I trust most is from my 3 year old daughter! After putting back three servings of these spinach banana pancakes, she exclaimed “what a fun breakfast, mom!” I knew right then that I had landed on a winner.
This easy recipe is a great way to add more vegetables to your (or your kiddo’s) diet without really feeling like it. Since the ingredients are whipped up in a blender, spinach makes the pancakes a beautiful green color without contributing an overbearing taste or texture. Hence why my preschooler was super into them!
You can enjoy these colorful pancakes any day of the week or even for St. Patrick’s Day! They also freeze well and make enough to feed the whole family.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Baby spinach: You can adjust the amount you use, depending on your taste preferences. More spinach will make the pancakes greener, but it may also throw off the balance of flavors. If you do add extra spinach, you may want to add a tablespoon or two of maple syrup to the batter for additional sweetness.
- Bananas: Use overripe bananas (with brown spots on the skin) in spinach banana pancakes for best results. If your bananas are not that ripe but you still want to make the recipe, consider adding a tablespoon or two of maple syrup to the batter.
- Whole wheat flour: Substitute all purpose flour if you don’t have whole wheat.
- Baking powder, cinnamon, and salt: If you don’t like cinnamon, omit it.
- Egg: I have not tried a flax “egg” as a substitute, but I think it would work well.
- Milk: I recommend using cow’s milk for this recipe, since plant-based milks may contribute thickeners and other additives that interfere with the intended texture of the pancakes. If you want them to be dairy free, substitute water.
- Vanilla extract
Instructions
The full recipe card for spinach banana pancakes is at the bottom of the post. Here’s a preview of the steps with photos to guide you.
Combine banana, spinach, egg, milk, vanilla, whole wheat flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a blender.
Blend until smooth.
Warm coconut oil in a nonstick pan or skillet. Pour batter into circles.
Cook over medium-low for about 2 minutes per side until cooked through.
Equipment
Most blenders will work for this recipe, but I prefer to use a high-powered blender like my Vitamix E310. I also recommend adding the flour and other dry ingredients to the blender last, so that the bananas, spinach, and wet ingredients are on the bottom. This will help prevent flour from sticking to the sides of the blender and not getting fully incorporated.
Storage and Reheating
Keep spinach banana pancakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 to 3 days. I like to reheat them in the toaster for best results. You can also reheat them in a skillet over low heat or in the microwave in 15-second intervals.
To freeze, let them cool completely then transfer to a freezer-safe container or bag (such as a Stasher bag). You may want to put a piece of parchment paper between each layer to prevent sticking if you are stacking them on top of each other. Freeze for up to 3 months. Let them thaw in the fridge overnight or reheat straight from frozen.
Serving
These pancakes are delicious on their own, especially if you are serving them for baby led weaning or toddlers and want to limit added sugar. Pair with eggs and fruit for a balanced plate. Spreading them with peanut butter is another delicious option.
For older kids and adults, consider topping them with butter, peanut butter, fresh berries, additional banana slices, and/or maple syrup. I also like them sprinkled with shredded coconut.
Similar Recipes
Love these green spinach banana pancakes?! Check out these other recipes while you’re here.
📖 Recipe
Blender Spinach Banana Pancakes
Equipment
- Blender (see notes)
Ingredients
- 2 small overripe bananas - about 1 cup mashed
- 1 cup baby spinach - loosely packed, add more for a brighter color
- 1 egg
- ¾ cup milk - I recommend cow's milk of any fat content
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch salt
- 1 to 2 tablespoons coconut oil - for greasing the skillet
- Toppings of choice - butter, maple syrup, fresh fruit
Instructions
- Combine ingredients in a blender. Blend on low to medium speed, scraping down sides as needed, until smooth. This usually takes me about a couple of minutes.I highly recommend adding the ingredients to the blender in the order they are listed. Adding the dry ingredients last prevents them from getting stuck to the sides of the blender.
- Warm a nonstick griddle or skillet over medium low heat. Add a small amount of coconut oil to grease the pan.
- Pour the batter into circles on the prepared pan. You can measure it out using a ¼-cup measuring cup for each pancake or just eyeball it. Cook over medium low for about 2 minutes per side until cooked through. To prevent over-browning and to preserve as much of the green color as possible, you may want to reduce the heat to low once the griddle or skillet has been warming up for a while. Add more coconut oil to grease the pan in between batches if needed.
- Transfer the cooked pancakes to a plate, or put them on a baking sheet in the oven at 250℉/120℃ to stay warm while you cook the rest of the batter.
- Serve with toppings of choice: butter, peanut butter, fresh fruit, maple syrup, and/or shredded coconut. Enjoy!
- Leave a rating or review by tapping the stars on this recipe card (above) or in the comments section (at the end of the post)!
Notes
- Blender notes: Most blenders will work well for this recipe. I prefer to use a high-powered blender for best results.
- Storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. To freeze, let them cool completely then transfer to an airtight container or bag. Separate each layer with parchment paper to prevent sticking if desired. Freeze for up to 3 months. You can reheat them in the toaster (it works great!), microwave, or in a skillet.
- Make ahead questions: I don’t recommend making the batter in advance, since it will thicken over time and affect the texture of the pancakes.
- Modifications: If you want a greener pancake, add another handful of spinach. However, since these are naturally sweetened with banana, you may want to add a tablespoon or two of maple syrup to the batter to balance out the extra spinach.
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