Say hello to Spinach Pancakes – the vibrant, green breakfast that’s both nutritious and delicious! If you’ve never experienced the magic that is Spinach Pancakes, you and your family are in for a treat. Imagine the taste of classic buttermilk pancakes, then add to that the powerful nutritional benefits and beautiful green color of spinach! Keep reading to make these perfect pancakes for yourself.

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Why Make Spinach Pancakes?

  • Nutritious Boost: I’m a little worried that you’re going to want to skip this recipe based on the name, but I beg you to give these pancakes a try! You really can’t taste the spinach and this vibrant green veggie is packed with vitamins and minerals making them a perfect way to get in extra veggies! Spinach is full of iron and adding it into recipes like these pancakes, smoothies, or even mac and cheese is a great way to get in a few extra servings of greens!
  • Fun and Colorful: Green pancakes are just plain fun! These spinach pancakes are completely dye-free, and get their natural color from fresh baby spinach. They’re great for a fun themed breakfast for St. Patrick’s Day or maybe even Earth Day! Bring a smile to anyone’s face when you serve these Spinach Pancakes
  • Versatile: I like to think of pancakes as a black canvas ready for your favorite toppings like maple syrup, fresh fruit and even greek yogurt. These spinach pancakes are no exception to that!  
  • Kid-Friendly: The fun bright color of these pancakes makes them an exciting switch up! They taste just like regular pancakes because fresh spinach has such a mild flavor. Once you blend it in with the milk, you get that gorgeous green color, and you don’t even know there’s a vegetable inside.
  • Kids in the Kitchen: This is a great recipe to get the kids in on the cooking action, too. They love to toss ingredients into the blender and watch it whizz up before their eyes. Whisking together the dry ingredients is the perfect job for little hands, and then you can work together to mix the wet ingredients in with the dry. 
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How To Make Green Spinach Pancakes

It’s really easy to make this spinach pancakes recipe. Just whiz up the wet ingredients with the spinach, add the dry ingredients and you’re ready to go! More detailed instructions are below and in the recipe card! 

The Ingredients:

  • Fresh spinach: Packed with vitamins A, C, and K, as well as iron and calcium, fresh spinach adds a nutritional boost and vibrant color to these pancakes.
  • Buttermilk: Buttermilk adds a tangy flavor and tender texture to the pancakes while also providing a good source of protein and calcium.
  • Large egg: Eggs provide structure and richness to the pancakes, as well as essential vitamins and minerals.
  • Oil: Oil helps to keep the pancakes moist and prevents sticking to the pan during cooking.
  • All purpose flour: The base of the pancake batter, all-purpose flour provides the necessary structure for fluffy pancakes.
  • Sugar: Just a touch of sugar to add some sweetness and balance out the flavors.
  • Baking powder: Helps the pancakes rise and become light and fluffy!
  • Baking soda: Reacts with the acidic buttermilk to leaven the pancakes and create a tender crumb.
  • Kosher salt: Salt enhances the flavor of the pancakes and balances the sweetness. 
ingredients for spinach pancakesPin

The Instructions:

1. Blend the Wet Ingredients: In a blender, combine the spinach, buttermilk, egg, and oil and blend until smooth.

2. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

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3. Make the Batter: Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.

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4. Cook Pancakes: Heat a large pan or griddle over medium heat and grease with butter or oil. Pour about 1 tablespoon of the pancake mixture onto the griddle, making as many pancakes as will fit and cook for 2 minutes. Flip the pancakes and cook for one minute longer. 

5. Serve: Serve warm with favorite toppings. 

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Recipe Tip

Make Spinach Waffles using the same batter! Just follow the waffle iron manufacturer’s directions for cook time.

Banana Spinach Pancakes

If you want to add an extra dose of sweetness and potassium to your already healthy spinach pancakes, add bananas into the recipe! All you do to make Banana Spinach Pancakes is mash ripe bananas and fold them into the pancake batter before cooking. The bananas not only add natural sweetness but also contribute to the moistness and flavor of the pancakes!

What to Serve with Spinach Pancakes

Green Spinach Pancakes are super versatile and can be served up in many ways with your favorite toppings so everyone’s taste preferences can be satisfied!

  • Fresh Fruit: Top your spinach pancakes with sliced strawberries, fresh blueberries or sliced bananas for some extra sweetness. 
  • Nut Butter: Make a pancake sandwich and slather your favorite nut butter between two pancakes. You could even add some preserves and make a Pancake PB&J!
  • Greek Yogurt: For some extra protein serve these pancakes alongside a dollop of Greek yogurt.
  • Maple Syrup: Add this class pancake topping for a bit of extra sweetness. 
  • Whipped Cream: For an extra special treat top spinach pancakes with a touch of whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon. 
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FAQs for Spinach Pancakes Recipe: 

