How to Make Amazing Gluten-Free Banana Pancakes

I’ve always loved the idea of the two-ingredient banana pancakes. I remember when I first made them. They seemed perfect in their simplicity. Gluten free, banana flavor through and through, and all the goodness of pancakes in two simple ingredients.

Over time though, I became disenchanted. While they were tasty and filled a hole left by pancakes missing from a healthy diet, they were nearly impossible to flip and almost always ended up like scrambled pancakes before I was done.

I was unwilling to give up on the idea, so I pushed forward, trying to work out how to give the cakes a little oomph (or structure) that flour added with its meshwork of glutens (oh glutens, why must you vex me!).

Well, it became clear one day while eating chia seed pudding. If chia seeds can add that much strength to coconut milk, why the heck couldn’t they add a little tenacity to my pancakes?

After playing around with them (and mixing in a few more ingredients) I came up with what I believe to be a superior gluten-free banana pancake.

No, it’s no longer two ingredients. But what do you want? A short ingredient list or really amazing banana pancakes?

With the addition of some oomph-adding seeds, a bit of psyllium fiber (you won’t notice the taste!) and some almond “flour” (it’s gluten free!), I created a pancake that is not only banana-rich, but full of fiber, omegas—and flips like a dream.

And I want to share it with you!

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Upgraded Banana Pancakes

A superior gluten-free banana pancake

Servings 4 4-inch pancakes

Author Michael Stanwyck

Ingredients

• 1 Ripe banana (7-9” long)
• 2 Large eggs
• 2 T Ground flax seed
• ½ T Ground chia seed
• 1 t Psyllium husk
• ¼ c Fine almond flour
• ½ T Coconut sugar
• ¼ t Salt
• 1 t Baking powder
• 1 T Melted butter

Instructions

1. Heat a non-stick pan or griddle over low heat

2. Mash your banana up well in a bowl and mix in eggs well

3. Stir in flax, chia, psyllium, almond four, coconut sugar, baking powder, and salt and let the batter rest for about 5 minutes (this is where the magic happens)

4. Before cooking, stir in the melted butter

5. Pour the batter into 4-inch circles on the pan or griddle (you should hear a light sizzle) and let cook for about 4 minutes (peek to see if they’re as golden as you like them). If it would make you feel safer, you can melt a little butter in the pan first, but you won’t get the beautifully perfect gold surface we all love.

6. After 4 minutes, using a flexible spatula, loosen the pancakes from the pan all around (it helps to turn the pan as you do this). They won’t be “stuck” but they will need loosening.

7. Once it’s free from the pan, quickly thrust the spatula under your cake and flip, repeating with all other cakes

8. Cook for 1-2 minutes longer

9. Remove and enjoy!

Michael Stanwyck

Michael Stanwyck is the co-founder of The Whole Life Challenge, an idea that developed during his seven years as a coach and gym manager at CrossFit Los Angeles.

He graduated from UCLA with a BA in philosophy as well as a degree from the Southern California School of Culinary Arts, and feels food is one of the most important parts of a life - it can nourish, heal, and bring people together.

Michael believes health and well-being are as much a state of mind as they are a state of the body, and when it comes to fitness, food, and life in general, he thinks slow is much better than fast (most of the time). Stopping regularly to examine things is the surest way to put down roots and grow.

He knows he will never be done with his own work, and believes the best thing you can do for your well-being starts with loving and working from what you’ve got right now.