These sweet Banana Spinach Pancakes are a favorite when you’re looking to boost nutrition in a favorite breakfast option. Or to have a little fun at the breakfast table by serving up a colorful meal.
Spinach Pancakes
I never thought that my older daughter would be such a fan of green pancakes, but just when you think you know your kiddo, they go and surprise you! It turns out that she’ll eat pretty much anything in pancake form. This (and Spinach Pesto and my Spinach Muffins) are by far her preferred ways to get her greens.
I love how these are both easy to make and they’re so easy for the kids to enjoy.
The beauty of this kids pancake recipe is that it comes together in the blender so you don’t have to dirty a sink full of dishes to make it happen.
And it includes two bananas and small pile of spinach, so everyone will get a nice amount of vitamins and minerals to start the day.
TIP: The flavor is sweet, so despite the color, they taste like healthy banana pancakes.
Table of Contents
Ingredients You Need
To make this simple pancake recipe you’ll need:
- Very ripe bananas: Those with brown spots will have the best flavor
- Eggs
- Buckwheat flour or whole wheat flour
- Milk: Dairy or nondairy
- Baby spinach: You can use fresh spinach or spinach that you’ve frozen
- Ground flaxseed
- Baking powder
- Cinnamon
- Vanilla extract,
- Oil or butter for cooking
Ingredient Substitutions
Both whole wheat and buckwheat flour work well in this recipe, though the pancakes cook through more easily with buckwheat. Look for it in the natural flours section of your supermarket. It’s widely available and very nutritious. For tips on using whole wheat flour, see the Notes section at the bottom of the recipe as you’ll want to reduce the milk amount slightly.
Use an egg replacer like the one from Bob’s Red Mill to make these egg-free.
Use buckwheat flour to make these gluten-free.
Use nondairy milk to make these without dairy.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s a look at how to make these healthy pancakes. Scroll down to the bottom of this post for the full information.
- Add all ingredients to a blender except the flour.
- Blend, starting on low and working up to high. You want the spinach to be very well incorporated.
- Stir or pulse in the flour. Avoid over-blending but do make sure to get all of the flour blended in.
- Cook as you would any other pancakes and serve warm.
TIP: I like to cook these in a nonstick skillet or griddle since they are easiest to flip. Cast iron also works if well greased.
Gluten-Free Spinach Pancakes
Yes! Buckwheat flour is naturally gluten-free and it works well in this recipe.
Dairy-Free Spinach Pancakes
To make these dairy-free, simply use nondairy plain unsweetened milk instead of dairy milk and cook with neutral oil.
Easy Baby Pancakes
Due to the very soft texture of these pancakes, they tend to be much easier for babies to eat than traditional ones. And since they are packed with nutrients, this is a favorite pancake recipe to make for baby led weaning and once a baby is starting to eat finger foods.
TIP: Find my favorite early finger foods for babies here.
Serving Suggestions
Maple syrup and butter of course, or nut butter, yogurt, applesauce, chopped fruit, or jam are all good options. When my middle kiddo was a baby, she ate them plain!
TIP: We like to have ours with a fruit salad rainbow (without the pot of gold at the end, unfortunately!) for St. Patrick’s Day, but that part is of course optional.
How to Store
These store really well if you let any leftovers cool and store in an airtight container or zip top freezer bags. You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days or in a freezer safe container or bag for up to 3 months. Warm in 15 second increments in the microwave to serve.
Tips for Making the Best Spinach Pancakes
- You can store a bag of baby spinach in the freezer to use in smoothies and pancakes. Freezing it maintains the nutrients but it knocks out any “green” flavor which is handy! It’s also nice that you don’t have to worry about it going bad before you can use it up.
- Be sure to blend the batter very smooth to get the greens very well processed.
- You can sub in whole wheat flour for the buckwheat, but you’ll want to reduce the milk by ¼ cup.
- If the bottoms start to brown too much before they are set, lower the heat to medium-low.
- Look for buckwheat in the natural flours section of your supermarket. It’s widely available and very nutritious.
- If making for a baby who’s not yet consuming cow’s milk, you can use unsweetened nondairy milk.
- I prefer to use a nonstick skillet or griddle for this recipe, though cast iron works too.
- You may also like Spinach Banana Muffins, 2-Ingredient Pancakes, Banana Oatmeal Pancakes, and Yogurt Pancakes.
I’d love to hear what you think of this recipe so please comment below with feedback!
This post was first published March 2018.
Best Banana Spinach Pancakes
Ingredients
- 2 cups lightly packed baby spinach
- 2 small very ripe bananas (about 1 cup tightly packed sliced bananas)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup buckwheat flour or whole wheat (See Notes at the bottom if using whole wheat)
- Coconut oil for cooking (or unsalted butter)
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a blender except the flour.
- Blend on high until very well combined, about 20-30 seconds, or until you no longer see any noticeable flecks of spinach.
- Stir or pulse in the flour and thoroughly combine without over-mixing.
