This super scrumpdidlyicious healthy Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes recipe is made with 7 ingredients total. That includes the coconut oil in which you sauté them! These pancakes are one of my super easy low-carb breakfast recipes that will make your mornings stress-free and extra tasty.
Low-Carb Pancakes Recipe Made with Cashews
Replacing high-carb wheat flour with lower-carb cashews is fantastic for those watching their blood sugar. Cashews work very well in baking for folks who are gluten-free, which is another reason I use them.
Cashew Recipes for Budget Cooking
I wrote the book on almond flour in 2008. Paleo Cooking from Elana’s Pantry was the first grain-free cookbook from a major publisher. Still, not everyone wants to invest in almond flour, which can be costly. If you’re cooking on a budget, you’ll want to check out my easy Cashew Recipes. No flour is needed in these easy recipes! My one-bowl Cashew Bread recipe is a fan-favorite sandwich bread with 5 ingredients total!
My Journey into Low-Carb Gluten-Free Eating
I was diagnosed with celiac disease in 1998, the dark ages of gluten-free, and went on a gluten-free diet right away. A short time later, I realized that wouldn’t be my ticket to healing and went on a grain-free paleo diet. I love creating grain-free recipes that do not contain high-carb ingredients like rice flour or potato flour. During this decades-long passion of mine, I’ve written almost 2,000 grain-free recipes.
The Grain-Free Paleo Diet
I don’t ever eat grains because they cause me severe digestive distress. Same with potatoes and corn. Nut-based foods, on the other hand, work very well, I digest them quite easily. Since we are all biochemical individuals what works best for me may not work for you.
Gluten-Free Pancakes Recipe for Dinner
While these quick and easy pancakes are a fantastic breakfast on a weekend morning, I also like to serve them along with an egg dish on Sunday nights for dinner. Breakfast for dinner is a family favorite in our house, and the boys especially appreciate the change in routine.
Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup cashews
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup mashed banana
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup chocolate chips
- coconut oil for cooking
Instructions
- In a food processor, pulse cashews until finely ground
- Pulse in baking soda, then pulse in eggs, banana, and vanilla until very smooth
- Stir in chocolate chips by hand
- Heat oil in a 9 inch skillet over medium heat
- Spoon batter 1 tablespoon at a time onto skillet
- Flip pancakes when bubbles form
- Cook for 1 to 2 minutes on second side
- Serve with maple syrup or Cherry Berry Syrup
Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes Made with Cashews
I have a couple of quick notes regarding this grain-free pancake recipe. First, do not be alarmed if the cashews start to form a paste when you grind them in the food processor. This happened to me with a couple of batches and the recipe still turned out wonderfully. For newer readers, I do use one tablespoon of vanilla in this recipe. That is not a typo. I love vanilla and find this larger amount typically adds extra sweetness and flavor to my recipes.
Substitutions for This Easy Pancake Recipe
For those of you wondering about substitutions, I tried replacing the cashews with almond flour in this Banana Chocolate Chip Pancake recipe and it did not work. If you decide to experiment with this pancake recipe, please let us know how it goes. As always, I don’t know if a substitution will turn out well unless I try it myself. The comment section below is a great place to chat and share knowledge with other readers about your substitution trials and tribulations.
Get the New York Times Best Seller, Paleo Cooking from Elana’s Pantry
If you’re looking for a pancake recipe made with almond flour, try the Paleo Pancakes in my latest book Paleo Cooking from Elana’s Pantry. And if you’re a beginner cook or a busy parent wondering how to make homemade pancakes either the Paleo Pancake recipe in my book or this Banana Chocolate Chip Pancake recipe is a great place to start!
Totally Kid Approved Pancakes
One afternoon when I was testing this easy flourless pancakes recipe my older son brought home most of the Boulder High School freshman baseball team. They devoured ’em topped with maple syrup before they headed off to practice. I guess you could say that this kid-friendly Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes recipe is not only teen approved, it is baseball team approved. I hope you enjoy these gluten-free, paleo Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes as much as those 9 boys did!
This post is an oldie but goodie from the archives. I first published this recipe in 2014.
