Grain-Free Plantain Pancakes (1 Blender!)

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Stack of grain-free plantain pancakes topped with peanut butter, berry compote, and maple syrup

Pancakes that come together in a blender with simple, whole food ingredients and no flour?! It’s true, friends. Meet your new favorite EASY, nutrient-packed breakfast: plantain pancakes! 

Just 7 ingredients and 15 minutes required for these wholesome, freezer-friendly dreams. Bonus? They’re gluten-free and dairy-free, too. Let’s make pancakes!

Green plantain, eggs, maple syrup, salt, cinnamon, butter, baking powder, and vanilla

Origin of Plantain Pancakes

Plantains are a major food staple in many tropical regions of the world, including the Caribbean, Latin America, and West and Central Africa. They’re enjoyed fried, boiled, roasted, as chips, for dessert, and more.

But making them into PANCAKES? Our search for where the concept first originated fell short, but we do know we’re NOT the first to think it’s a great idea! In Ghana, yellow (ripe) plantains are made into savory pancakes called kaklo or tatale. Learn more about that version and find a recipe over on Afia Amoako’s blog.

Our inspired take on the concept heads in a sweeter (vs. more savory) direction!

How to Make Plantain Pancakes

These plantain pancakes rely on GREEN plantains as the starchy ingredient that makes them 100% grain-free without any added flours. Green plantains are also rich in a special type of fiber called resistant starch that helps keep your gut bacteria happy!

Peeling a green plantain

After peeling the plantains, we blend them up with the other ingredients, the main one being eggs. The eggs act as a natural leavening, providing fluffiness and preventing the pancakes from being dense.

These two whole food ingredients (eggs + plantain) ensure these pancakes are FULL of vitamins and minerals, including magnesium, potassium, choline, B vitamins, and more!

Blender with sliced green plantain, eggs, salt, baking powder, vanilla, and cinnamon

Then just a few more ingredients, and we’re ready to cook! Maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt add sweetness and flavor and give these pancakes a subtle French toast flavor (which we love!).

Blended up plantain pancake batter

Optional baking powder adds a little more fluffiness but mostly just creates more bubbles in the pancake, helping you know when it’s ready to flip. We usually leave it out!

Two plantain pancakes cooking in a cast iron skillet

Then all that’s left is cooking in an oiled skillet until fluffy and golden brown and serving with your favorite pancake toppings!

Drizzling maple syrup onto a stack of plantain pancakes

We love them with berry compote or sliced bananas, Nutella or nut butter, and an extra drizzle of maple syrup when we’re feeling decadent!

Slice removed from a stack of grain-free pancakes

We hope you LOVE these plantain pancakes! They’re:

Wholesome
Grain-free
Lightly sweetened
Fluffy
Freezer-friendly
& SO quick & easy!

Made with pantry staples and ingredients that keep well, these pancakes are the perfect way to make a wholesome breakfast when you’re running low on ingredients or want to use up a green plantain. And they keep well in the freezer so you can make once and enjoy all week (or month)!

More Wholesome Pancake Recipes

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!

Fork spearing a big slice of a stack of pancakes

Grain-Free Plantain Pancakes (1 Blender!)

Plantain pancakes made in a blender with simple, whole food ingredients. A nutrient-packed, gluten-free and dairy-free breakfast ready in just 15 minutes!
Author Minimalist Baker
Print
Photo of a tall stack of plantain pancakes with toppings and a slice removed
5 from 8 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 2 (three-pancake servings)
Course Breakfast, Brunch
Cuisine Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free
Freezer Friendly 1 month
Does it keep? 3-4 Days

Ingredients

  • 1 green (firm)* plantain, peeled and sliced
  • 2 large eggs* (organic, pasture-raised when possible)
  • 1 Tbsp maple syrup (or honey)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder (optional // for extra fluffiness)
  • 1 healthy pinch sea salt
  • Coconut oil or dairy-free butter (for cooking // dairy butter works, too)

ADD-INS optional

  • Fresh or frozen blueberries (we like frozen wild blueberries)
  • Chocolate chips (so good! // dairy-free as needed)

FOR SERVING optional

Instructions

  • Trim the ends off the plantain and discard. To peel the plantain, use the tip of your knife to make a shallow cut lengthwise through the peel, doing your best not to pierce the flesh of the plantain. Then slide your thumb under the peel and peel away from the cut, removing and discarding the peel. Cut the plantain into ~1 ½ inch slices.
  • To a blender, add the sliced plantain, eggs, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, baking powder (optional), and sea salt. Blend until smooth with no chunks of plantain remaining, about 30-45 seconds.
  • Heat a large cast iron or non-stick skillet (or a griddle) over medium heat. Once hot, add dairy-free butter or coconut oil — it should sizzle when hot enough. Reduce the heat if the oil/butter is smoking.
  • Add ~1/4 cup measurements of batter into the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the edges are set (option to sprinkle blueberries or chocolate chips over the batter before flipping). Flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes on the other side, until golden on both sides. Continue cooking with the remaining batter, adding more coconut oil or dairy-free butter to the skillet if it looks dry.
  • Serve warm with your choice of toppings. We like berry compote or sliced bananas, homemade Nutella or nut butter, and maple syrup (all optional).
  • Best when fresh, but leftover pancakes will keep stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month. Reheat in the microwave, oven, or toaster oven until warm.