- Warm a nonstick or cast iron skillet or griddle over medium heat and coat with oil or butter. Pour small rounds of batter onto the hot surface—the batter should spread fairly thinly on its own—and let cook until bubbles form on the surface and the surface is mostly set, about 3-4 minutes.
- Flip and cook for an additional 3 minutes, or until fully cooked.
- Continue to prepare the rest of the batter, keeping the finished pancakes warm in a 275 degree oven if desired.
- Serve warm with fruit, maple syrup, or another favorite dip.
Video
Notes
- To store, let cool fully and keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Warm slightly before serving. Or, store in a zip top freezer bag for up to 3 months and warm through to serve.
- Whole-wheat flour: You can sub in whole wheat flour for the buckwheat. Just reduce the milk to ¾ cup.
- You can use baby kale in this recipe if you prefer.
- You can store a bag of baby spinach in the freezer to use in smoothies and pancakes. Freezing it maintains the nutrients but it knocks out any “green” flavor which is handy! It’s also nice that you don’t have to worry about it going bad before you can use it up.
- Be sure to blend the batter very smooth to get the greens very well processed.
- If the bottoms start to brown too much before they are set, lower the heat to medium-low.
- Look for buckwheat in the natural flours section of your supermarket. It’s widely available and very nutritious.
- If making for a baby who’s not yet consuming cow’s milk, you can use unsweetened nondairy milk.
- I prefer to use a nonstick skillet or griddle for this recipe, though cast iron works too.
I would like to try these but don’t usually have flaxseed on hand. Is there a substitute you would recommend or can you leave it out?
I think it would be okay to leave it out or you can add that amount of additional flour or oats.
I made these with GF flour (like a multigrain version) they taste great, but I cooked them for what seemed like forever and they are still seeming like they are uncooked inside (although heatwise they must be). Are they supposed to be sort of gooey in the middle or like a regular pancake?
They should be like normal pancakes. It’s possible that the flour didn’t absorb the same way as the ones I’ve tested it with. I would recommend reducing the milk by 1/4 cup next time!
I’ve made these over and over, and all my kids devour them every time. Thank you! Today I tried them as muffin tops in the oven, and it worked like a charm! I baked them at 350 for about 10 minutes.
Can these Pancakes be made egg free?
I haven’t tried them that way but you could omit them and add a little extra milk and see. The banana and flax might hold them together okay (but I suspect they will be soft so be gentle flipping them)
Made these for the first time a few weeks ago and they’re already gone. My 20-month old son loves them. I love having a quick, nutritious snack/meal on hand at all times. We’ve used these for breakfast, lunch, and even dinner when he decides to throw his other food on the floor!
Great way to get spinach in the lil ones diets! My 2 year old ate them up, they taste great with syrup. I didnt have flax seeds but they came out exactly like in the picture. I have a thing about putting eggs in the blender so i just beat it separetly in a bowl and poured the blended batter over it.
Great!
Hi, these sound great. Could I make them in the oven as a sheet pancake? Just thinking of saving some time! Thanks, Louise
I haven’t tried it but I think so! This is how I do it for an apple pancake: “To make as a Sheet Pan Pancake: Preheat oven to 400ºF. Line an 11-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Scrape the batter onto the parchment paper, smoothing into an even layer with a spatula just about to the edges. You want it to be about 1/2 inch thick all around. Bake until the pancake is lightly golden and springs back in the center when poked, 18 to 20 minutes.” Let me know if you try it!
I made these today. My 9 month old and 2 year old loved them! I added just a couple tablespoons of pure maple syrup for a little more sweetness. This does make A LOT of pancakes. Can I freeze the already made pancakes and reheat in the oven?
yes, you can freeze them and warm through in the oven or the microwave!
We made these this morning but with chia seeds instead of flax (what we had in the cupboards. My toddler and husband gobbled them up!! She put jam on hers and he put butter and syrup. I chose peanut butter! All delicious.
I’m so glad to hear that!
These have become a staple in our house! My 20 mo loves these, as breakfast and as snacks. They are easy to make and store. Delicious!! Thank you!
I’m so glad to hear that!
My 13 month old LOVES these. So glad to find something that i can make for her that is healthy and yummy! Thank you!
Awesome!
Hi Amy – thanks for the great recipe! My friend makes these often for her kids and I’d like to try them for my 10 month old. I have some leftover buckwheat baby cereal (mixture of buckwheat flour and chia flour). Do you think it would work? Thanks again!
Hi! I think it should work (buckwheat is usually great in pancakes) though I can’t guarantee it since I haven’t tried it myself. I think it’s worth a shot though!
We make large batches of this recipe and it’s now a staple in our home!
Can I use frozen cooked spinach in this recipe?
You could try using 2 tbsp to start–squeeze it very dry—Ithough the spinach may have a stronger flavor.
You cannot substitute almond flour for regular flour and expect the same results since it doesn’t work the same way as it absorbs moisture differently and has no gluten. If you use one of the flours I have in the recipe, this recipe will work.
I tried this recipe for my family and little one and it was a hit. Thank you.