Easy Plantain Pancakes

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These gluten free plantain pancakes are super quick and easy to make. Plantain pancakes are a tasty breakfast staple that makes a delicious meal any time of the day!

Suitable for gluten free and vegetarian diets.

two plantain pancakes on a white plate and served topped with sliced almonds and syrup

I was standing right in front of the compost, about to throw in a large bunch of overripe plantains when Freddy walked past and said – ‘ever heard the one about the food blogger who could not figure out what to do with ripe plantains?’

Challenge totally accepted and I spent the better part of 2 days testing out delicious plantain recipes.

I will be sharing some of these with you soon but please, please please allow me to start with these gluten free and sugar free plantain pancakes.

So love plantains, then this easy recipe is for you. And you might like these Air Fryer Plantains and Air Fryer Banana Chips, and these easy Fried Plantains and Baked Plantains Post.

two plates of plantain pancakes served with side dishes of slivered almonds, dried edible flower petals, and syrup

Why Make This Recipe

  • Versatile – these plantain pancakes are a great option for breakfast, brunch and breakfast for dinner recipes.
  • Affordable – made with budget friendly ingredients.
  • Fast – these tasty treats are super quick and super easy to make with minimal prep time. Ps no baking soda or baking powder needed.
  • Scalable – scale up to feed a crowd. Just make sure to have 2 or 3 frying pans on he go if serving a large crowd.
  • Diet – suitable for gluten free or vegetarian diets.

Ingredient Notes

  • Over ripe plantain – you will need the black skinned plantains for this. Yellow Plantain or green plantains will be too firm.
  • Gluten-free flour use your regular gluten free blend.
  • Melted butter, I prefer to use salted melted butter.
  • Eggs – which helps bind it all together.
  • Milk – use whole milk, but for extra flavor sub in some coconut milk plus up to an additional 1/3 cup, if needed to thin batter
  • Flavorings- the main flavor is from ground nutmeg but optional extras: cinnamon, vanilla extract and salt. Keep an eye on the salt level if using salted butter.
  • Oil – use oil eg olive or coconut oil or butter for frying.

How To Make Plantain Pancakes

Get complete ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card below.

  1. Put plantain chunks in a blender and blend till a smooth batter forms and there are no lumps.
  2. Add the rest of the ingredients to the blended plantains and blend till combined.
  3. If the batter is too thick, just add in a couple of tablespoons of milk at a time till you get the consistency you desire.
  4. If you have time, allow the batter stand for 30 minutes
  5. Heat oil in a non-stick frying pan over low medium heat, grab a ladle of batter and immediately pour the batter to the hot pan. Tilt the pan slightly so the batter spreads and covers the bottom of the pan.
  6. Cook until the pancake sets at the bottom and there are bubbles forming, then flip to the other side and briefly cook the other side till golden brown and cooked.
  7. Repeat with the remaining batter till the rest is done, adding a tiny amount of oil to the pan between each pancake.image collage showing the steps for making plantain pancakes

Plantain Pancakes Tips

  • These pancakes will break if you flip them like a traditional pancake so do turn them over carefully using a turner.
  • They will not bubble like traditional pancakes so you have to keep check them to see if they are done before turning them over.
  • Store leftover batter in a mixing bowl covered with plastic film in the fridge overnight.
  • Feel free to use regular flour if you are not following a gluten free diet.
  • Plantain pancakes are sweet from the plantain, so do not be tempted to add in any sugar. Instead add a couple of teaspoons of  maple syrup or honey as required.
  • You need very ripe plantains for these pancakes, make sure the skin is black (the yellow plantains will still be too firm, green plantains will be too firm).
  • To peel the plantains add them to a cutting board, and using a sharp knife make a cut in the skin of the plantain lengthwise and peel it off.
  • If the batter is too thick add some more milk.
How to peel plantains - recipesfromapantry,com

Well, that is pancake day, Valentine’s day breakfast and exotic breakfast generally sorted for the next few days. Enjoy.

two plantain pancakes topped with sliced almonds, pomegranate seeds and served with a side of syrup

FAQs

What Are Plantains 

A plantain is a starchy fruit that’s part of the banana family but it isn’t quite like a banana. Typically, you wouldn’t eat it raw because the plantain is starchier and is not as sweet as a banana.

