These easy sweet plantain pancakes are out of this world! With only 7 ingredients and less than 30 minutes, you get delicious fluffy pancakes topped with a warm strawberry sauce.
They're the perfect healthy breakfast or brunch, or enjoy them any time of the day!
My whole family is crazy about these fluffy plantain pancakes.
They taste heavenly, and just like this waffle charcuterie board or this giant buckwheat pancake, they're the ultimate comfort food for a leisurely weekend breakfast.
I am not using any flour, but they still have that light, soft, and fluffy texture in the middle, like authentic pancakes. Let's make them!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This plantain pancake recipe gives you 8 sweet, incredibly delicious pancakes.
- Yet they are gluten-free, flourless, dairy-free, and much healthier than the traditional pancake recipe.
- The pancake batter is straightforward to make.
- They're topped with a delicious warm strawberry sauce (recipe included).
- And you can have everything on your table, including the fresh fruit sauce, in less than 30 minutes.
Ingredients & Substitutions
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Let's look at the ingredients that bind the pancake batter together.
Plantains: Go for yellow plantains that are not fully ripe yet, yield to the touch, but are still firm—a few brown spots are okay. Avoid unripe or overripe plantains, and try using the largest and thickest ones you can find.
Love plantains? Then also check out my favorite healthy plantain breakfast for busy weekdays or my Plantain Bowl for Meatless Mondays.
Almond butter: A little bit of almond butter helps with binding, and because of its mild flavor, it is not going to overpower the taste of these plantain pancakes as other kinds of nut butter can do.
Ground flaxseed: It adds an additional source of fiber and healthy fats, but it helps replace regular flour here.
Eggs: Two are enough to structure flourless pancakes while adding healthy fats, proteins, and a rich flavor without that "eggy" taste.
Coconut yogurt: It replaces the milk in regular pancakes and makes them deliciously fluffy.
Maple syrup: Adds a tad of extra sweetness and creaminess.
Coconut oil: It's used for cooking the pancakes until golden brown.
Ingredients to Make Quick Warm Strawberry Sauce
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Fresh strawberries: You can replace this with other berries of your choice.
- Coconut yogurt: Adds creaminess to the strawberry sauce.
- Coconut sugar: you'll need a bit to add a tad more sweetness to the berries.
- Coconut oil: It adds flavor to the berry sauce.
How to Make Plantain Pancakes
See the full recipe with measurements in the recipe card.
Step One (Picture 1 above) - Place all the ingredients to make plantain pancakes in a blender.
Step Two (Picture 2 above) - Blend until you have a smooth batter.
Step Three (Picture 3 above) - In batches, cook the pancakes in a pre-heated non-stick skillet coated with coconut oil until the edges are firm and small bubbles form.
Step Four (Picture 4 above) - Gently flip and cook on the other side until slightly golden brown.
How to Make a Quick Strawberry Sauce
See the full recipe with measurements in the recipe card.
Note: The steps below explain how to make it on the stove, but you can also use a microwave for quicker results (see recipe for instructions).
Step One (Picture 1 above) - Place strawberries and coconut sugar in a coconut oil-coated pan over low heat. Warm up while cooking the pancakes until the berries have softened and released juice.
Step Two (Picture 2 above) - Transfer to a bowl and add the coconut yogurt.
Step Three (Picture 3 above) - Stir in the coconut yogurt until sufficiently mixed with the fruit's juices. Serve over the plantain pancakes.
Expert Tips
- Let the batter rest for a few minutes while your warm up your non-stick frying pan.
- If you use a cast-iron skillet, warm the pan for at least 5 minutes so the plantain pancakes can cook evenly.
- Don't flip too soon. Let the batter cook for at least 3 full minutes before gently turning the pancakes around. Then they only need another minute or so until ready.
- Warm the strawberries with the rest of the sauce ingredients while the last pancakes are cooking, so the warm sauce can be served immediately with the pancakes.
- You can also use a microwave to warm the berry sauce before serving.
Other Topping Ideas
- A drizzle of maple syrup with walnuts is a great combination.
- Try adding fresh fruit of your choice with a healthy Nutella Alternative Nut Butter.
- Use extra coconut butter or apple butter as a spread.
Make a Plantain Cake For Special Occasions
Are you gearing up for a special occasion? Perhaps Mother's Day, Father's Day, or a breakfast-in-bed surprise for a loved one's birthday?
