December 12th, 2011 
Nancy 
Beans in pancakes? Sounds disgusting, doesn’t it? I have to tell you, these are not disgusting at all. In fact, they are quite delicious! I’m not sure where I got this recipe, but it has become a family favorite.
The kids love this recipe because, well, what kid doesn’t like pancakes? I love the recipe because I almost always have the ingredients in my pantry, and with the exception of the real maple syrup, this is a cheap meal to throw together.
The batter is easy to prepare, and it turns what I would typically view as a treat into a nutritious meal. The oats and beans provide plenty of protein and fiber. We top our pancakes with real maple syrup which is rich in mineral content and low on the glycemic index.
I will warn you that these are not light and fluffy pancakes; they are more dense than your average pancake. Don’t let that scare you off! Give them a try! I’m sure you will like them.
The trickiest part of this recipe is getting the right consistency to the batter. The batter should be thin when you blend it because it will thicken up as it sits. If it’s too thick, you end up with something resembling biscuits. If it’s too thin, they’ll be more like crepes. Play with it and you’ll get it just right.
Protein Packed Pancakes
Ingredients:
- 1 cup Navy Beans, drained
- 1 2/3 cup Water
- 1 Tbsp Honey (Don’t substitute as this gives the pancakes the golden color.)
- 2 tsp Oil (I use olive)
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 1/2 cup Rolled Oats
Directions:
- Add ingredients to blender in the order listed. Blend until well blended. Set aside to thicken while you heat the skillet to medium.
- Cook on until golden brown, turning as needed.
You may also enjoy:
- Blender Waffles Recipe (Wheat, Egg and Dairy Free, Vegan)
- Allergy-Friendly Spiced Cake Donuts
- Double Chocolate Chip Scones Recipe (Gluten-free, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free)
- Dairy-Free Pumpkin Spice Latte (Starbucks Copycat!)
- More Allergy-Free Breakfast
This post is part of What’s Cooking Wednesday, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Real Food Wednesdays, Works for Me Wednesday, This Chick Cooks, Healthy 2day, Inspired by You Wednesdays, Let’s Do Brunch, Women Living Well, Full Plate Thursday, Ultimate Recipe Swap, Pennywise Platter Thursday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Real food, low cost challenge
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Wow, they look so yummy! I will have to try these:)
These sound very interesting! I must try! Having a lot of gluten allergies in the family, I am always looking for new fast and healthy meal ideas that everyone can enjoy together!
Found your link on Real Food Wednesdays and was super intrigued by the “beancakes” part. So excited to try these out! If it’s okay, I’m going to add the link to your recipe to my blog’s recipe page. I think others would love to try this.
Sounds great! Thanks Shar!
I love this idea! I just had my first baking success with beans (chocolate energy bars with black beans!) and I love the idea of including beans in more of my dishes. These look so good, I’d love to give them a try soon!
Thanks Hannah! I think baking with beans is brilliant! Unfortunately I think it bothers my littlest’s stomach. 🙁 Otherwise, I’d bake with beans everyday!
Using dry beans and properly soaking and cooking them can decrease the tummy issues many people experience. Even soaking canned beans in water with some apple cider vinegar overnight can help
I am SO glad I found your website! My daughter is allergic to dairy, eggs peanuts and treenuts (and she used to be allergic to wheat, barley and soy), and we’ve been cooking that way for 7 years or so. I have lots of go to recipes and we eat pretty well (probably better than otherwise) but I’ve been looking for a way to dress up our weekly pancakes. This recipe looks great, as does your whole site. Thanks!
Aww. Thanks Kim! I’m thrilled you found us too. If you ever want to share any of your favorite recipes let me know. I’m always looking for new ones.
When I saw bean in the title, I thought it meant bean flour. Have you tried any other beans? Chickpeas or another white might be good. Probably not black beans 😉
I love that there is no egg; I don’t always have any.
I have tried chickpeas. They were not as subtle as the navy beans but they were ok in a pinch. I have considered trying black or red when I haven’t had navy on hand but I’ve never actually tried it. I imagine the red beans would make pink pancakes and taste just fine. My daughter has developed a sensitivity to legumes so I don’t make these as much as I used to.
Hi Nancy,
Those pancakes looks delicious, I will take a shot stack, please. Have a wonderful week end and thanks so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday.
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
Hi! Just wanted to let you know I included your pancakes in my post, “An Allergy-Friendly Christmas Breakfast” today. 🙂
http://allergyfreecookery.blogspot.com/2011/12/allergy-friendly-virtual-christmas.html
Happy holidays!
Lisa @ Allergy Free Vintage Cookery
Thanks Lisa!
Just made these this morning. At first they seemed too gooey- very different consistency when cooked from our standard gf pancakes. Put when we ate them we decided that we do like them… with maple syrup (i put cinnamon on mine as well, delicious). I will double the recipe next time as this time was a trial run. Oh and i used great northern beans and agave as i don’t have any navy beans or honey. Nice quick simple recipe to mix up. Thanks!
So glad you liked them Dawn! I had some normal pancakes last week and realized I had forgotten how fluffy normal pancakes are! I should probably update my post to say that these are not fluffy. We really do enjoy them and I love that the beans and oats make a complete protein! Thanks so much for coming back to let me know you liked them. I really appreciate feedback.
Awesome Idea! I can totally see these being made either sweet or savory 🙂
Hmm. I hadn’t thought of them being savory. If you try that please let me know how it turns out!
[…] Protein Packed Pancakes from Real Food, Allergy Free […]
Thanks for this recipe. I was just thinking on what recipe I would use for my husband’s gf pancakes for dinner tonight.
I actually just found out about this time-honored tradition last week. It is centuries old, mostly in Europe (particularly, British countries). In England, it’s called Shrove Tuesday. It was a way for people to use up all the ingredients (like flour, sugar, etc.) before lent starts tomorrow. We don’t practice lent, but I think it’s a great little tradition to start tonight!
Thanks for the explanation Michelle. It actually makes sense!
Hi! Have you ever substituted anything for the oats? My kids and I can’t tolerate even the gf ones. I wonder if I could get away with a gf all-purpose flour and either gluten substitute or xanthan gum.
I’m sorry Kristie, I have not. If you experiment let me know how it turns out!
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Has anyone tried freezing these?
I have! I think they freeze well.
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Thanks for a great recipe! I have never seen my 9 year old gobble up anything faster! I made them with mini chocolate chips, I blinked and he was handing me his plate! I also made a batch without choc chips, pressed them down really thin and used them as bread for a panini. Worked like a charm and my husband really liked it! Thanks again. Just curious, could I sub out some of the oats for brown rice flour and maybe add some arrowroot starch to add some “fluffiness?”
I am so glad your daughter enjoyed the “beancakes”! I have not tried experimenting with this recipe, so I can’t tell you how those substitutions would turn out. If you try them, please let me know how it goes.
Can you substitute the honey for anything?
I have used maple syrup and sucanat. They taste good but do not give the pancakes that golden color.
I made these this morning. They turned out fantastic!
Thanks for letting me know, Paula!
Thank you SO much for this recipe! It is amazing! We are actually making it with my sons preschool class this week (giving you credit, of course)! As it turns out, my son is allergic to oat so I have tried subbing quinoa flour and a little bit of coconut flour for the oat and it works well! I was also wondering about the fluffiness. We don’t mind them not being fluffy but I’m wondering if adding baking soda or baking powder may help? Haven’t tried it yet. Thanks again for a wonderful recipe that my family craves!!
That is wonderful! Feel free to play with the recipe but be careful as those ingredients can effect the taste.
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