by 
Spinach in pancakes...it sounds a little strange doesn't it? However, these crazy green pancakes are a fun way to add spinach to your little one's plate!
Reasons to Love this Recipe
- SPINACH EXPOSURE: Show your kids that spinach can be used and enjoyed in many different ways. It may also be a good stepping stone for children to enjoy spinach on its own or in other ways.
- FUN: This is a great recipe to make with kids. The vibrant green colour of the mixture is fun and a little different.
- FREEZER FRIENDLY: Make a stash and freeze them for an easy snack/brekfast.
- GLUTEN FREE / DAIRY FREE/ NUT FREE: Buckwheat flour is gluten free and these green pancakes can be made with non-dairy milk.
Ingredient Information and Substitutes
- SPINACH - 2 cups of fresh spinach leaves are packed into this recipe. I haven't tested frozen spinach, if you wish to try it I would recommend thawing and squeezing out some of the liquid.
- BANANA - Adds sweetness. Wait until your bananas are ripe before making this recipe. I have not tested any substitutes. I would suggest apple puree/sauce or sugar/maple syrup/honey but cannot gaurantee the outcome.
- EGG - I have not tested any egg substitutes for this recipe. The banana in the recipe may provide enought structure. If you find it isn't enough you could try adding a flax egg.
- BUCKWHEAT FLOUR - I have tested all purpose flour, whole wheat flour and buckwheat. For this recipe the buckwheat provides the best result. Both the all purpose and whole wheat resulted in a more dense, wetter spinach pancake.
- MILK - I used cows milk but you can substitute with a non dairy milk.
- BAKING POWDER - Remember that baking powder has a shelf life and once expired it won't give your green pancakes the same volume. You can test freshness by dropping a little bit of the baking powder into hot water and look for a bubbling reactio. If it fizzes or bubbles, it's still good to use.
- VANILLA - for flavour.
- CINNAMON - for flavour
Process Shots and Cooking Tips
- BLEND - Start by blending the spinach with one of the bananas, the milk, egg and vanilla until you get a smooth and vibrant liquid. The reason only one banana is added at this stage is because I find mashing the second banana helps keep the pancakes fluffier.
- ADD WET & DRY INGREDIENTS TO BOWL - Add the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Then add the wet ingredients along with the mashed banana and gently. Don't be tempted to blend everything together. This can result in wet, dense pancakes that don't always seem cooked through.
- COMBINE INGREDIENTS: Gently stir to combine the ingredients.
- FRY: Brush a thin layer of oil on the pan with a pastry brush or wipe with a folded paper towel. Cook on medium heat but be prepared to adjust the temperature (Too hot and your pancakes will be scorched, too cold and they can become flat and tough.) Add two tablespoons of the mixture to the pan to form one pancake. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface and are starting to burst, then flip and cook the other side until golden and cooked through.
You May Also Like
- Apple Pancakes
- Banana Pancakes
- Sweet Potato Pancakes
- Baby Blueberry Pancakes
- Green Mac and Cheese
- Pancake Bites
Have you tried this recipe? I love receiving your feedback, please rate and leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram @healthylittlefoodies
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Spinach Pancakes
Sweet banana and spinach pancakes, perfect for all ages.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Serves:12 pancakes
Hover over "serves" value to reveal recipe scaler
Equipment
- Frying Pan / Skillet
- Blender
Ingredients
- 2 small Ripe Bananas
- 2 cups (80g) Spinach
- 1 Egg
- ½ cup (125ml) Milk
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup (130g) Buckwheat Flour
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Coconut oil (for frying)
Instructions
- Add one of the bananas, spinach, egg, milk and vanilla to a blender and blitz until smooth.
- Add the flour, baking powder and cinnamon to a mixing bowl and stir until combine. Mash the remaining banana and add it to the dry ingredients along with the blended mixture. Gently stir until combined.
