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Enjoy the powerful nutritional benefits and beautiful green color of spinach without the flavor in these moist and fluffy banana spinach pancakes! Dairy-free, egg-free, refined sugar-free, vegan, & optionally gluten-free!
Table of Contents
Fluffy, Nutrient-Dense Vegan Spinach Pancakes
As at home as these vibrant green pancakes would be on St. Patrick’s Day or Halloween, there’s no need to wait for a special occasion to hide extra nutrients in your breakfast with these delicious banana and spinach pancakes.
In fact, these child-approved spinach pancakes can be on your dining room table in just 40 minutes any day of the week and are a fun, nutritious step up on regular banana pancakes.
Why You’ll Love This Spinach Pancakes Recipe
- Packed with hidden nutrients! Spinach is a rich source of fiber and several nutrients, including vitamins A, C, and K, as well as iron, calcium, and folate.
- Easy to make! Just a few pantry ingredients (+ no artificial colors/dyes!), a blender, one bowl, and a skillet will get these spinach banana pancakes on your table in 40 minutes.
- Adaptable! You can make them gluten-free, use whole wheat flour, sugar-free, replace the banana, or even make them savory.
- Taste great! Even with all that spinach, you can’t taste the greens (like our pineapple kale smoothie!) other than the tiniest hint of earthiness. Instead, they just taste like delicious vegan banana pancakes.
- Child & fussy eater approved! Spinach pancakes are perfect for sneaking in greens they won’t otherwise eat without realizing they’re eating something healthy.
- Meal prep friendly! You can prepare the batter in advance, and the cooked pancakes will store well in the fridge or freezer.
The Ingredients
Turn to your fridge and pantry for this simple 8-ingredient vegan spinach pancakes recipe made with all common ingredients.
- Spinach: We prefer the milder flavor of baby spinach, though regular spinach works, too. If you want to use frozen spinach, thaw it and squeeze out all excess liquid. Baby kale may also work, though we haven’t tried it.
- Banana: Use an over-ripe banana (soft with plenty of black spots). It will act as a binder and natural sweetener in these egg-free, healthy spinach pancakes.
- Vanilla extract: Use natural vanilla to avoid an artificial aftertaste.
- Sweetener: We often used maple syrup or agave, though granulated brown sugar or even a sugar alternative will work, too.
- Plant-based milk: Use any. i.e., almond milk, soy milk, coconut milk, etc.
- Flour: You can use 100% all-purpose flour, a 50/50 blend of AP and whole wheat flour, or even experiment with buckwheat or spelt flour.
- Baking powder: To help make fluffier, puffed-up American-style pancakes.
- Salt: To balance and enhance the flavors.
- Oil: Use neutral cooking oil (like vegetable oil) or unsalted vegan butter for pan-frying.
What Could I Add To The Pancakes?
Since the spinach flavor is unnoticeable in these pancakes, you can essentially treat them just like regular vegan banana pancakes and add flavor/ texture with:
- Cinnamon, nutmeg, or pumpkin spice
- Blueberries/raspberries/strawberries
- Raisins
- Dairy-free chocolate chips
- Shredded coconut
- Chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, etc.)
- Plant-based protein powder (replace some flour with a scoop of protein powder)
How to Make Banana Spinach Pancakes
- 1) First, combine the plant-based milk and spinach in a blender and blend until smooth.
- 2) Meanwhile, add the remaining ingredients (minus the oil) to a large mixing bowl and whisk. Then, slowly pour in the spinach milk, gently mixing/whisking it into a batter.
Alternatively, pour the remaining ingredients directly into the blender. A few small lumps are okay—just be careful not to overwork the batter.
Depending on the flour used, you may need to slightly adjust the liquid amount. Also, spelt flour pancake batter benefits from 15 minutes of resting time before using it.
- 3) Heat a small amount of the oil (or vegan butter) in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, use a ½ cup measuring cup or equivalent to scoop batter into the pan and spread it slightly with the bottom of the cup. Repeat with as many pancakes you can fit in your pan.
- 4) Once bubbles form on the pancake surface, carefully flip them over and cook for a further 2-3 minutes until lightly browned. Repeat with the remaining batter, then serve the spinach pancakes with your favorite toppings (like vegan butter and maple syrup) and enjoy!
Optionally keep the pancakes warm in a preheated oven (side by side, not stacked) at 200F/95C while you make more batches.
FAQs
You could use a 1:1 substitute of all-purpose gluten-free flour. They may not be as fluffy, but it should work.
You could try the recipe with other pureed ingredients. We’ve made successful pancakes and bakes with unsweetened applesauce, mashed sweet potato, pumpkin puree, or even mashed avocado (which may work well for making savory spinach pancakes).
Thick Greek-style dairy-free yogurt may work too, though we haven’t tried it.
No. When combined with the banana, sweetener, and other ingredients, the flavor practically disappears, leaving the most subtle of ‘earthy’ undertones.
Yes, you can make the batter 1-2 days in advance and store it in a covered bowl in the refrigerator, though it’s best to omit the baking powder until just before cooking them.
When you want pancakes, allow the batter to come to room temperature for 20 minutes, stir in the baking powder, and cook the pancakes.
We haven’t tried, though we can’t see why not.
Top Recipe Tips
- Use a blender, not a food processor: The latter may struggle to blend spinach smoothly.
- Avoid over-mixing the batter: This overworks the gluten and leads to dense, rubbery pancakes. Leave the batter to rest (for the gluten to relax) for 20 minutes if needed.
- Use fresh baking powder: If it’s no longer working, the pancakes won’t puff up and become fluffy inside.