  1. Can I use frozen spinach for this recipe? 
    • Frozen spinach can be used for this recipe in a pinch. You’ll need to thaw the spinach and then squeeze out any excess liquid before blending with the other wet ingredients. 
  2. What if I don’t have buttermilk? 
    • Make your own buttermilk by adding 1 tablespoon of white vinegar to 1 cup of milk and let it sit for about 10 minutes. You could also replace the buttermilk with any milk you prefer whether it’s dairy milk, almond milk, soy milk, or oat milk.
  3. Can these pancakes be made without the egg? 
    • I usually make this Green Vegan Pancakes recipe when I want to make these pancakes without eggs. Otherwise, you can make eggless spinach pancakes by using a flax egg as a substitute for the egg. Mix 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed meal with 3 tablespoons of water and let it sit for a few minutes to thicken before adding it to the batter. 
  4. Can I make these pancakes gluten free? 
    • Sure can! Replace the all purpose flour with your favorite cup for cup gluten free flour to enjoy gluten free spinach pancakes. 
  5. Can I make the batter the night before? 
    • For sure! You can make the batter and refrigerate overnight. Just give the batter a good mix before you cook them. The texture will change slightly because the gluten will further develop as the batter sits, but they’ll still taste absolutely delicious. Alternately, you can blend the wet ingredients and combine the dry ingredients and store them separately in the refrigerator. Then make the batter right before you cook!
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Storage/Freezing Instructions: 

  • To Store: Store leftover spinach pancakes in an airtight container or resealable bag in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
  • To Freeze: Place cooled pancakes in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
  • To Reheat: To reheat, simply warm the frozen pancakes in the toaster, microwave, or oven until heated through.

Serve Green Pancakes for Fun Food Themes! 

Green pancakes are not only delicious, they’re super festive! Call them whatever you want so they fit your theme. Maybe, Leprechaun Pancakes for a St. Patrick’s Day breakfast! Perhaps your little one wants a Shrek or Incredible Hulk themed birthday party… Shrek or Hulk pancakes for the win! You could even call them Grinch Pancakes during the holidays to make breakfast extra fun. Serve a batch of Spinach Pancakes with these red beet pancakes for a super festive red and green Christmas breakfast! The possibilities for fun are endless with these green pancakes!

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More Delicious Naturally Green Recipes

With this fun twist on traditional pancakes you can get in an extra veggie while making breakfast a little more fun! Plus, Spinach Pancakes are super tasty! Let me know in the comments if you have any questions and tag me on social media if you make these!

stack of green spinach pancakesPin

Spinach Pancakes

Spinach Pancakes are not only delicious and nutritious (you can’t taste the spinach), they’re naturally green and so much fun to serve up for a kid-friendly twist on breakfast.
4.60 from 10 votes
Course: Breakfast, brunch
Cuisine: American
Servings: 16 silver dollar pancakes
Author: Catherine McCord
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes

Equipment

  • blender
  • large sauté pan

Ingredients  

Instructions 

  • In a blender, combine the spinach, buttermilk, egg, and oil and blend until smooth.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  • Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
  • Heat a large pan or griddle over medium heat and grease with butter or oil. Pour about 1 tablespoon of the pancake mixture onto the griddle, making as many pancakes as will fit and cook for 2 minutes.
  • Flip the pancakes and cook for one minute longer.
  • Serve warm with favorite toppings.

Notes

  • To Store: Store leftover spinach pancakes in an airtight container or resealable bag in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
  • To Freeze: Place cooled pancakes in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
  • To Reheat: To reheat, simply warm the frozen pancakes in the toaster, microwave, or oven until heated through.
  • Make Spinach Waffles using the same batter! Just follow the waffle iron manufacturer’s directions for cook time.
  • See more answers to FAQs in the post above!
  • Tools for This Recipe (affiliate links): Blender

Nutrition

Calories: 190kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 660mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g
Did you make this recipe?Mention @Weelicious or tag #weelicious!

About the Author

Catherine is a mama of three. A Kentucky girl living in California. Here’s what I know: all kids can be great eaters and mealtime must be easy. I create simple, healthy recipes the whole family will love.

Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I have been making these for almost 8 years and they are a hit with my picky eaters. I often serve them for dinner with quiche. Since we eat these a lot I quadruple the recipe and freeze the leftovers. I find that I can use the 5 oz container of baby spinach and it comes out great – no need to measure the spinach and no leftover spinach. If you think your children will be skeptical introduce them on a green holiday such as St. Patrick’s Day or Earth Day when they might be more accepting of things green.

  2. I made this today for my one year old, who is a very good eater, and she threw it on the ground. I had a taste, and I didn’t blame her. This was VERY bland and all I could taste was the flour. I added shredded apple, flax meal, chia seeds, and rolled oats to thicken the batter and use in the waffle iron. After all that, I thought they were just “okay.” My daughter ate them up after the second round, but I wouldn’t make these again. However, I will be adding spinach to the recipe I use for healthier oat pancakes as I did learn that the spinach really does add a nice green color without changing the flavor at all. Good idea, but not to my taste.

  3. Delicious, great recipe! I made these for my 7 month old and just cut them into french-fry like strips so she could handle them and feed herself. Are these okay to freeze? And how long approx should they keep if I do? Thank you!