- Heat a large non-stick frying pan, over medium heat, and coat the pan with the oil. Use a pastry brush or wipe with a folded paper towel to ensure that there is a thin, even coating of oil on the pan with no droplets of oil visible. SEE NOTE 1
- Place 2 tablespoons of batter into the pan to form one pancake. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface then flip and cook the other side until golden (usually around 1 - 1 ½ minutes). If you have a big pan you can do several at once. Repeat with remaining batter.
- Serve warm, or cold, plain, or with a sweet or savoury topping!
Recipe Notes
- Pan Temperature - Too hot and your pancakes will be scorched, too cold and they can become flat and tough. Aim for medium heat and be prepared to adjust up or down over the course of frying.
Nutritional facts
Serving: 1pancake (mixture makes 19) | Calories: 69kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 17mg | Potassium: 215mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 689IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 1mg
Sarah Jones
Hi! I love this recipe but my daughter loves the original recipe! Can you email it to me? Thanks!
Amy
I've emailed it to you 🙂
Melissa
Can you please email me the original recipe
Amy
Hi Melissa, I have emailed it to you. Check your junk mail if you can't see it. Thanks, Amy
Tasha
These were perfect for my 1 year old. Great texture. Usually when I try pancake recipes I have Trouble getting them cooked evenly but I had no problem at all with these. I’m going to start using this recipe for pancakes for myself
Amy
Thanks Tasha, I'm so happy you found this recipe successful 🙂
Lyn Chung
Unfortunately, no matter what I did, these would not cook & were doughy at the edges. It's a real shame because they taste nice.
Amy
Hi Lyn, thanks for the feedback. I'm sorry the texture didn't work for you.
Michelle
Similar to many of the other comments I made these twice with exact measurements and both times they were raw in the middle
Amy
Thanks for your feedback, Michelle. I have added it to my schedule to test the recipe again and adjust/add recipe notes where needed.
Jeanette
Does the coconut oil go in the mix or is it just for heating the pan?
Amy
Hi Jeanette, it is for frying the pancakes. Add to pan rather than mix.
Alexandria
Baby loves these! I found I had to increase the flour slightly when using a flax egg vs. regular egg. Perfect healthy finger food for my 10 month old.
Amy
Hi Alexandria, thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and rate. It is great to know that this recipe worked well with a flax egg and useful for other readers.
Abby
This recipe is everything I needed! Perfect to make ahead for an easy breakfast or snack and my baby couldn’t get enough!! Thank you!
Amy
Brilliant! So glad you liked them, Abby 🙂
Lidia
What substitute can I use for the flours?
Amy
Hi Lidia, I haven't tested any flour substitutes so can't say for sure, sorry. Are you looking for a gluten-free alternative? You could try buckwheat flour but without trying myself I can't say how it would turn out.
Aja
I had an issue with the middle of the pancakes remaining uncooked, no matter how long I left them on. The only substitution I used was white whole wheat flour, but everything else was the same. Do you think the flour would have made that big of a difference?
Amy
Hi Aja, sorry they didn't turn out for you. The flour shouldn't have made too much of a difference but I do wonder if you needed a little more flour...
Natalie
Hi, can I make the batter ahead of time, like the night before?
Amy
Hi Natalie, I'm so sorry for the delay in responding. I've never actually tried making the batter ahead of time so can't say for sure how it would be. It may discolour overnight. (darken in colour)
SJ Dalla Rosa
My babe loves these, just wondering how long they keep in the fridge?
Amy
Hi SJ, refrigerate 1-2 days or you can freeze them for 2-3 months. (Freeze on a single layer and once frozen transfer to a freezable container)
Kiernan
Found them to be perfect for the little one I take care of. He couldn’t get enough! Ate them all week and begged for more.
Amy
Fab! Lovely to hear, thanks for taking the time to let me know 🙂
Cristin Donovan
I made these to the exact instructions and they would not cook in the middle. So raw in the middle but brown on the outside....Too bad.
Amy
Hi Cristin, sorry you didn't have success with the recipe. It sounds like the heat may have been too high if cooking too quickly on the outside?