Fluffy Banana Pancakes (sugar-free)

May 12, 2021
Stack of pancakes drizzled with syrup

These healthy banana pancakes (one-bowl!) are naturally sweet and do not contain added sugar, honey, or maple syrup. They are fluffy, airy and delicious! And while there is no sugar in the batter, a drizzle of maple syrup on top is recommended :) Get ready for your new favorite breakfast!

Stack of pancakes
Fluffy banana pancakes.

Quick and fuss-free pancake recipe

First of all: This is a one-bowl recipe. Yay! You don’t need to fuss around with separate bowls to mix dry and wet ingredients.

Everything – even mashing the bananas – will be done in one bowl. No blender, no beating egg whites, no electric mixer, not even a hand whisk is needed. You’ll only need a bowl and a fork. Easy clean-up!

These pancakes are easy to prepare and will be ready in 20 minutes from start to finish. I usually have all the ingredients on hand. Make sure you have plain yogurt and ripe or overripe bananas at home. The rest of the ingredients are pretty much staples.

Cooked banana pancakes in tray
These banana pancakes are soft and fluffy.

Sugar-free pancakes

There is no sugar or any kind of sweetener added to the pancake batter. They are very fluffy and naturally sweet thanks to the ripe bananas. This recipe is a great way to use up overripe bananas!

I do have to admit: I often drizzle some maple syrup on top. I just can’t help it. But they will taste delicious without too. I promise.

How ripe should the bananas be?

Mashed bananas in bowl
Very ripe bananas like the ones in the picture are perfect for pancakes.

The riper the bananas are – brown spots are highly recommended – the sweeter the pancakes will be. Brown spots do not only show how ripe bananas are, but they also indicate how much starch has been converted to sugar.

To sum it up: The greater the number of brown spots a banana has, the more sugar it contains. I usually reach for very ripe to overripe bananas (see this picture for reference).

How to make fluffy pancakes?

Mashed bananas and yogurt in bowl
Add yogurt and melted butter to bowl.

Mash banana using a fork in a large bowl. Add yogurt and melted butter to the bowl, then stir.

Mixing batter for banana pancakes
Add egg, vanilla, and salt.

Add egg, vanilla, and salt. Stir until mixed well.

Mixed pancake batter in bowl
Stir in flour and baking powder.

Add flour to the bowl and evenly sprinkle baking powder on top. Stir until just combined. Be careful not to over-mix. Little lumps are ok. The batter should be rather thick.

Pancake batter in pan
Add pancake batter to the pan. Cook until some bubbles begin to form.

Heat a large frying pan or griddle on medium heat and lightly coat it with oil. Add approximately 3 tablespoons of the batter for each pancake to the pan. Spread the thick batter with a spoon into rounds – they will not spread any further.

Allow pancakes to cook until they slightly puff up and you see a few bubbles on the surface. Using a spatula, check from time to time to make sure the pancakes do not brown too much.

Flipped banana pancakes in pan
Flip pancakes and cook until golden brown on both sides.

Flip pancakes and cook until golden brown on both sides. Repeat with remaining batter, adding little oil to the pan in-between batches.

Pancakes topped with banana slices
Stack of pancakes drizzled with syrup
Serve pancakes with fresh fruit and/or maple syrup.

Serve immediately (recommended) or keep them warm in the oven (they will deflate a little). Enjoy them with your favorite toppings. I love to add seasonal fruits and a drizzle of maple syrup.

Looking for more pancake recipes? Try my thick and fluffy blueberry pancakes or my go-to recipe for fluffy buttermilk pancakes. If you want to try something new, how about Austrian Kaiserschmarrn – a giant, fluffy shredded pancake.

Fluffy Banana Pancakes (sugar-free)

Yield: 10 pancakes (3.5-4 inch or 10 cm)

Serving Size: 2-3 servings

Fluffy Banana Pancakes (sugar-free)

These healthy one-bowl banana pancakes are naturally sweet and contain no added sugar or sweetener. They are fluffy, airy and delicious! They are super easy to make and you’ll only need one bowl and a fork.

Recipe: Ursula | lilvienna.com

Ingredients

  • 2 very ripe bananas (3/4 cup mashed or 180 g)
  • 3/4 cup (180 g) plain yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons (30 g) unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
  • 1 cup (130 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • Oil for cooking
  • For serving (optional): Fresh seasonal fruit, maple syrup

Instructions

  1. Mash banana using a fork in a large bowl. You should get around 3/4 cup of mashed bananas (180 g). A little more or less is fine.
  2. Add yogurt and melted butter to the bowl, then stir.
  3. Add egg, vanilla, and salt. Stir until mixed well.
  4. Add flour to the bowl and evenly sprinkle baking powder on top. Stir until just combined. Be careful not to over-mix. Little lumps are ok. The batter should be rather thick.
  5. Heat a large frying pan or griddle on medium heat and lightly coat it with oil. Add approximately 3 tablespoons of the batter for each pancake to the pan. Spread the thick batter with a spoon into rounds – they will not spread any further.
  6. Allow pancakes to cook until they slightly puff up and you see a few bubbles on the surface. Using a spatula, check from time to time to make sure the pancakes do not brown too much. Flip pancakes and cook until golden brown on both sides.
  7. Repeat with remaining batter, adding little oil to the pan in-between batches.
  8. Serve immediately (recommended) or keep them warm in the oven (they will deflate a little). Enjoy them with your favorite toppings. I love to add seasonal fruits and a drizzle of maple syrup.
https://www.lilvienna.com/fluffy-banana-pancakes/

Fluffy Banana Pancakes (sugar-free) was last modified: May 12th, 2021 by Ursula

11 thoughts on “Fluffy Banana Pancakes (sugar-free)

  1. Dani

    I just made these sugar-free banana pancakes for my kids. They are incredible. Served them with fresh strawberries. 😊

    Reply
    1. Ursula Post author

      Hi Kayla,
      I love them and make them pretty often. Honestly, I don’t know how many calories … But there are many websites out there that do the calculation for free if you add the ingredients. I live more relaxed without counting ;-))
      Hope that you’ll give them a try!

      Reply
      1. Sandi

        I almost never send comments or ratings but I had to make an exception here.
        Theses were the best banana pancakes I’ve ever had, everyone loved them. What a perfect way to use up a couple of extra over ripe bananas. I happened to have 4 so I doubled the batch, also I didn’t have any yogurt on hand but I thinned some sour cream to the consistency of yogurt and it worked great. Thank you for all your great recipes

        Reply
        1. Ursula Post author

          Hi Sandi,
          So happy to hear that you enjoyed the pancakes. Sour cream is a great substitute (buttermilk too) – I use whatever I have on hand, which is usually yogurt. And a double batch is always preferred :))) Thanks so much for your comment and I hope that you’ll make them again some time. Happy new year!
          Ursula

          Reply
    1. Ursula Post author

      Hi Mike,
      Oh, so sorry for my late reply. I only noticed your comment now. I‘ve never tried to make them with almond flour. I guess the baking powder needs regular flour to react, so the pancakes might come out less airy and fluffy. But I bet they are delicious too!

      Reply
    1. Ursula Post author

      Hi Jami,
      Yes, I would say this works. The batter might be a little less liquid though. It should only spread a tiny bit in the pan. If it doesn’t, spread the pancakes with a spoon in the pan to get a nice round shape, or add 1-2 tablespoons of water to the batter. Hope that you’ll try the recipe. Ursula

      Reply

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