Well, it's here: the best Plantain Pancake Recipe on the internet.
These gluten free pancakes are dense but fluffy, soaking up maple syrup for a wonderful breakfast treat. Better yet? You only need 4 ingredients!
Quick Look: Plantain Pancakes
⏲️Ready In: 20 minutes
🍽Servings: 2
🥗Nutrition: 522 Calories
🥘Main Ingredients: Plantains, eggs, gluten free flour
📋Dietary Notes: Gluten free, Grain free, Dairy free, Nut free
⭐Why You'll Love It: Only 4 ingredients for dense, fluffy gluten free pancakes that are dairy free and nut free!
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Plantains have a special place in my heart as a versatile ingredient that can be used for all sorts of meals like Plantain & Olive Beef Bowls or Flourless Plantain Skillet Brownies!
If you've got yellow plantains to use, these fluffy gluten free plantain pancakes are an easy way to use them. You just need a blender and a skillet to make this breakfast treat!
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Key Ingredients
Plantains: You'll need yellow (ripe) plantains for these plantain pancakes. Because the starch and sugar contents of plantains vary so widely depending on how ripe they are, pay close attention to what a recipe calls for.
Eggs: To help bind the pancakes together and create structure.
Gluten Free Flour: Originally this recipe called for cassava flour, which you can still use, but any gluten free flour blend should work well! I prefer Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Flour.
Adding a bit of flour prevents the pancakes from being too dense.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Plantain Pancakes
Don't worry - if you've EVER made pancakes before, this is super easy!
Even if you haven't made pancakes before, I'm confident you can crush this.
Step 1: Peel the plantains and chop into 3-4 large chunks.
Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, combine the gluten free flour and baking soda.
Step 3: Blend the plantains with the eggs until smooth.
If the plantains aren't blending well, that's a sign that they're not ripe enough. You can add a little milk (dairy free or not - your choice) or a bit of water to help thin it - but avoid adding additional liquid if you can.
Step 4: Fold the blended plantain mixture with the gluten free flour and baking powder.
Step 5: Heat a tablespoon of oil or butter in a large skillet (I use a cast iron!) over medium heat. Add about ¼ cup of batter, using the bottom of the measuring cup or a spoon to spread the batter a bit. It'll be thick!
Step 6: Cook for 2-3 minutes, until bubbles start to form and pop around the edges of the pancake. Flip the pancakes and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Repeat with remaining batches as necessary.
How to Cook with Plantains
If you're curious about plantains, check out the article I wrote about how plantains differ from bananas. Head over and read that post if you want more plantain knowledge stuffed into your brain.
But here's the cliff notes version:
- You can eat plantains raw, but you're better off cooking them.
- Plantains are starchier than bananas, which makes them work SO well for this recipe. The sugars and starch provide the bulk and base for these fluffy, dense pancakes.
- Green plantains are less ripe (and have less sugars). Yellow plantains have a little more sugar but are still very starchy. Spotted or brown plantains are still good to use and have the most sugars.
- Ripe plantains tend to burn easily because of the sugars in the fruit. So watch the skillet and be sure to use an adequate amount of fat or oil!
Because the starch and sugar contents of plantains vary so widely depending on how ripe they are, pay close attention to what a recipe calls for.
Plantains a little too green for these plantain pancakes? Try making easy gluten free tostones!
Plantains a little too overripe? This flourless plantain skillet brownie is calling your name.
Top Tips from Chelsea
Mind the heat. Plantains tend to burn pretty easily in a hot skillet because of their high sugar content. Keep the skillet on medium and use the first pancake as a test before cooking batches of 2 or 3 at a time. Flip them after 2-3 minutes, and try not to make them too thick so they still cook through!
Make thinner pancakes. The batter is thick, so to make sure they cook through, I like to use a ¼ cup measuring cup to both scoop the batter and then spread them slightly. For best results, aim for ½"- to ¾"-thick pancakes.
The best plantains to use for plantain pancakes are yellow with maybe a few browned spots. If you're having trouble removing the peel, the plantains might be too starchy for these pancakes. You can use them for Plantain & Olive Beef Bowls, Flourless Plantain Empanadas, or Grilled Fish with Fried Plantains (Aloco)!
Follow those pointers, and you'll be devouring the best plantain pancakes in no time.
Plantain Pancakes FAQs
In my experience, for fluffy pancakes that more closely resemble traditional pancakes, you'll need to use some flour to avoid too-dense pancakes.
I do have an Easy Pan-Fried Plantain Patties recipe that creates pancake-like patties that could be a stand-in!
The pancakes themselves should be slightly sweet because of the sugar content in the plantains. That said, maple syrup is still the go-to topping here! Toasted nuts and fresh fruit go wonderfully with these gluten free plantain pancakes.
For protein with breakfast, serve with bacon and eggs or Southwest Chorizo Breakfast Casserole.
No. Bananas aren't starchy enough to get similar results.
Instead, check out Strawberry Protein Powder Pancakes with Banana or Gluten Free Banana Waffles to use bananas for breakfast!
Did you try plantain pancakes? I'd love to hear what you think! Please leave a comment and rating or tag me on Instagram - I appreciate your feedback.
Print📖 Recipe
Best Gluten Free Plantain Pancakes
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Fluffy and dense with only 4 ingredients, this plantain pancake recipe makes the perfect filling gluten free breakfast! Serve with fresh fruit, nuts, and maple syrup.
Ingredients
- 2 yellow plantains
- 2 eggs (see notes for AIP)
- ½ cup + 1 tablespoon gluten free flour blend or cassava flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoons butter, olive oil, or ghee, divided
Instructions
- Blend plantains: Peel the plantains by cutting off both ends, then slicing lengthwise down the peel and removing it. Add the plantains and eggs to a high-powered blender. Blend on medium, increasing in speed, until the mixture is smooth.
- Mix batter: Combine cassava flour and baking soda in a medium bowl. Pour the plantain mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until completely combined.
- Cook pancakes: Heat 1 tablespoon ghee, butter, or olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once heated, add about ¼ cup of batter to the skillet. You may have to spread the batter out a bit to make a thinner, ½" to ¾" pancake - this batter is thick! Flip after 2-3 minutes or once bubbles start to appear on the edges of the pancake. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, then transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining pancakes, using additional ghee, butter, or olive oil as necessary to oil the skillet between batches.
- Top and serve: Serve pancakes immediately with fresh fruit, toasted nuts, or a drizzle of pure maple syrup.
Notes
- Substitute the eggs by dissolving 2 tablespoons gelatin in 6 tablespoons water before blending with the plantain.
- Ripe plantains can burn easily in a hot skillet due to their sugar content. Keep the skillet on medium heat and carefully lift the bottom of that first pancake to check how quickly it's cooking.
- Use the bottom of a measuring cup to spread the pancake batter once you drop it into the skillet to prevent too-thick pancakes that don't fully cook through.
