Chocolate Hazelnut Banana Pancakes (Vegan Gluten-Free)
These Chocolate Hazelnut Banana Pancakes are thick, fluffy and delicious oatmeal pancakes made with wholesome ingredients. They are naturally vegan, egg-free and gluten-free and perfect for Pancake Day or weekend brunch.
I love pancakes at the weekend with friends and family, but these pancakes also work so well to meal prep and enjoy throughout the week for breakfast, or dessert. I always try to add wholesome spins to family favourite recipes, and these pancakes tick those boxes as they are healthier and made with good-for-you ingredient while being fun, nostalgic and taste even better than standard pancakes you’d eat out! They are loaded with melting chunks of chocolate and crunchy hazelnuts and are topped with homemade candied nuts and coconut yoghurt. They are truly so amazing and easy, too!
Why will I love these pancakes?
These pancakes are delicious:
- Thick, fluffy and moreish
- Light and wholesome
- Made with good-for-you ingredients
- Packed with melting chunks of chocolate and crunchy hazelnuts
- Naturally sweetened with banana
- Topped with homemade candied nuts
- Taste like Nutella chocolate hazelnut spread
- Great with coconut or other dairy-free yoghurt
- Naturally vegan, egg-free, dairy-free and gluten-free
- Made with oats for fibre and protein
- Great to make for weekend brunch
- Ideal for Pancake Day
- Delicious to meal prep and enjoy warm over a few days
- Also delicious cold
- Easy and quick to make
- Great for feeding a crowd (multiply the recipe as needed)
If you already love the sound of these Nutella-inspired pancakes, skip ahead to the recipe card below. Or, first let’s discuss the recipe in more detail.
What ingredients do I need?
The ingredients are listed in the recipe card with weights and you can see my favourites in the “shop the recipe” section.
For the pancakes:
- Plant-based milk and apple cider vinegar: when mixed together, this curdles to form a buttermilk and helps to bind the egg-free batter.
- Ripe banana: this adds sweetness and bulks out the pancakes too. The riper the banana, the sweeter these will taste, and the easier they are to mash. You can also use applesauce.
- Oats: this makes the pancakes wholesome, high in fibre and naturally gluten-free (please check your oats).
- Chia seeds: this helps to bind the batter and make sure they stay together as well as adding omega goodness.
- Baking powder: for the rise.
- Vanilla essence: for flavour.
- Dark hazelnut chocolate: I use the Divine Dark Hazelnut Chocolate which is so creamy, smooth and nutty but you can use any chocolate. You can use a bar, like I did, or use chips or buttons.
- Hazelnuts: I love the crunch they add and they work so well with dark chocolate.
- Oil: for frying off. I like to use a spray olive oil but coconut, avocado or a nut oil will also work.
For the candied hazelnuts:
- Hazelnuts: as above.
- Olive oil: this adds a rich flavour, almost “buttery”.
- Maple syrup: to add the stickiness that hardens to make these candied.
- Cinnamon and salt: for flavour.
And to serve I like to layer these pancakes with some thick coconut yoghurt, extra dark chocolate and some maple syrup drizzled over. Also some banana slices works well.
Are these gluten-free and nut-free?
These are naturally nut-free as long as your oats are certified gluten-free. These do contain hazelnuts and hazelnut chocolate so they are not nut-free, but you can swap the hazelnuts for sunflower seeds or leave them out, to make this nut-free. Also check your milk, chocolate and yoghurt, if making them nut-free.
How do I make them?
These pancakes are so good and they come together in one bowl:
- Mix the milk and vinegar together: and leave to curdle.
- Add all of the ingredients to a blender: and process until smooth.
- Pour into a bowl and stir in the chocolate and hazelnuts: allow to rest for 5 minutes.
- Heat a non-stick pan with oil and add a large tablespoon of batter per pancake: cook for a few minutes then flip over and cook the second side.
- Repeat to make all the pancakes: and enjoy.
- For the candied nuts warm the oil and syrup together: and add the nuts with the cinnamon and salt and cook for 3-5 minutes.
- Serve the pancakes warm stacked with yoghurt, banana, chocolate and the candied nuts: with a drizzle of syrup.
How long will they last?
These will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge, in a sealed container, or in the freezer for 1 month and allow to defrost before eating or warming back up.
What other recipes can I try?
For more pancake inspiration, how about my:
- Chocolate Hazelnut Tiramisu Pancakes
- Vegan Tiramisu Crepe Cake
- Sticky Maple Plum Pancakes
- Vegan Protein Pancakes 3 Ways
- Vegan Caramel Apple Pancakes
Chocolate Hazelnut Banana Pancakes (Vegan Gluten-Free)
These Chocolate Hazelnut Banana Pancakes are thick, fluffy and delicious oatmeal pancakes made with wholesome ingredients. They are naturally vegan, egg-free and gluten-free and perfect for Pancake Day or weekend brunch.
Ingredients
For the Pancakes:
- 180ml plant-based milk + 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 ripe banana
- 125g oats
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp vanilla essence
- 45g dark chocolate, chopped small
- 45g roasted hazelnuts, chopped
- Oil, for frying
For the Candied Hazelnuts:
- 40g roasted hazelnuts
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
To Serve:
- Coconut yoghurt, dark chocolate, maple syrup
Instructions
- Start by stirring together the plant-based milk and vinegar and leave to one side to curdle.
- Make the batter: into a small blender, add the banana, oats, chia seeds, baking powder, vanilla and milk mix. Blend until smooth. Pour into a bowl and stir in the chopped chocolate and hazelnuts. Leave to one side for 5 minutes.
- Lightly grease a frying pan with oil and once hot, add large tablespoons of batter and shape into rounds. Allow to fry off over a medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes, until golden underneath and flip over to cook on the second side. Be careful that the chocolate doesn’t burn. Repeat to make all 8 pancakes.
- Meanwhile, make the candied nuts: add all of the ingredients to a small saucepan and cook over a medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes, until bubbling and glossy. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
- To serve: stack the pancakes up and served with some yoghurt, banana slices, candied nuts, more chocolate and a drizzle of syrup.
- Enjoy straight away or keep the pancakes in a sealed container in the fridge for 2-3 days or in the freezer for 1 month and allow to defrost before warming back up.
Shop the recipe
Stay in touch
I look forward to hearing what you think of these Chocolate Hazelnut Banana Pancakes so please let me know in the comments below and leave a star review above. If you do make these, I’d love to see so please tag me, I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I’m also on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest – please say hello!
With hazelnut pancake love x
p.s. these pancakes were first made for Divine Chocolate but all opinions are my own and this blog post is not sponsored.
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