You’ll find plantains on any Latin (called Tostones), Caribbean or African menu.
 Plantains are served either as a side to accompany a main course, as the main course (yes please to stuffed plantains) or in a stew and also as a dessert with some Ice cream, icing sugar or honey.

Plantain or Banana – What Is The Main Difference

A plantain is a starchy fruit that’s part of the banana family but it isn’t quite like a banana.

Typically, you wouldn’t eat it raw because the plantain is starchier and is not as sweet as a banana. Their skins are also much thicker than bananas. You would need to cook plantains before you eat them.

Bananas are less starchier. You can eat bananas uncooked as long as they are ripe, although you can cook them too if you prefer.

How To Peel And Cut Plantains

To peel the plantains add them to a cutting board, and using a sharp knife make a cut in the skin of the plantain lengthwise and peel it off.

More Plantain Recipes

More Pancake Recipes

Serving Suggestions

Feel free to serve with your favorite compotes like Strawberry Compote, Blueberry Compote or

Thank you for reading my Plantain Pancakes recipe post. And please visit again as I continue dreaming up recipes, traditional African recipes, African fusion recipes, Sierra Leone recipes, travel plans and much more for you. Thanks for supporting Recipes from a Pantry, UK food blog.

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two plantain pancakes on a white plate and served topped with sliced almonds and syrup
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Plantain Pancakes

Plantain Pancakes are a delicious breakfast staple!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: African, American, Western
Servings: 6
Calories: 142kcal
Author: Bintu Hardy

Ingredients

Plantain Pancakes Ingredients:

  • 1 overripe plantain peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup gluten-free flour
  • 2 tbsp melted butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 2/3 cup milk plus up to an additional 1/3 cup, if needed to thin batter
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • optional extras: cinnamon, vanilla extract, salt
  • oil or butter for frying

Instructions

Plantain Pancakes Instructions:

  • Put the plantain pieces in a blender and blend till smooth and no lumps remain.
  • Add the rest of the ingredients and blend till combined. If the batter is too think, just add a couple of tablespoons of milk at a time till you get the consistency you desire.
  •  If you have time, allow the batter to stand for 30 mins.
  • Heat oil in a non-stick frying pan and add in one ladle of plantain pancake batter. Tilt the pan slightly so the batter spreads and covers the bottom of the pan.
  • Cook until the pancake sets at the bottom, then flip and briefly cook the other side.
  • Repeat till the rest of the batter is done, adding a tiny amount of oil to the pan between each pancake.
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Notes

Plantain Pancakes Tips

  • These pancakes will break if you flip them like a traditional pancake so do turn them over carefully.
  • They will not bubble like traditional pancakes so you have to keep check them to see if they are done before turning them over.
  • Plantain pancakes are sweet from the plantain, so do not be tempted to add in any sugar.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 142kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 67mg | Sodium: 67mg | Potassium: 205mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 576IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 1mg

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32 Comments

  1. I do love pancakes and these look spectacular. You are a genius Bintu. It was lovely to meet you at the bloggers afternoon tea in January x

  2. These sound so good – love coconut flour. Don’t think plantains have reached Cornwall yet. I did make banana pancakes for breakfast on the day though.

  3. Ok, this is ironic as I have an very ripe banana (intentionally) so that I can make a 2 ingredient banana pancake! I was just looking a that this morning and then I read this post! I would be more than happy to pull up a chair to your family’s breakfast table, Bintu 🙂

  4. This is incredible B.! So so in love with them. I can’t wait to try them in the summer (that’s the only time we get properly ripened plantains here?!

    1. There are quite a few other plantain recipes on the blog already but def man more to come Craig.

  5. I’m there for anything plantain. Just love the taste. Great idea for pancakes with a plantain twist. Keeping this in mind…

  6. I’ve never cooked with plantain, they are not easy to get where I live. You sound really excited about your recipes and if they are anything like this one then you are right to be excited, it looks amazing.

  7. Thanks for this post. I’ve been looking for a unique pancake recipe for Pancake Day. They look delicious!

  8. Totally love pancakes, though usually I make the traditional flour, egg, milk and pinch of salt variety that I toss in the pan and once cooked add a sprinkling of sugar and lemon juice over the top. These ones sound way healthier and look scrumptious in your pic. Tx

  9. These sound wonderful, I love the inventiveness of them and the fact that you saved the plantains from the compost heap! I haven’t used coconut flour before, definitely one to have a play around with. GG