Stephanie says
Just FYI, I didn’t have enough cashews so I tried walnuts instead and they did not turn out. I am heading to the store and will try again tomorrow!
Elana says
Stephanie, thanks so much for letting us know the results of your experiment!
Peggy says
My son and I thought these were the best pancakes we have ever had. FYI- I soaked my cashews first and they still turned out perfect! Thank you!!!
Elana says
Peggy, thanks for letting me know that you and your son think these are the best pancakes you’ve ever had!
Gabriella Kortsch says
Has anyone tried it with macadamia nuts instead of cashews?
Stephanie says
walnuts did not work…
Clever Girl Reviews says
Those look so tasty, I wish I wasn’t allergic to eggs!
Mary says
I’m about to try this recipe with a flax seed replacement for the eggs, as I am also allergic to eggs. Will let you know how it goes!
Mary says
So, I made them with ground flax seed egg replacement (2 Tbsp ground flax, 6 Tbsp very hot water). The batter was VERY thick, so I ended up adding some water. Most of the pancakes were, let’s say, overdone. But there are none left. I will try them with eggs for my son for comparison sake and then see what I can do to make them more like that without eggs.
Ramona says
Thank you for sharing your experience. I can’t have eggs either and was hoping someone had tried it with flax. I wonder how the recipe would work with a gelatin replacement. I’ll have to give that a try too!
Danielle says
I am not allergic to eggs but what about a chia replacement. Seems like it might help with thickness since it is more liquidy than flax?
Elana says
Hey guys, here’s a link to my Egg-Free Recipes page for everyone with egg allergies:
https://elanaspantry.com/diets/egg-free/
Enjoy!
Elana
Karen says
Ok. It is very late and I am too tired. Just found the step by step under the ingredients list. Why did I not see that before? Too tired I guess. Still wondering about soaking the cashews though.
Mia says
Disregard my reply about the instructions then :)
For the cashews she recommends raw, but perhaps you should try soaking them if they haven’t worked for you in the past?
Mia says
Oh, and someone below just said they used soaked cashews and it turned out great!
Marian Hearn says
I need a replacement for baking soda. I have gluten free, salt free baking powder and wonder how much to use?
Mia says
two to three times the amount. So 1 or 1.5 tsp baking powder
Brittney says
Amazing, D-liiiish!
Brittney says
Also,
I am big on using more vanilla extract! totally agree!
Elana says
Brittney, thanks for letting me know these were amazing!
Kate says
I am allergic to all nuts and am looking to replace flour for ingredients…..I especially love pancakes.
michelle says
Kate, I love pancakes too. Hemp butter or tahini may work, using hemp seeds or sesame seeds instead of cashews. I have made variations of this pancake recipe for a long time now and usually mix tahini in with my nut butters. I don’t remember the last time I made a “flour” based pancake.
I also prefer pumpkin (or butternut squash) over banana, w/some cinnamon and nutmeg, but that might just be me.
anne says
Re: sub for cashews… We do one banana, one egg, big scoop of sun butter & vanilla & cinnamon. I sprinkle EL mini chips on when cooking. Awesome!
Alison F says
What is sun butter? Thanks
michelle says
sun butter = sunflower seed butter
anne says
Sure, I’d say 2 heaping tablespoons (I’m using a regular spoon when I do it). The original recipe was from Civilized Caveman: http://civilizedcavemancooking.com/breakfast/perfect-paleo-pancakes/
Dee says
I need a sub for bananas. My sweet lil girl is allergic. Anyone have any ideas. Please!
Beth says
canned pumpkin!
G D says
Mashed Sweet Potato works good when I make a similar pancake recipe (I use sweet potato mash if its a leftover, otherwise I use banana) – instead of cashews, I use almond butter.
Roberta says
I’m allergic to cashews. How much almond butter would you use
Lois Trenberth says
try figs as a substitute for bananas. They are sweet and full of minerals and vitamins and fiber.
Elana says
Lois, I’d love to hear if that would work in this recipe :-)
betzhi says
i used 1/2 cup greek yoghurt and they were delicious!
Elana says
Betzhi, thanks for letting me know these pancakes are delicious!