Then take it to the next level by stacking the pancakes and topping each layer with warm sweet strawberry sauce and extra coconut yogurt.
Then decorate with extra fresh strawberries on the side.
Tip: Always evenly divide the warmed berries over the whole surface of each layer of a pancake so that the plantain cake will hold its structure, and you can easily cut a piece out of the entire pie.
These gluten-free plantain pancakes are the perfect treat to serve for breakfast or brunch on the weekends.
If you want a more elaborate brunch menu to wow your guests or celebrate life, pair them with my mini egg frittatas and this refreshing homemade lemonade—all can easily be made in advance.
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Have questions? Simply comment below or message me. If you make this recipe, please leave a comment and a starred review below. Thank you!
📖 Recipe
Flourless Plantain Pancakes (Paleo, Gluten free)
Mariska RamondinoEquipment
- 1 large cast iron pan or non-stick skillet
Ingredients
To Make the Plantain Pancakes
- 3 tablespoons ground flaxseed 25 grams
- 4 tablespoons coconut yogurt 70 grams
- 2 tablespoons almond butter 40 grams
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 eggs
- 2 large semi-ripe sweet plantains, peeled and sliced ( about 790 grams)
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil or more as needed
To Make the Strawberry Sauce
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- 12 ounces fresh strawberries, sliced 340 grams (You can go up to 15 ounces)
- 1 tablespoon raw coconut crystals or coconut sugar
- ⅓ cup coconut yogurt 85 grams
Instructions
Make the Plantain Pancakes
- Place ground flaxseed, yogurt, almond butter, maple syrup, eggs, and plantains in a blender or food processor.3 tablespoons ground flaxseed, 4 tablespoons coconut yogurt, 2 tablespoons almond butter, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, 2 eggs, 2 large semi-ripe sweet plantains, peeled and sliced
- Blend until you have a nice yellowish smooth batter.
- Transfer the pancake batter to a large mixing bowl and place it next to the stove. Let the batter rest while you warm up the skillet.
- Coat the bottom of the skillet with 1 teaspoon of coconut oil and heat over medium heat.
- Note: if you use a cast-iron skillet, then let the pan warm up for 5 minutes so the pancakes can cook evenly.
- Add ¼ cup of pancake batter per pancake to the bottom of the skillet. You may have to spread the batter out a bit to make a thinner pancake. With a large skillet, you can make two pancakes per batch.
- Cook for a full 3 minutes or until edges start to firm and bubbles start to form on the surface.
- Gently flip and cook further for one to 2 minutes or until lightly browned
- Repeat with the remainder of the pancake batter (each time, coating the bottom of the pan with 1 teaspoon of coconut oil).
Make the Strawberry Sauce
- In a small saucepan, melt the coconut oil over a low heat.1 teaspoon coconut oil
- Add the berries and top with the coconut sugar.12 ounces fresh strawberries, sliced, 1 tablespoon raw coconut crystals or coconut sugar
- Let the berries warm up until softer and they release some of their juice for about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Take from the stove and stir in the coconut yogurt.⅓ cup coconut yogurt
- Serve over the plantain pancakes.
Notes
- Let the batter rest for a few minutes while your warm up your non-stick frying pan.
- If you use a cast-iron skillet, warm the pan for at least 5 minutes so the plantain pancakes can cook evenly.
- Don't flip too soon. Let the batter cook for at least 3 full minutes before gently turning the pancakes around. They should look firm around the edges, with tiny bubbles forming on top. Then they only need another minute or so on the other side until ready.
- Warm the strawberries with the rest of the sauce ingredients on the stove while the last pancakes cook so the warm sauce can be served immediately with the pancakes.
- You can also use a microwave to warm the berry sauce before serving. Place all the ingredients for the strawberry sauce—including coconut oil—in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 2 to 3 minutes on the highest setting, stirring halfway through.
- For special occasions, stack the pancakes and drizzle the warm fruit sauce and extra coconut yogurt between each layer, topping it off with additional fresh strawberries—beautiful and delicious.
- You can store any leftover plantain pancakes in the fridge in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days. Then, enjoy it cold or reheat it in a microwave for one minute. You can also reheat it over the stove in a small pan.
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Nutrition (% Daily value)
Disclaimer: This nutritional data is calculated using third party tools and is only intended as a reference.
(Note: this post was initially published in November 2016. This post has been updated to include new info and photos)
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