Pancake Tacos
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure.Whenever breakfasts start seeming a bit repetitive, I like to break away from the usual menu and make pancake tacos. I make these pancakes in just 28 minutes with oats, banana, and vanilla protein powder. They are thin enough to fold into a soft shell taco, but sturdy enough to hold sweet fruit fillings.
Creative breakfasts, like these pancake tacos, keep mornings interesting and give my family a bit more motivation to get out of bed. And if you prefer a more traditional breakfast, try my vegan French toast. The smell alone will get your entire household out of bed. I use blended oats, banana, and plant-based protein powder, which creates a thin, flexible, and nutritious pancake base.
These pancake tacos were inspired by an underdeveloped batch of my healthy oatmeal banana pancakes, which were cooked but much thinner than I wanted. That is when I noticed my kids rolling them up and eating them like wraps. But why have breakfast wraps when you can have tacos! Which means more fillings and more variety.
👩🏽🍳 Why I Love This Recipe
The flavor and texture of these pancake tacos make them fun and satisfying. The ripe banana, rich with nutrients, naturally sweetens the batter, while the oats add fiber and a soft texture. I add vanilla protein powder to ensure that this breakfast is wholesome and well-balanced. If I want to add any other vitamins or food groups to the meal, I play around with filling options that suit this type of breakfast.
The technique I use for this recipe is slightly different from traditional pancakes. I start by blending the oats into a fine flour, which helps the pancakes cook into a flexible batter. Then I cook them in a slightly thinner layer, unlike other recipes, which enables them to fold into a taco without breaking.
A few months ago, my kid had a friend over for the entire day, including breakfast. I made sure to tell his mom to arrive with an appetite. This particular friend is quiet and reserved, and when my kid told him that we were having tacos for breakfast, he looked as if he wanted to run back home. It must have seemed odd. When he saw that it was pancakes and fruit, the relief was instant, and he forgot himself and became quite chatty. Ha! Try serving this next time you are entertaining your kids and their friends.
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🥘 Ingredients
I use simple pantry staples and lots of fresh fruit to create pancake tacos. This is exactly what I use:
Rolled oats: I blend these to create the flour for the base of the batter.
Banana: A ripe banana adds sweetness, moisture, and acts as a binding agent in my batter.
Vanilla protein powder: I include this to boost the protein content and add a delicious flavor.
Ground flaxseed: This is mixed into my batter in place of eggs, which helps bind my batter.
Cinnamon: I add cinnamon for a warm flavor that complements the oats and banana, as well as the other fruit toppings.
Salt: A small pinch of salt balances out the sweetness.
Baking powder: I add baking powder to give the pancake a light lift and structure, while keeping them flexible.
Soy milk: I use this as a plant-based way to blend my batter into a smooth consistency.
Maple syrup: For a touch of sweetness, without refined sugar, I use maple syrup.
Optional fillings: I like using fresh fruit, yogurt, and nuts for a blend of flavors, textures, and nutrients.
🔪 How To Make
To make these pancake tacos, all I need is basic equipment, a food processor, and a skillet. This is how I make them:
Blend oat mixture: I place the oats into a high-speed blender or food processor, and blend until it forms a fine powder.
Mix wet and dry ingredients: Next, I add all the remaining ingredients to the food processor and blend on high until smooth. I remove it from the processor and place it in a bowl, and allow it to rest for 5 minutes.
Cook: I heat a large skillet or pan over medium-high heat and spray it lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Then I spoon 1/4 cup of the batter into the pan and spread it to form a circle.
Watch for bubbles: Then I lower the heat to medium, until bubbles form on the surface, flip the pancakes, and cook for a further 3 minutes until golden brown.
Cool: I place the finished pancake on a baking sheet to cool while I use up the remaining batter. Then I take a pancake and fold it into a taco shape. I place it in a taco holder or on a serving platter.
Add toppings: Finally, I spread coconut yogurt down the center of each pancake and top it with fresh fruit, crushed nuts, and warm maple syrup. Enjoy!
💭 Expert Tips
My #1 Secret Tip for this pancake tacos recipe is to always blend the oats into a very fine powder before making the batter. I use a smooth batter to create pancakes that cook well and stay flexible enough to fold without cracking.
Other Tips To Keep In Mind:
- Adjust the thickness: If the batter in the bowl starts to thicken up while I am busy frying, I add 1/2 -1 teaspoon of plant milk into the batter.
- Do not overcrowd the pan: I make sure there is sufficient space between each pancake so they do not fuse during cooking, and so I can flip them easily.
- Cool before folding: I make sure to fold only after the pancake has cooled, as they are less prone to cracking and breaking.
- Assemble carefully: I like assembling my pancake tacos with yogurt or thick spread first, then chopped fruit or filling, then nuts, and leave the runniest ingredient until last, to avoid it soaking through the pancake and breaking the shell.
- Keep taco shape: To help keep a taco shape while filling, I place a cup on each side of the taco. This helps me not to overfill the tacos while helping mold them into the signature shape.
📖 Variations
I like experimenting with the fillings and batter flavors of this pancake taco recipe. These are the ones that I have tried and loved:
Chocolate chip tacos: I add 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder into my batter and sprinkle chocolate chips over the yoghurt. This tastes amazing with fresh bananas, and obviously, it is my kids’ favorite.
