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 these Spinach Pancakes
- 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.
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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.Â
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
katie says
the kids loved with abit of honey, can you freeze them? was there another reciepe? thanks
Amy says
Hi Katie, Yes you can freeze them. I did have another recipe but had a few messages saying it didn't work so updated it. I still have the old recipe if you want it. Just let me know 🙂
Bonster says
These pancakes taste so good! I used unbleached flour and 1.5 bananas. I followed ythe instructions exactly and it turned out great. I didn’t have problems with the middle being doughy and burned outsidide. Will definitely make it again.
Amy says
Thank you!
Karen says
I'm also having trouble getting these pancakes to cook through the middle. Seems like a ratio is off and there is a little too much liquid?
Amy says
Hi Karen, are you using buckwheat flour? This really makes a difference.
Sarah Jones says
Hi! I love this recipe but my daughter loves the original recipe! Can you email it to me? Thanks!
Amy says
I've emailed it to you 🙂
Melissa says
Can you please email me the original recipe
Amy says
Hi Melissa, I have emailed it to you. Check your junk mail if you can't see it. Thanks, Amy
Tasha says
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 says
Thanks Tasha, I'm so happy you found this recipe successful 🙂
Lyn Chung says
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 says
Hi Lyn, thanks for the feedback. I'm sorry the texture didn't work for you.
Michelle says
Similar to many of the other comments I made these twice with exact measurements and both times they were raw in the middle
Amy says
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 says
Does the coconut oil go in the mix or is it just for heating the pan?
Amy says
Hi Jeanette, it is for frying the pancakes. Add to pan rather than mix.
Alexandria says
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 says
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.