- Preheat the pan: This ensures evenly cooked pancakes.
- Make a test pancake: That way, you can adjust the temperature and timings if needed without wasting too much batter.
The Best Vegan Pancake Toppings
Here are just a few toppings you might enjoy with these spinach pancakes.
- Dairy-free butter
- Maple syrup, agave, or other syrup
- Coconut whipped cream
- Dairy-free yogurt
- A scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream
- Nut butter/seed butter or vegan chocolate hazelnut spread
- Add a sprinkle of pecans or other crushed nuts/seeds OR granola
- Apple or berry compote
- Fresh berries/banana slices
You can also use the pancakes as ‘bread’ to make delicious pancake sandwiches.
Storage Instructions
Store: Allow the spinach pancakes to cool and store them in an airtight container with parchment paper between the layers (to avoid sticking) for 3-5 days.
Freeze: Spread the cooled pancakes across a large tray with space between them and flash freeze until solid. Then transfer them to a Ziplock/Stasher bag for up to 2 months. You can reheat them from frozen or thaw them in the fridge overnight first.
Reheat: You can reheat these vegan spinach pancakes either in the microwave (from frozen or chilled), a toaster oven, or (for large batches) in the oven at 350F/175C until heated through (about 10 minutes).
More Sweet Breakfast Recipes
- Blueberry Pancakes
- The BEST vegan Belgian waffles
- Oil-free banana muffins
- Healthy protein chocolate waffles
- Vegan French toast
- Homemade vegan cinnamon rolls
Photos by Alfonso Revilla
Easy Banana Spinach Pancakes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup of plant-based milk
- 2 cups of packed fresh spinach
- 1 cup of all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons of baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil, plus more for greasing
- 2 large ripe bananas, mashed
- 1 ½ teaspoons of vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon of agave, brown sugar, or maple syrup
- Vegan Butter for garnish (optional)
- Maple syrup for garnish
Instructions
- In a blender, mix together the plant-based milk and spinach until there are no spinach chunks left.
- Add the remaining ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Pour in the green milk and gently mix until the batter is smooth.
- Preheat a nonstick pan over medium-high heat. If you don’t have a nonstick pan (or your nonstick pan needs a bit more slip), you can lightly oil the pan.
- Scoop out the batter with a ½ measuring cup and pour onto the preheated pan. Once bubbles begin to form, flip the pancake over and cook the other side until light brown. Remove from the heat and repeat until all the batter is cooked.
Notes
- Use a blender, not a food processor: The latter may struggle to blend spinach smoothly.
- Avoid over-mixing the batter: This overworks the gluten and leads to dense, rubbery pancakes. Leave the batter to rest (for the gluten to relax) for 20 minutes if needed.
- Use fresh baking powder: If it’s no longer working, the pancakes won’t puff up and become fluffy inside.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Although plantbasedonabudget.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Plantbasedonabudget.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
Batter turned out great but I tried several different pans with or without oil and at various heats and could not for the life of me make a decent pancake that didn’t just stick to the pan. 🤷🏻♀️ I ended up throwing the batter out which absolutely killed me. 😪
So sorry to hear that! Pancakes can be tough sometimes. What works for me is a ceramic pan!
Are they supposed to be wet on the inside?
They’re quite moist! But feel free to adjust the amount of dry ingredients if you prefer a less moist pancake 🙂
Deliciosos !!!
Right?! So tasty and delicious!
These spinach banana pancakes are so good. I love the extra boost of fruits and veggies!
These are truly amazing! I keep on coming back to them over and over 🙂
Yesssss! Such a yummy pancake recipe!
I never thought I would love green pancakes, but they’re SO good! You can’t even taste the spinach, but they give so much more nutrient to breakfast. Hooray!
They’re the best kind of breakfast! So easy and so deliciously nutritious!
Yum! These pancakes are so pretty and delicious!
Aren’t they?! So so fun to look at and eat as well!
Such yummy green pancakes!
I love the addition of spinach to these. Makes them that bit more nutritious!
Thank you so much! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed them.
Same! So much more nutrition in every bite!
These healthy pancakes are the perfect way to start the day!
Agreed! So healthy and delicious!
I just love a great pile of pancakes, and these healthy ones will make sure that I can enjoy them guilty free from now on. Thank you for that!
Definitely a great way to add some extra healthy nutrients to your morning! Enjoy 🙂
These ill be perfect for my next brunch. Love the green color. Thanks!
Hope you love them! The green is my favorite.
Ok. I know it sounds weird, but these pancakes are amazing! Sweet and satisfying..
They’re definitely unique and soooo tasty!
Delicious, nutritious, & FUN! I love sneaking veggies into meals- especially breakfast!
Same! Hidden veggie recipes are the best!
I made these for my daughter for Saint Patrick’s day, and she loved them! Thanks for the great recipe!
That’s so awesome! So glad you gave them a go and you guys enjoyed them 🙂
Love these healthy pancakes! Super easy to make and such an easy way to eat more greens!
Yesss! Easy to make too and delicious!
Genius! Using spinach in pancakes sounds great. I love the natural green colored pancakes that gives the nutrition start for the day.
Right?! Such a sneaky way to include more greens into your day!
I would never have thought of making pancakes with spinach and banana but I was really pleased with how they turned out. Will make them again.
Right?! Such a great way to sneak in more greens!
Hello
Going to make these for my grandson but I don’t have a blender, will a nutri bullet work?
Thanks
A nutribullet should do the trick! Hope you and your grandson enjoy it!
Do you think gluten free oat flour would work?
We haven’t tried that out yet, but please let us know how it works out if you end up giving it a go!