Seed boost batter: I mix 1 tablespoon of chia seeds into my batter when I need extra fiber. My gym friends love this version before an intense workout.
Savory pancake taco: I add 1/4 cup of cooked spinach, which I have squeezed until dry, with the wet ingredients. I also replace the vanilla protein powder with a plain, unflavored one and skip the maple syrup and cinnamon. My husband loves eating this with my easy vegan tofu scrambled eggs.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
On weekends, I serve these pancake tacos as a build-your-own breakfast option. This gives my kids and husband time to play around with their fillings. If you are looking to make breakfast more exciting, I recommend placing these pancakes in a taco holder and serving them with bowls of yogurt and some of my breakfast fruit salad. For an extra crunchy topping, try some of my low-calorie granola. Just make sure to have extra napkins on the table, as this can get a bit messy, but the kids love it!
About a month ago, I had an odd selection of leftovers that needed to be used up. Eventually, I decided that pancake tacos were the way to go. Since it was a bit more decadent than our usual breakfasts, I served this as a lunchtime sweet treat. I spread a layer of my homemade vegan Nutella in the bottom of the taco, topped it with a small scoop of my healthy chocolate banana ice cream, and sprinkled some toasted almonds over it. This was especially messy, but the ice cream hardly had a chance to melt, as it was devoured quite quickly.
🧊 Storing And ♨️ Reheating
Refrigeration: I store leftover pancakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Freezing: I place cooled pancakes in a freezer-safe container with parchment between each layer and freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheating: If frozen, I allow it to thaw at room temperature before reheating. I reheat the pancakes on a skillet over medium heat, then allow them to cool before shaping.
❓Recipe FAQs
Why are my pancake tacos breaking when I fold them?
This happens to me if my pancakes are too thick or too dry. This is why I spread them out in the pan and make sure that my batter is a smooth, pourable consistency, thin enough to flow slowly off my spoon in a ribbon, rather than plop or run like water. I always do one test pancake to be safe and adjust if needed.
Which oats work best for this recipe?
I like using rolled oats because they blend smoothly into an oat flour and create a soft pancake texture. Instant oat could work, but it may yield pancakes that are a little too soft. I do not recommend steel-cut oats as they can create a gritty batter.
How do I keep my pancake soft when reheating?
Pancakes can dry out slightly when stored in the refrigerator. When I reheat them, I like doing it in a skillet with a few drops of water sprinkled into the pan. Or if I am using the microwave, I place a damp kitchen towel over the pancakes before heating them.
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🎥 Watch How to Make It
Pancake Tacos Recipe
Whenever breakfasts start seeming a bit repetitive, I like to break away from the usual menu and make pancake tacos. I make these pancakes in just 28 minutes with oats, banana, and vanilla protein powder. They are thin enough to fold into a soft shell taco, but sturdy enough to hold sweet fruit fillings.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 186kcal
Ingredients
Instructions
- Place the oats into a high-speed food processor and blend until it forms a fine powder.
- Add all remaining pancake ingredients, blend on high until smooth.
- Remove and allow to sit for 5 minutes before using.
- Heat a large skillet and lightly spray with oil.
- Spoon ¼ cup of batter into the skillet and spread to form a circle.
- Cook on medium heat until bubbles start to form, flip and cook for a further 3 minutes until cooked through.
- Repeat with the remaining batter.
- Allow pancakes to cool before filling with coconut yoghurt and topping with your favorite fruit, crushed nuts and nut butter.
Notes
- My #1 Secret Tip for this pancake tacos recipe is to always blend the oats into a very fine powder before making the batter. I use a smooth batter to create pancakes that cook well and stay flexible enough to fold without cracking.
- Adjust the thickness: If the batter in the bowl starts to thicken up while I am busy frying, I add 1/2 -1 teaspoon of plant milk into the batter.
- Do not overcrowd the pan: I make sure there is sufficient space between each pancake so they do not fuse during cooking, and so I can flip them easily.
- Cool before folding: I make sure to fold only after the pancake has cooled, as they are less prone to cracking and breaking.
- Assemble carefully: I like assembling my pancake tacos with yogurt or thick spread first, then chopped fruit or filling, then nuts, and leave the runniest ingredient until last, to avoid it soaking through the pancake and breaking the shell.
- Keep taco shape: To help keep a taco shape while filling, I place a cup on each side of the taco. This helps me not to overfill the tacos while helping mold them into the signature shape.
Nutrition
Serving: 2pancake tacos | Calories: 186kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 33mg | Potassium: 346mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 10g
These Pancake Tacos look so delicious! I will definitely try them!
Thanks Elaine! You will love them!
Pancakes and Tacos together! Whoa! Absolutely amazing! I love the fact that the pancakes are egg-free .. cant wait to try!
Thanks so much Vidya! Enjoy!
What a great idea! These are such fun and so healthy too with all the lovely toppings. So delicious!
Yay! Thanks Amanda – so glad you liked them!
These breakfast tacos were received with huge excitement at breakfast by my nieces! Easy to make and what a wonderful twist on a pancake! Thanks for the recipe!
Woohoo!! My kids really love these pancake tacos too!
Yum! We loved these pancakes – really easy to customize. We will make this again. Thanks!
So happy to hear it Sharon!