Fluffy Flourless Banana Pancakes (2024)

FAQs

How do you make pancakes thicker without flour? ›

The secret to fluffy restaurant style pancakes? Buttermilk! The acid in the buttermilk reacts to the leavening agents in the pancake batter, creating air bubbles that make the pancakes tall and fluffy. It's a simple switch that makes all the difference.

Pancakes and waffles typically both contain baking soda, which causes them to rise. As soon as the baking soda is combined with the wet ingredients (which contain an acidic ingredient, like often buttermilk), it starts producing carbon dioxide gas bubbles that cause the batter to rise.

Why don't my pancakes rise and get puffy? Not enough Bisquick or too much liquid. Batter stood too long either at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Bisquick stored too long.

SAM'S TIP: The key to fluffy pancakes is to not over-mix the batter. Batter that is mixed too much will yield dense, flat, rubbery pancakes. Because of this, you should NOT use an electric mixer with this recipe–just stick with a whisk and spatula/spoon.

Flour Substitute: Cake or Pastry Flour

Cake flour makes baked goods light and tender—and it's the key ingredient in Ree's Perfect Pancakes. You can use cake flour and AP flour interchangeably if you're in a pinch. To make your own cake flour, combine ¾ cup all-purpose flour with 3 tablespoons cornstarch.

Baking powder (double acting) provides two rises: The first occurs when the baking powder comes into contact with a liquid, the second when it's exposed to heat. Too much baking powder will create a very puffy pancake with a chalky taste, while too little will make it flat and limp.

When cooked, the chemical leaveners (the baking powder and baking soda) in the pancakes created large air bubbles. The loose gluten network captured the air bubbles and maintained the each pancake's shape while still keeping it fluffy with air.

Can I use mayo instead of eggs in pancakes? ›

"The oil in mayonnaise helps moisten the recipe and acts as an adequate substitute for the liquid an egg would have added." It also does a bit of leavening, since mayonnaise is made from eggs and is already emulsified.

Eggs are a crucial ingredient. They provide the cakes with the structure to hold light bubbles. Eggs also give the batter additional, richer flavor from the yolk fat. If you add too many eggs, you'll have “pancakes” that look more like custard or crepes.

Banana Pancakes are easy to make and one of the best ways to use ripe bananas. This is like having Banana Bread in pancake form. The pancake batter can be made ahead and refrigerated overnight, plus the pancakes reheat really well. Also, the kids love these so we're winning the breakfast battles with this recipe.

The first is that the batter is a bit runny. Add a little more flour (or mix) to make a thicker batter, and see if that fluffs up the pancakes. The other reason I can think of is that the leavening is either past its prime, or not getting enough time to work before cooking.

Stir your batter until the dry and wet ingredients are just incorporated. That means mixing until the flour streaks have disappeared, but leaving the pesky lumps. If you over-mix, the gluten will develop from the flour in your batter, making your pancakes chewy instead of fluffy.

And these pancakes are flat.

A flat pancake could be the result of an overly-wet batter. Add a little extra flour and see if that makes a difference.

If your 3-ingredient banana pancakes are mushy inside, it probably means the cooking temperature isn't right. Standard pancakes only have a small amount of sugar, but the natural sugar in the banana tends to brown the pancakes quite quickly so you need to cook on a lower temperature.

Cook the pancakes until the bottoms look browned and golden when you lift a corner, about 1 minute.

Thicken Pancake Batter Step by Step

If your batter is very runny, start with 1 to 2 tablespoons of flour and ¼ teaspoon of baking powder for every 2 tablespoons of flour you add in. Then, mix them well into the bowl. Once combined, without overly mixing, check the consistency.

How to thicken dough without flour? ›

Cornstarch can be subbed in for wheat flour at a 1:2 ratio. Because it's a durable thickener, you only need half the amount of cornstarch to create the same effect. Also, adding cornstarch to a gluten free recipe is a great way to add softness and texture to baked goods while keeping them grain free!

If you are unsure about having followed the recipe, try adding some cornstarch which is a flavorless thickener. You might want to combine the cornstarch with a small amount of your batter to make sure it doesn't get lumpy, leaving you with little white specks in your baked cake. Hope this helps.

Oat Flour. This flour alternative is made with ground oats. High in fiber and slightly sweet in flavor, oat flour will most often be seen as a flour replacement for a portion of the white or wheat flour in homemade bread, pancakes, and other baked goods.