Perfectly fluffy oatmeal pancakes topped with banana, strawberries, and a kiss of dark chocolate chips, these Banana Split Pancakes are the ultimate dessert pancakes!
Ready to stack some flapjacks?
Pancakes are easily one of my favorite indulgences.
Dare I say I love them more than actual cake?
I do! Seriously! In fact when my sweet tooth gets out of hand, I’m much more likely to bake a small batch of chocolate chip pancakes than their cookie counterpart and vanilla pancakes with a dollop of whipped cream on top? Totally knock out a cake craving for a fraction of the effort and calories.
Is that weird? I really like making pancakes, yo!
#sohungry #solazy
Since my key lime pie pancakes were such a hit around here, I decided it would be fun to tackle a few more desserts in pancake form. Next up? Banana split pancakes!
If you have some handy, coconut oil makes a fantastic sub for butter or vegetable oil (so I always try to use it!) while a mixture of white wheat flour and ground oats jazz up both the flavor and fiber content of these pancakes.
Instead of buttermilk, they feature almond milk and Greek yogurt with a little kiss of lemon juice, a combo that yields ultra fluffy pancakes that double as a pillow.
A food pillow.
A … OK I’ll shut up now.
Pancakes!!! Fruity, fluffy, fantastic pancakes!!! Need I say more?
Rhetorical question. If I talk anymore I’m certain y’all will run screaming in the other direction. On to the recipe!
Banana Split Pancakes
Banana Split Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 7 oz Greek yogurt (plain or vanilla)
- 2 TBSP fresh lemon juice
- ¾ cup old fashioned rolled oats or oat flour
- 1 + ¼ cup white whole wheat flour
- 2 TBSP sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- 3 TBSP coconut oil (melted + cooled slightly)
- ½ a banana (chopped or sliced thin)
TASTY TOPPINGS:
- sliced banana
- chopped strawberries
- dark chocolate chips
- pure maple syrup
Instructions
- In a mixing cup, whisk together almond milk, Greek yogurt, and lemon juice.
- Allow mixture to sit and thicken.
- Using a food processor, blender, or mortar and pestle, grind your oats into a flour. Coarse is fine, but the more flour-like you can get yours oats the fluffier and smoother the pancakes will be. Yum!
- In a separate bowl, combine at flour, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Heat up your griddle.
- Whisk your melted coconut oil and eggs to the wet ingredients.
- Slowly add your flour mixture, sifting 1/3 of the flour into the wet ingredients, gently stirring to combine, then repeating until you have a thick and slightly lumpy batter.
- For banana pancakes, add chopped or sliced bananas to the batter or go minimalist and add them exclusively on top. You could even toss a few dark chocolate chips into the batter!
- Ladle batter onto a hot, lightly greased griddle or skillet using a 1/3 cup measuring cup.
- Repeat for each pancake, cooking until bubbles form on the tops and pop, leaving a few delicious little air pockets behind.
- Flip and brown both sides, repeating for each.
- Top with your choice of banana split toppings. Fresh banana, strawberries, dark chocolate chips are my favorite! And a little pure maple syrup of course!
Notes
Nutrition
Pancake Tips + Tricks
- Whatever you do, don’t flatten the pancakes with your spatula. It may appear to be a hack for cooking them faster, but what you’ll end up doing is sabotaging the fluff factor.
- Acidity FTW! Using fresh lemon or lime juice to create a faux buttermilk out of the Greek yogurt and Almondmilk helps lift your cakes and adds flavor.
- Fresh is best. Always make sure your baking powder is still fresh and fizzy. The shelf life is typically between 6-12 months from open date and there are a number of DIY tests online that’ll help you determine if yours is still able to provide lift.
- Leave it lumpy! Over-mixing can make pancakes dense and chewy.
- Mix + Make: once dry ingredients come in contact with the wet, science takes over. Always make your pancakes after mixing. Want a quick fix? Dry ingredients can be mixed in advance and kept in an airtight container in your pantry. Add your wet ingredients and you’re good to go! I do this all the time when I know I want weekend pancakes but don’t want to spend the morning measuring.
For those who would like to indulge a little, feel free to toss some dark chocolate chips on top (or in the batter itself – YUM!) and top the pancakes with a dollop of whipped cream (or coconut whipped cream!) and sprinkles.
