Baked Banana Pancakes with Lentils
Made with cooked red lentils, ripe bananas, and oats, these healthy, gluten free pancakes are delicious and higher in protein and fiber than other versions! They're so easy to make and baked on a sheet pan in the oven. Serve them to babies, toddlers, older kids, or adults!
Servings 16 pancakes
Calories 70kcal
Equipment
- High-powered blender (see notes if you don't have one)
- Half sheet pan (or smaller, see instructions)
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked red lentils
- 2 large bananas very ripe; about 1 cup mashed
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup milk
- 1.25 cups old fashioned oats or sub 1 cup oat flour; get certified gluten free if needed
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup optional; plus more for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F/191 degrees C. Thoroughly grease or spray a rimmed baking sheet. If you are worried about the pancakes sticking, you can line the baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat instead.
- Combine all of the ingredients in a high-powered blender. Blend until smooth. Let the batter sit for 5 to 10 minutes to thicken slightly.
- Pour the batter into the prepared sheet pan. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until cooked through and a toothpick inserted in the center of the pancakes comes out clean. Note: the cooking time given here is for baking the batter on a half sheet pan (18x13 inches). If you are using a smaller baking sheet, such as one that's 15x10 inches, you will need to bake the pancakes for a few minutes longer. Use the toothpick test to make sure they're baked through.
- Let the pancakes cool for a few minutes before slicing into 16 pieces.
- Serve warm with more maple syrup, sliced bananas, butter, or any other toppings of choice!
- 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
- Cooking red lentils: The prep time does not include the time it takes to cook red lentils. If you did not do this in advance, combine ⅓ cup dry split red lentils with 1 cup of water in a saucepan with a lid. Bring to a boil, cover, then reduce heat to low. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the lentils are cooked through and have broken down into a mash/puree. Drain any excess water.
- Substitutions: To make this recipe vegan (or dairy-free or egg-free), use dairy-free milk and flax "eggs" made from 2 tablespoons of milled flaxseed mixed with 5 to 6 tablespoons of water. Let the eggs sit for 5 to 10 minutes to thicken before adding to the blender.
- Make without a blender: If you don't have a blender, use oat flour that's pre-ground (either a store-bought version or one you make yourself by grinding oats in a food processor or coffee grinder). Make sure to thoroughly mash the bananas and red lentils too before using, so that you have the smoothest possible batter.
- Additions: You can sprinkle the batter with blueberries, chocolate chips, sprinkles, or other desired additions before baking.
Nutrition
Serving: 1pancake | Calories: 70kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 49mg | Potassium: 192mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 48IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 1mg