Zucchini Banana Pancakes (Gluten Free, Paleo)

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These zucchini banana pancakes are soft and fluffy with a nutty banana flavor. They're made with almond flour, freshly shredded zucchini and only sweetened with bananas. This zucchini pancake recipe is gluten free, dairy free and paleo.

Drizzling maple syrup over the zucchini banana pancakes.

I made the mistake of planting our zucchini in the calendula this year. The calendula was already quite established, so it smothered our zucchini plant, fully shading it from the sun. And that resulted in a total of zero homegrown zucchinis this year...oops!

Nevertheless, my parents had a nice supply of zucchini that they shared and I made sure to pick some up at the store because a summer without zucchini just feels wrong! Plus, I've been meaning to get these zucchini banana pancakes up on the blog for quite some time.

Now, my kids don't like zucchini. But they'll gladly eat it in muffins, cake, pancakes, etc. So these zucchini banana pancakes have been a frequent summer breakfast side dish. I love that they're only sweetened with bananas and made with just a few simple ingredients.

This zucchini banana pancake recipe is paleo friendly and gluten free; as it's made with almond flour and tapioca starch. The pancakes are fluffy, moist and have a nutty banana flavor that my family loves.

Why You'll Love these Zucchini Banana Pancakes

only sweetened with bananas - no added sugar
paleo friendly - made with simple, wholesome ingredients
gluten free - made with a combination of almond flour and tapioca starch
kid friendly - all of my kids enjoy these pancakes. Add a couple chocolate chips or top with maple syrup for more of a treat.
easy to make - a one-bowl batter that's cooked on a frying pan.

Ingredients

You can find the full recipe for these paleo zucchini banana pancakes in the recipe card below, but here's a list of the ingredients you'll need:

bananas - I recommend ripe bananas with many brown speckles. You'll need 2-3 large bananas.
zucchini - You'll need to shred the zucchini and remove the water with a nut milk bag, cheese cloth or by dabbing it with paper towels.
large eggs - to bind the ingredients and create structure for the pancakes
vanilla extract - added for flavor
blanched almond flour - tigernut flour would probably work if you need these zucchini banana pancakes to be nut free.
tapioca starch - this ingredient is added for texture purposes. The best replacement is arrowroot starch, which can be subbed at a 1:1 ratio.
baking powder - to make the pancakes fluffy
cinnamon - optional, but added for flavor
salt - enhances the flavors

Ingredients needed to make pancakes with ripe bananas and fresh zucchini.

How to Make Pancakes with Zucchini and Bananas

The batter for these gluten free zucchini banana pancakes is made in one bowl, then cooked on a frying pan. Here are the step by step instructions:

First, preheat your frying pan on medium heat. Add a little oil to grease it (I used coconut oil).
In a large mixing bowl, combine the wet pancake ingredients.
Mix in the dry ingredients.

Step by step for how to make paleo zucchini banana pancakes.

Scoop about ¼ cup of the pancake batter onto your frying pan. I was able to cook 2 at a time.
Place a lid on the frying pan and cook until bubbles form on top of the pancakes. Then flip and cook until done. I like to place a lid over the pan when cooking pancakes, because it makes them cook more evenly and creates a fluffier texture.
After cooking, serve immediately or place on a wire cooling rack. You can set them in the oven at 200 degrees to keep them warm if you want.
Repeat steps 4-6 until all pancake batter has been used up.

Tips and Tricks

Measure ingredients by weight. for best results, measure the ingredients by weight (when given) using a small kitchen scale.
Squeeze excess water out of zucchini. You can use a nut milk bag or cheese cloth to wring the water out of your shredded zucchini. If you don't have either of those, then dab the zucchini with a paper or cloth towel.
Use ripe bananas. Since the batter is only sweetened with bananas, I recommend using ones that are pretty ripe; meaning yellow with many brown speckles.
Add mix-ins. Feel free to mix chocolate chips or chopped nuts into the batter.

Storage

Place leftover pancakes in an airtight container or baggie and store in the fridge, up to 1 week. For longer storage, you can place the pancakes in a baggie, separating each pancake with a piece of parchment paper and keep them in the freezer for up to 2 months.

The pancakes can be eaten cold, or reheated in the oven or microwave. I like reheating ours in the oven at 200-300 degrees F for 10-15 minutes.

FAQ

Do I have to remove excess water from the zucchini?

Yes, this recipe requires you to remove the water from your shredded zucchini. You can do this using a nut milk bag or cheese cloth to wring the water out. If you don't have either of those, then dab the shredded zucchini with a paper or cloth towel.

Do I have to add tapioca starch?

I add tapioca starch to nearly all of my recipes because it makes the texture of grain free baked goods SO much better. Tapioca starch can always be swapped with arrowroot starch (both are grain free and paleo). If choose not to use it, it will change the texture of the pancakes.

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