Vegan Banana Oatmeal Pancakes

Need a vegan breakfast recipe that will use up that one random overripe spotty banana in your fruit bowl? I've got you covered with these Vegan Banana Oatmeal Pancakes!

I take my vegan pancake game very seriously and with hundreds of 5-star reviews across my many vegan pancake recipes, you can rest assured that you're in safe hands.

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These easy vegan pancakes are made with pantry staples and are really budget and family-friendly. No eggs are required!

Here's exactly what you need at a glance, along with some ingredient notes and substitution ideas:

• Banana - A really ripe banana is essential. It should be soft and spotty. You can use a defrosted frozen banana if you don't have a fresh one.
• Oats - These naturally gluten-free and flour-free vegan banana oat pancakes are made with rolled oats or old-fashioned oats. Use certified gluten-free oats of necessary. You could use quick oats instead but be careful when pulsing in the whole oats as you don't want to lose too much texture.
• Non-dairy milk - Any dairy-free milk will do such as oat milk, soy milk, cashew milk, or almond milk.
• Oil - Any liquid oil will do in this recipe such as olive oil, avocado oil, sunflower oil, vegetable oil, or melted coconut oil. See the FAQs if you're wondering how to make them oil-free.
• Cinnamon - Complements the banana flavour and adds interest and warmth. You could use the same amount of pumpkin spice instead.

Do you have bananas that aren't quite ripe enough? See my tip in the FAQs for how to ripen them quickly!

Can't wait to make them? Here's a quick rundown of how it's done. See the recipe card for the full and detailed version, and if you're a visual learner check out my recipe video.

1. Add everything (except ¼ cup of the oats) to a blender and blend until combined and a thick batter is formed. It won't be completely smooth and will look grainy, but the oats should be no longer visible.
2. Add the remaining oats and pulse a couple of times to combine and break up just a little bit while keeping some texture.
3. Let the mixture rest and thicken up while you preheat a nonstick skillet.
4. Scoop portions of batter into the skillet and cook gently until bubbles form over the surface and start to pop. This is important. Don't have the heat too high and don't rush them. When they look like this and are nicely golden brown underneath you can flip them:

5. Remove from the pan once the other side is a lovely golden brown colour, like this:

6. Repeat until all of the pancakes are cooked. I like to pop them on a small baking tray in the oven on its lowest setting to keep them all warm until I'm done.

IMPORTANT VEGAN PANCAKE COOKING TIP - Cook the pancakes low and slow. Do not rush them. This is important for all vegan pancake recipes and not just this one. Pancakes made without eggs need a little longer to cook through so patience is key. Rush them and the outsides will cook before the middle does and you'll end up with mushy pancakes.

I love these pancakes with chocolate chips! Isn't banana and chocolate the best combo? Banana slices, chopped nuts, blueberries, or dried fruit also work well.

TIP FOR ADDING MIX-INS - Don't stir mix-ins through the batter. Instead, make the pancakes as directed then sprinkle the mix-ins over the pancake batter once it's in the pan but before they have set up. This ensures they don't come into contact with the very hot bottom of the pan for too long and accidentally burn (especially important with anything sweet like chocolate chips or dried fruit).

If you try this recipe, let me know how you like it by leaving a comment and rating below! And be sure to join my mailing list for more deliciousness!