  4. Great recipe! I just came from LA to India and my 1.5 years old was eating only fruits and smoothies! I made these for lunch and he loved those! Healthy and delicious! Thanks !

  5. Yes! I did but kept the wet and dry ingredients separate. Then in the morning I just stirred to combine them and we had pancakes in minutes!

  6. Pancake Day- 20 Pancake Topping Ideas To Tantalise Your Tastebuds | This Uncharted Life says:

    […] Spinach Pancakes From Weelicious.com […]

  7. My kids gobbled these up…and so did my husband and I! I did substitute honey for the sugar and used coconut oil for the oil.

  8. […] Patty’s Pancakes More secret spinach is in this recipe from Weelicious, this time whipped together with whole wheat, buttermilk, and just a tad bit of […]

  9. These are delicious! I replaced the oil with applesauce and used brown sugar instead of white. They were a great breakfast 🙂

  10. Just in case anyone else is wondering, using one cup of the Weelicious pancake mix worked great! I even added an extra 1/2 cup spinach and 1 teaspoon of vanilla to the wet ingredients and they were still very good, though slightly less fluffy than when I made the recipe exactly as written.

  11. My 3-year-old and one-year-old both love these! Could I just use a cup of your homemade pancake mix as the dry ingredients in this recipe? Thank you so much for your recipes! They are very popular at our house!

  12. Mixing ground flax with water is a great egg substitute. It even has the same consistency. Google it for exact amounts. 🙂

  13. I haven’t tried it in this specific recipe, but I have head that 1/2 cup applesauce or 1 small mashed banana works for 1 egg.

  14. My son is allergic to eggs, what would you suggest as a substitute? Thank you! Can’t wait to try these out.

  15. I would try adding a but more flour. About 1 tablespoon at a time until it reaches a thicker consistency!

  16. We tried these and they’re great, my 1 yo loved them too!
    My batter was a bit wattery though and the pancakes very thin and flat (very far from the ones in the pics above) – do i just need to add more flour to improve them? Thanks!

  17. […] help you lose weight. You can have spinach with eggs for breakfast,you can make green smoothies,spinach pancakes is something you definitely have to try to make for perfect healthy […]

  18. […] Try adding some spinach to your next batch. Or even pancakes? While it might seem crazy to eat green pancakes, I promise you won’t even notice […]

  19. A link here to a vegan version, but the green color isnt as nice. Still delicious though! - ZuziFeed says:

    […] Via: weelicious.com […]

  20. […] for the whole batch.  The recipe, which comes to you from the Weelicious website, is named Spinach Pancakes.  Now, I’m not going to go all rogue on you and make you think that I created this recipe […]

  21. What a fabulous way to get more veggies in the kids! And pancakes… who doesn’t love pancakes!?

  22. Those ingredients help the pancakes fluff up, so I don’t think the recipe would work without them. 🙂

  23. […] am always looking for new and healthy recipes to make for breakfast.  I found this yummy spinach recipe and modified it a little bit to be more of my […]

  24. Just to clarify something – the iron mainly comes from the whole-grain flour, not the spinach. One cup of spinach provides only 2% of the Daily Value for Iron. One cup of whole-wheat flour, however, provides approx. 1/4 of the iron we need for the day.

  25. […] first last week!  Spinach Bacon Pancakes!  I was going through recipes and found some beautiful Spinach Pancakes at Weelicious.  I said, “hey my kids love green things! AND they love bacon!”   So all I did was […]

  26. These are delicious! My 15 month old couldn’t get enough of them. I added half a banana, 2 tablespoons flax seed meal, and 1/2 cup white flour, 1/2 cup whole wheat flour.

  27. That should be okay! It might make them a little more wet, so check the consistency and add a touch more flour if necessary!

  28. These were amazing and my one-year old loves them! A great way to get more iron and veggies into his diet! If you want to use buttermilk as the recipe indicates, just put a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar in a measuring cup then add regular milk to make one full cup. Let it sit for 5 minutes and voila, you have your own homemade buttermilk!

  29. You can use regular milk! The buttermilk gives it a slightly different flavor. In fact, you can use any type of milk you prefer.

  30. These are so incredibly cool Catherine. I would never have thought to do this. Plus they are just too pretty for words.

  31. Can’t wait to try these with our boys. We love your spinach muffins! Our 3 year old requests them all the time and because of them he now eats raw spinach leaves. Thanks for the great recipes.

  32. Those look great! I like the idea of maybe topping them with a fried egg or something—yum!

  33. I made these today using frozen spinach. I’d say I used about 8 ounces. The secret is to thaw the spinach (I used the microwave), then squeeze all the liquid out in a cloth towel before blending it with the milk. My daughter confirmed that they don’t taste like spinach at all. 🙂

  34. How funny. I kept the recipe from that march issue and I made them for dinner tonight. I wasn’t sure if they would be sweet enough buy they were delicious! Felt good to get my kids to eat a veggie 🙂

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