We know that it sounds strange to put black beans in pancakes, but trust us on this one. The hearty legumes add a creamy texture and satisfying density to the flapjacks to really set this recipe apart from other pancake variations. Plus, any residual bean taste is masked by sweet vegan chocolate chips, cinnamon, and maple syrup. This scrumptious breakfast dish is perfect for using up leftover beans from your Taco Tuesday feast and ensures you have a wholesome start to the day. Whip up a morning meal made for champions by topping each pancake with extra maple syrup and your favorite fruit!

For more vegan pancake recipes, check out these tasty ideas:

By Darshana Thacker Wendel,

Last Updated:

Ingredients

  • 1½ cups cooked black beans (one 15-oz. can, rinsed and drained)
  • 1½ cups unsweetened, unflavored plant-based milk
  • 5 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • ½ cup whole wheat flour
  • ⅓ cup almond flour
  • 1 tablespoon regular or sodium-free baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ cup vegan chocolate chips
  • 2 bananas, thinly sliced

Instructions

  • In a high-speed blender or food processor combine beans and milk. Cover and blend until creamy.
  • Add the next eight ingredients (through cinnamon). Cover and blend until smooth. Transfer batter to a mixing bowl and stir in chocolate chips.
  • Heat a nonstick griddle over medium-low. Pour ⅓ cup batter per pancake onto griddle. Cook 3 minutes or until pancakes look slightly dry on top, are lightly browned on the bottom, and release easily from the pan. Flip and cook 3 minutes more. Repeat with remaining batter. Top with bananas and, if desired, more syrup.

Comments (17)

(5 from 7 votes)

Recipe Rating

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nancy

I made this recipe today and it turned out really good. I learned that the pan needed to be hot before I began to cook the pancakes so they wouldn't stick to it. I also learned that I can blend the fluid ingredients with the beans in the blender but to blend the oatmeal into a flour first before mixing it with the rest of the dry and hand mix the dry ingredients to allow the pancakes to be fluffy when they cook. They were delicious and I will definitely make them again.

Blanka

I was suprised how easy the recipy is. And tasty. Glad you are using cups, I always measure by estimation, no scale. This has encouraged me to try other recipies.Thank you for what you are doing

Jane Goodall

Very nice recipe but why do Americans persist with such an antiquated method of measuring quantities with cups which is very inaccurate. Digital scales are very cheap and give exact results, far better for baking.

Jamila

Hello! Are canned no salt added beans acceptable for this recipe? Thank you, Jamila

Courtney Davison

Hi Jamila, Yes, you can use a 15-oz. can of black beans in this recipe. We recommend rinsing and draining them off first. Thank you, and happy cooking! Courtney Editor, Forks Over Knives

Vida

Great recipe! I added 1/2 tsp salt and omitted the maple syrup. They came out wonderfully! We used 1 Tbls. maple syrup to dip them in.

Sonia

What can I sub for the almond flour as I have a tree-nut allergy?

Megan Edwards

Hi Sonia, You can try oat flour or coconut flour instead, those should create the same tenderness and retain the same level of moisture in the batter as the almond flour. If you can't find either of those, subbing the almond flour with more whole wheat flour would be fine as well. Let us know how it goes!

Coco

Coconut is a tree nut.

Jean

Actually Coco, coconut is a fruit. The Food and Drug Administration classifies it as a tree nut because of it's nutritional value. Per the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology: Although the Food and Drug Administration labels coconut as a tree nut, the vast majority of tree nut-allergic individuals also tolerate coconut without difficulty, since coconut is not truly a nut, but rather a fruit. Sonia, I assume you know whether or not you can safely consume coconut.

Shari

Tasted great! I left out the chocolate chips and they were sweet enough. Topped with real maple syrup and bananas. Delicious!

VeggieT8r

These were very tasty and satisfying, and love adding fiber rich beans into an otherwise fiber poor meal! I didn't have enough chocolate chips so I improvised an "almond joy" version... skipped the cinnamon and added some coconut flakes and almond slivers. Yum!

Linda

Do you have a sub for the whole-wheat flour?

Courtney Davison

Hi Linda, if you're looking to substitute gluten-free flour, we recommend using our gluten-free flour blend recipe, which was developed by a formally trained pastry chef and tested in a variety of recipes, including pancakes! https://www.forksoverknives.com/how-tos/homemade-whole-grain-gluten-free-flour-recipe/ Thank you, Courtney Davison Editor, Forks Over Knives

Becki

I made this recipe with date paste rather than maple syrup. Like the other reviewers, I thought the taste was excellent. I was hesitant about the vinegar, but added in the recommended amount and couldn't taste it. The texture of the pancakes was more gummy than fluffy. Likely, the use of date paste probably contributed to the gumminess. However, I suspect that using black beans in these pancakes would result in a product that is less fluffy than traditional pancakes, even without date paste. They are very filling and kept me satisfied all morning.

NiThormaigh

These are amazing! Delicious and filling. I substituted two dates for two of the TBL of maple syrup and no-sugar chocolate chips and they were just so good!

Debs

Lovely tasty pancakes. We also added blueberries which made them tasty really juicy. Would definitely make them again as they are filling too.

About the Author

Headshot of Darshana Thacker

About the Author

Darshana Thacker Wendel

Darshana Thacker Wendel is a whole-food, plant-based chef and former culinary projects manager for Forks Over Knives. A graduate of the Natural Gourmet Institute, she is the author of Forks Over Knives: Flavor! She created the recipes for Forks Over Knives Family and was a lead recipe contributor to the New York Times bestseller The Forks Over Knives Plan. Her recipes have been published in The Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Cookbook, Forks Over Knives—The Cookbook, Forks Over Knives: The Plant-Based Way to Health, and LA Yoga magazine online. Visit DarshanasKitchen.com and follow her on Instagram for more.
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