Video

Notes

*Green plantains are firm when pressed and work best in this recipe. Ripe plantains are yellow/brown and work okay, but we found they created a thinner, denser, less fluffy pancake. They will also be sweeter, so you may want to use less maple syrup.
*Eggs are essential in this recipe for structure and fluffiness. If you’re looking for a vegan option, try our 1-Bowl Vegan Banana Oat Pancakes.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with 2 tsp coconut oil for cooking and without optional ingredients.

Nutrition (1 of 2 servings)

Serving: 1 (three-pancake) serving Calories: 348 Carbohydrates: 56.7 g Protein: 7.7 g Fat: 9.6 g Saturated Fat: 5.4 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.1 g Monounsaturated Fat: 2.3 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 185 mg Sodium: 232 mg Potassium: 672 mg Fiber: 3.3 g Sugar: 9.3 g Vitamin A: 267 IU Vitamin C: 27 mg Calcium: 107 mg Iron: 1.9 mg

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  1. Ang says

    I’ve just harvested my first bunch of plantains :)
    looking forward to pancakes for breakie.
    Question is… can i use a food processor to blend the ingredients?
    Thank you.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Ang, we haven’t tested in a food processor, but we don’t think it would blend the plantain as well, leading to pancakes that are a bit gummy.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Aw, thanks Colleen! We’re so glad you enjoy our recipes! We haven’t tested with plantain flour, but if it’s green plantain flour, we do think it would work. Let us know if you try it!

  2. Diana says

    Loved these! Easy and delicious, plus very healthy. The texture reminds me of buckwheat pancakes. I ate them all; for two, I think you should double the recipe. Next time I will whip the egg whites separately to see how that affects the fluffiness.

  3. Cathy Fleischmann says

    Delicious pancakes! I have used 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice instead of the 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon (because I just love that flavour) and used a few drops of liquid stevia instead of maple syrup. Since I didn’t have any green plantain in the house, I used yellow ones (but not black) and I thought it turned out great. Will try with green plantain next time.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Amazing! Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Cathy! xo

  4. Julia says

    SO good. SO easy to prep. They were a hit with my husband and three kids. No heavy gross feeling like you normally get after eating a bunch of pancakes.

    I found it very difficult to cook these pancakes evenly, yet it didn’t ruin the taste if they got a little burned or blackened. Think fried dessert bananas or something like that—they tend to get a little burned, but not a bad thing.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re so glad you and your family enjoyed them, Julia! Thank you for sharing! Is it possible the heat was a little too high or they cooked too long? We find these cook a bit faster than normal pancakes!

  5. Danielle says

    What magic is this? They feel like real wheat pancakes in my mouth! It makes me wonder…..what else can I bake with green plantains? Waffles, muffins, cookies, cake? I wish I knew how to experiment.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Ooo love those ideas, Danielle! We’re so glad you enjoy these pancakes! xoxo

  6. Sunny says

    Just finished eating a plateful of these delicious pancakes. They are now my favorites. So easy to make, and have such a nice texture! I don’t eat much carb-rich food, so when I do, I always add extras to increase the nutritional value. So, I added about a T of ground flax seed and a quarter tsp each of ginger, ground coriander, and cloves. I also added chopped walnuts and blueberries. I highly recommend this recipe!

  7. Kim Fiske Gawor says

    What a fantastic recipe! I am on a restricted diet for health reasons and growing tired of almond flour pancakes. These are delicious and more like a grain-based pancake. Can’t wait to make them with a green plantain for that fluffiness you mentioned. Thank you!

  8. Danica says

    These were absolutely delicious! Who would have thought?! I appreciate they’re GF without almond flour.

  9. Kelsey says

    These are now the only pancakes I will ever make. So fluffy and easy to make. Would’ve eaten the whole batch if they weren’t so filling! Used a stainless steel pan as that’s all I have and they cook perfectly. Thanks MB!!!

  10. AG says

    I absolutely LOVED these!! I’m GF and I can’t do oats, AND I don’t love a lot of GF mixes or using almond flour in my pancakes. I couldn’t believe how great these were!! I even cooked them in a stainless steel pan and they barely left a mark. I used duck eggs for some richness and cooked them in ghee. Topped it off with some fresh strawberries and maple syrup. Going to make these all the time now!!! Thank you!

  11. The Vegan Goddess says

    Sounds wonderful!!! Dang on the eggs though.

    I have managed to avoid eggs for years now and haven’t missed it. I guess a vegan alternative wouldn’t work for this … ?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi, unfortunately not! It’s too important for the structure. Without eggs, they will be very dense.