IHOP Strawberry Banana Pancakes

IHOP's Strawberry Banana Pancakes are high in histamine. Two separate things push them up: the batter is built on cultured buttermilk, which is fermented dairy, and the topping is strawberry and banana, both well-known histamine liberators.

Why ihop strawberry banana pancakes are rated high

This dish gets there by two different routes at once. The pancake itself is made with buttermilk and cultured nonfat milk, and culturing is fermentation: bacteria are deliberately added to the milk, and fermented dairy is one of the most reliable places histamine turns up. Then the plate is finished with strawberries and banana, which work a different way. They do not necessarily carry much histamine themselves, but they are classic liberators, meaning they can prompt your body to release histamine it already has stored. Underneath all that, the enriched bleached flour and soybean oil each sit at a moderate level. So the high rating is not one bad ingredient, it is a fermented base under a liberator topping.

What changes your risk

• The cultured buttermilk is the fermented piece — buttermilk and cultured nonfat milk are both in the batter, and that culturing step is what makes the dairy side high rather than neutral.
• Strawberries and banana act differently than the dairy — they are liberators, so freshness does not really help. A perfectly fresh strawberry is still a strawberry as far as this is concerned.
• Griddling does not reverse either one — cooking the batter does not un-ferment the buttermilk, and heat does not switch off a liberator.
• How long the plate waits matters a little — there is egg, milk and cream in this dish, so a stack that sits under a warmer before it reaches the table can, depending on handling, be worse than one that comes straight off the griddle. This is a smaller factor than the buttermilk and the fruit.
• The base adds even without the topping — the enriched bleached flour and soybean oil are each moderate on their own, so the pancake underneath is not a neutral starting point.

Lower-histamine alternatives

If you are eating at IHOP, the lower-histamine items to look at are Grits, Corn Tortilla, and the Black Angus Burger Patty for something savory. If you want the sweet-breakfast feel without the strawberry and banana, Blueberry Topping and Blueberry Syrup are the better fruit direction, since blueberries are not on the liberator list. Blue Raspberry Sauce, Butter Pecan Syrup, Caramel Syrup and Cupcake Syrup also sit lower.

How to lower the risk

There is no lighter version of this particular stack, because the buttermilk is in the batter and the fruit is the point of the dish. If you are ordering for yourself, Grits is the plainest thing on the lower list and pairs with a Black Angus Burger Patty for a protein-forward breakfast. If you want something that still tastes like a treat, Blueberry Topping or one of the lower syrups gets you sweetness without a liberator fruit. Order it to eat right away rather than letting a plate with egg, milk and cream sit around.

Common questions

Are the pancakes high because of the strawberries, or the batter?

Both, independently. The cultured buttermilk in the batter is fermented dairy, and the strawberries are a liberator. Either one on its own would be a problem.

Is banana as much of an issue as strawberry here?

Banana sits a step lower than strawberry, at a moderate level, but it is still a liberator. In this dish it adds to the strawberry rather than balancing it out.

Would a plain pancake without fruit be fine?

No. The buttermilk and cultured nonfat milk are in the batter itself, and the enriched bleached flour and soybean oil are moderate, so the pancake base is not a low-histamine food on its own.

What is the closest lower-histamine breakfast at IHOP?

Grits is the simplest option on the lower list. If you want fruit flavor, Blueberry Topping or Blueberry Syrup is the better direction than strawberry or banana.