Mini Pancakes are the most fun and are also a nutritious breakfast to share with the kids. You can make them plain or with fruit tucked inside—and they even work to make ahead of time and quickly reheat.
Mini Pancakes
We are forever fans of my Greek Yogurt Pancakes and I love to use a similar batter to make these mini pancakes. They are a perfect size for a baby-led weaning breakfast, they are delicious with a slice of banana in the middle for banana bites (or you can use another sliced fruit), and they are easy to make.
The yogurt in this recipe adds fluffiness and tenderness, and the flavor is that of classic pancakes. Plus, they reheat so well, so you can be assured you’ll use up any leftovers, and there’s an option to bake them in the oven as mini pancake muffins if you’d rather not stand by the stove.
(You can also use thinly sliced apples in the middle to make my Apple Cinnamon Pancakes.)
Table of Contents
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Ingredients You Need
Below is a look at the ingredients you need to have on hand to make this recipe. They are primarily pantry staples, so you might have most of them already!
- Plain whole-milk Greek yogurt: Full-fat Greek yogurt provides the base for this recipe. I start with plain, but if you only have vanilla, that will work, too. Just omit the vanilla extract.
- Milk: A little milk helps loosen the batter so it’s easy to spoon out and cook as pancakes. Dairy or nondairy milk both work, so use the one you prefer.
- Eggs: Eggs help achieve fluffy pancakes that cook through nicely. (To make egg-free, the best option is a store-bought egg replacer like the one from Bob’s Red Mill.)
- Unsalted butter: We add a little melted butter to the batter for richness and use it to cook the pancakes so they don’t stick to the pan.
- All-purpose flour (or whole wheat flour): You can use either flour to make these pancakes. The only difference is that you may need 1-2 additional tablespoons milk if using all whole wheat flour since it absorbs liquids more readily.
- Sugar: A small amount of sugar adds flavor to the pancakes. Omit if you prefer.
- Baking powder: Fresh baking powder helps the pancakes rise and be very fluffy, so be sure to add it in.
- Bananas: Very ripe, or 2 cups sliced strawberries, mango, or pineapple, to make these mini pancakes have a soft fruit center.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s a look at how to make these mini pancakes so you know what to expect from the process. Scroll to the end of this post for the details on amounts and timing.
- Mix the batter together gently. Slice the banana into the batter and stir gently to coat.
- Use a fork to lift one batter-coated banana slice at a time and place onto the pan.
- Cook until the edges are set and you start to see bubbles on the surface.
- Flip over with a spatula and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Serve warm with applesauce, other fruit puree, maple syrup, and/or nut or seed butter as you like.
How to Store
Store for 3-5 days in the fridge in an airtight container and reheat for 15-30 seconds on a heat-safe plate in the microwave. Or freeze between layers of parchment paper (or in a single layer) in a freezer bag.
Find the full scoop on how to freeze pancakes as needed.
Best Tips for Success
- To make for a baby, omit the sugar if desired.
- Serve with applesauce, yogurt, maple syrup, or another desired topping or dip.
- Use any other sliced fruit you like in pancakes, such as sliced strawberries, pineapple, or mango.
- Gluten-free: Use 1:1 style of gluten-free flour.
- Dairy-free: Use nondairy yogurt and nondairy milk.
- To bake in the oven, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a mini muffin pan with nonstick spray. Add 1 tablespoon batter to each cup, then a slice of fruit (or a few berries or chocolate chips). Press down lightly. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until puffy and cooked through in the middle when tested with a cake tester. Remove from the pan and serve warm.
Related Recipes
I’d love to hear your feedback on this post, so please rate it and comment below!
Mini Pancakes (with Fruit)
Ingredients
- ½ cup plain whole-milk yogurt
- ½ cup milk
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted and cooled; plus more for cooking)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (or whole wheat)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 medium bananas (very ripe, or 2 cups sliced strawberries, mango, or pineapple)
Instructions
- Add the yogurt, milk, eggs, butter, and vanilla to a medium bowl. Whisk to combine Into a smooth mixture.
- Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Whisk gently to combine.
- Slice the banana into the batter and stir gently to coat.
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Melt a little butter and swirl to coat the pan.
- Use a fork to lift one batter-coated banana slice at a time and place onto the pan. Repeat to add more to the pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until you see bubbles start to form on the surface and the edges are set.
- Flip over with a spatula and cook for an additional 3 minutes. (The banana softens as the pancake batter sets and cooks through.)
- Serve or place into a 200-degree-F oven on a baking sheet while you finish making the rest of the batch. Add a little more butter as needed to keep the pancakes from sticking.
- Serve warm with applesauce, other fruit puree, maple syrup, and/or nut or seed butter as you like.
Notes
- Store for 3-5 days in the fridge in an airtight container and reheat for 15-30 seconds on a heat-safe plate in the microwave. Or freeze between layers of parchment paper (or in a single layer) in a freezer bag.
- To bake in the oven, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a mini muffin pan with nonstick spray. Add 1 tablespoon batter to each cup, then a slice of fruit (or a few berries or chocolate chips). Press down lightly. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until puffy and cooked through in the middle when tested with a cake tester. Remove from the pan and serve warm.
- To make for a baby, omit the sugar.
- Serve with applesauce, yogurt, maple syrup, or another desired topping or dip.
- Use any other sliced fruit you like in pancakes, such as sliced strawberries, pineapple, or mango.
- Gluten-free: Use 1:1 style of gluten-free flour.
- Dairy-free: Use nondairy yogurt and nondairy milk.
Just made these into muffins and they came out delicious! I made 6 regular size and the rest as mini muffins. I used bananas, blueberries and strawberries. The fruit sunk to the bottom but i don’t mind at all. About how long can i store in freezer?
They are yummy and totally sweet enough without sugar! 🙂 the only reason I took off one star is that they were time consuming to make and I would prefer to cook larger pancakes, just because the family ended up eating in batches. I’m attempting to use up the rest of the banana batter in larger pancake form versus mini. But they taste great!!!
My 2-year-old & I LOVE these? Do you suggest any other instructions if I want to make these in a regular muffin pan (as opposed to mini) & if I want to make them a tad sweeter?
♥️
Hi- You can add 2-4 tablespoons granulated sugar if you’d like and bake in a regular muffin pan with 1/4 cup batter in each for about 14-16 minutes. Enjoy!
Did you forget the vanilla essence in the ingredients list/instructions?
I just added some anyway and these were very yummy.
My son loved these! Super easy to make and fun!
I’m so glad to hear that!