Chewy, soft, and moist, these banana flapjacks make a great hearty breakfast or snack. They are packed with fiber and happen to be naturally vegan and gluten-free. All you need are 5 simple ingredients and 30 minutes to make these healthy flapjacks!
I love making a batch of these banana flapjacks on the weekends as part of my meal prep! They are incredibly delicious and filling, yet healthier than the traditional version. Like my peanut butter banana oatmeal bars and vegan banana oatmeal muffins, it is also a great way to use overripe or bruised bananas, preventing them from going to waste.
If you love warm breakfast but want to try using other grains, check out my barley porridge!
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💚Why you will love this recipe
- Hearty, chewy, and perfectly sweetened
- The perfect on-the-go breakfast or snack
- Super easy to make and only requires 5 ingredients
- Stores well and are freezable - great for meal prep!
🤔What are flapjacks
The British version of flapjacks is baked bars made from oats, butter, golden syrup, and brown sugar, resembling granola bars. They are usually served for dessert but make a great breakfast or snack. This is the recipe we will be making in this post.
On the other hand, the terms pancakes and flapjacks are used interchangeably in American English.
To make it healthier, we will use bananas and maple syrup instead of golden syrup and sugar to sweeten the flapjacks. Butter is also being replaced with nut butter of choice for a boost of protein and healthy fats.
🍌What you will need
📃Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Banana - Make sure to use ripe bananas that are brown and spotty, as they are the primary sweetener in this recipe. You can also use frozen bananas, but thaw and drain off excess liquid before using.
- Nut butter - Any nut butter like peanuts or cashew will work but use smooth, natural ones that only contain nuts and salt. To make this recipe nut-free, use sunflower seed or pumpkin seed butter.
- Oats - Both instant oats and rolled oats will work in this recipe. Instant oats yield softer flapjacks, while rolled oats yield chewier bars.
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🔪How to make
Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
In a bowl, mash bananas until smooth using a fork or potato masher.
Add nut butter and maple syrup to the bowl and mix well.
Then, add oats and ground cinnamon. Mix until everything is well incorporated.
Pour the batter into an 8x8 baking pan lined with parchment paper. Top it with banana slices, if desired.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the edges are golden. Let banana flapjacks cool completely before slicing.
✔️Helpful tips
- The types of oats used will slightly alter the texture of your banana flapjacks. Quick or instant oats will produce a softer texture, while rolled oats will produce a chewier, firmer bite.
- Overhang the parchment paper when lining the baking pan (as shown in the process pictures above) to allow for easy removal of oatmeal bars.
- Allow flapjacks to cool to room temperature before slicing to prevent them from falling apart.
- To produce a clean cut, use a sharp knife, and wipe the knife clean with a kitchen towel between each cut.
🍫Fun add-ins
- Chocolate chips or chunks of your favorite chocolate bar
- Dried fruits - chopped dates, raisins, sultanas
- Coconut flakes
- Other flavorings or spices - vanilla extract, nutmeg, allspice
- Peanut butter banana flavored - Use peanut butter as your choice of nut butter
❄️Storing suggestions
Fridge - Banana flapjacks can be refrigerated for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
Freezer - These healthy flapjacks can be frozen for up to 3 months in a storage container or ziptop bag. Let them thaw overnight in the fridge or countertop for a couple of hours before reheating.
Reheating - You can either reheat flapjacks in the microwave at 15-second bursts or in an oven preheated to 180C/350F for 5-8 minutes.
❔Commonly asked questions
Traditional flapjacks are not vegan, as butter is one of the main ingredients. However, these healthy flapjacks are naturally vegan, as nut butter is used instead of butter.
Flapjacks are naturally gluten-free, as no wheat or other gluten products are used in the recipe. However, as cross-contamination of oats might occur during processing, you will want to ensure that you use certified gluten-free oats if you have gluten sensitivity.
The first reason is that you are slicing flapjacks that are still warm. Allow sufficient time for them to cool completely before slicing can help prevent them from crumbling and falling apart.
You might also use too little fats and other binding ingredients, resulting in dry flapjacks. Hence, I highly recommend measuring ingredients using a kitchen scale for the highest accuracy.
📖 Recipe
Healthy Banana Flapjacks
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups rolled oats or instant oats*
- 4 medium banana (about 14oz/400g)
- ½ cup peanut butter or another nut butter
- ¼ cup maple syrup or another liquid sweetener
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
- In a bowl, mash bananas until smooth using a fork or potato masher.4 medium banana
- Add nut butter and maple syrup to the bowl and mix well.½ cup peanut butter, ¼ cup maple syrup
- Then, add oats and ground cinnamon. Mix until everything is well incorporated3 cups rolled oats, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pour the batter into an 8x8 baking pan lined with parchment paper. Top it with banana slices, if desired.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the edges are golden. Allow flapjacks to set in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
- Let flapjacks cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- Frozen bananas can be used, but thaw and drain off excess liquid before using.
- Overhang the parchment paper when lining the baking pan (as shown in the process pictures above) to allow for easy removal of oatmeal bars.
- Allow flapjacks to cool to room temperature before slicing to prevent them from falling apart.
Save this recipe!
Email yourself a link to this page and come back later.
Also get a FREE high-protein vegan recipe eBook + weekly new recipes! Unsubscribe anytime.
Nutrition
Nutrition info calculated is just a rough estimate and is provided as a courtesy. Bear in mind that value will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it is highly recommended that you calculate it on your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.
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