They’re magical every which way!
According to my pancake enthusiast toddler, the most essential topping is a hearty drizzle of pure maple syrup.
YES!
So these were delicious—some of the best pancakes I’ve ever made! But I’m not sure that “heathy” describes them. I divided the servings into 4, and the total calorie count cake to 525 for the pancakes, 1 tbsp dark chocolate morsels, ½ small banana, and 3 medium strawberries—that’s without syrup!
They have healthier and whole food ingredients than other dessert pancakes out there (like restaurant banana split pancakes for instance with oodles of artificial ingredients, fake maple syrup and chocolate syrup and/or caramel) but yeah they’re still totally dessert pancakes with the sweet mix-ins. I’m so so glad you enjoyed them Lauren and I’ll try to update the nutrition facts on here as well now that my recipe card has that feature. xoxo
I am so glad I found this recipe this weekend. I was looking for a breakfast that my kids would wake up excited about. Love chocolate, bananas, and strawberries together!
Yay! Hope y’all adore them!
Wow, these looked so good I had to make them right away! I already had everything on hand too. The sprinkle of chocolate chips on top really step them off!
So stoked to hear it Dana – thank you!
Wow, what a Great Recipe! I can’t wait to try it. I’m glad I found your blog.
So glad you found me Misiti! <3 Thanks!
I usually make pancakes without regular flour, but I may have to reconsider trying your recipe. Your pancakes really do look ‘so fluffy’!
Aw thanks Gina!
I took the survey. Thanks!
Thanks! + good luck with the giveaway! <3
This is EXACTLY what I needed on a sleepy Monday morning! These cakes are gorgeous, look insanely delicious and I LOVE that they’re actually not terrible for you! A must try!
Thanks so much Karly! Hope you get a chance to banana split-ify your pancakes! ?
OMG these pancakes are everything! Dessert-like breakfast is my fav!
Gotta love a fun breakfast! Thanks Bethany! 🙂
Perfect dessert !! Pancake looks awesome. Thanks Jenn for sharing this post 🙂
I never really thought about it — but I’m like you: I’d MUCH rather have some pancakes than a cookie! Love this idea — so fun!
Less sugar and butter but equally scrumptious, right? SOLD! <3
What yummy looking pancakes! I love the idea of having a banana split in pancake form. (And would consider the chocolate chips necessary, not optional. 🙂 ) And thanks for all the great tips at the end.
Oh, I can almost taste them! Gorgeous pics! I love this combination, and using the almond milk and yogurt is such a great idea! My kids would agree with the importance of maple syrup, but I think I’d have to go with the whipped cream! 🙂
Haha or we could throw caution to the wind and go with both add ons! Woot!!! Thanks Sherri 🙂
These pancakes are epic! I love the presentation…birthday breakfast material for sure!
Thanks Sue! 🙂
What a delicious treat!! I guess I must use those two languishing in a corner bananas I have. So so perfect
Thanks love! It’s perfect for those forgotten spotty bananas! <3
Yum! I totally hear you on craving pancakes more than regular cake. Sometimes cake is almost too sweet, and I’ve never been a huge frosting fan…unless it’s cream cheese frosting. *cough cough. I’ve never actually had them for dessert, But they’re my favorite breakfast food by far!
I often use kefir as a substitute for buttermilk, since I’m lactose intolerant, but almond milk and a little lemon juice sounds like a good substitute, too.
Oh CC frosting… that I would gladly take a spoonful of any time any where! Kefir is a great sub as well! Love that stuff!
These sound delicious. I’m allergic to almonds, so I’ll just use regular buttermilk.
Buttermilk will work great! Hope you get a chance to try them Beth! <3
These pancakes are so FUN!!!!
Thanks Cathy! <3
I want to wake up to these pancakes!!
I need these in my life!
Haha thanks Meg. They’re magical!
I love this fun idea! I think I only have 1 pancake recipe on my site.. I need more!
I can never have enough pancakes 🙂
This is totally the breakfast of champions!!! 🙂
Thanks Annie!
Breakfast that taste just like a classic dessert! Count me in!
🙂
These are definitely my kinda pancake girl.
Thanks Jocelyn!
Gah!!! These are PERFECT! I want to face-plant into a tall stack on this crazy Monday morning!