Banana Pancakes
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
Fluffy on the inside, crispy on the outside and delicately flavored with bananas, these are phenomenal banana pancakes.
Photo by Alexandra Grablewski (Chronicle Books, 2018)
Fluffy on the inside, crispy on the outside, and delicately flavored with bananas and vanilla—these are phenomenal banana pancakes. The recipe, believe it or not, is adapted from a Williams Sonoma children’s cookbook, which only proves how easy they are to make. I love them with a simple drizzle of maple syrup, but if you want to dress them up and hint at what’s inside, top them with fresh sliced bananas.
This banana pancake recipe is good year round, but if you’re up for trying seasonal variations, I’ve got you covered. During the fall when you have pumpkin purée on hand, try pumpkin pancakes. When summer rolls around and blueberries are plentiful, blueberry pancakes fit the bill. If you’re more of a purist, my basic pancake recipe is hard to beat!
Table of Contents
What You’ll Need To Make Banana Pancakes
- All-purpose flour: Provides the structure and base for the pancake batter.
- Sugar: Adds a touch of sweetness to the pancakes.
- Baking powder: Acts as a leavening agent, helping the pancakes rise and become fluffy.
- Salt: Enhances the flavor of the pancakes and balances the sweetness.
- Banana: Adds natural sweetness and moisture to the pancakes, as well as a subtle banana flavor. Use a very ripe banana for best results.
- Eggs: Bind the ingredients together and add richness to the batter.
- Milk: Adds moisture and helps create a smooth batter.
- Vanilla extract: Adds a hint of vanilla flavor to the pancakes.
- Melted unsalted butter: Adds richness and moisture to the pancakes; also used for cooking.
- Vegetable oil: Used for cooking the pancakes, helps achieve a golden-brown exterior.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by combining the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a bowl.
Whisk well and set aside.
In a medium bowl, mash the banana until almost smooth.
Add the eggs.
Whisk with a fork to combine.
Mix in the milk and vanilla extract.
Pour the banana mixture and melted butter into the dry ingredients.
Fold the batter with a rubber spatula. It will be thick and lumpy.
Heat the vegetable oil with a pad of butter on a griddle or in a non-stick pan (the butter gives flavor and the vegetable oil prevents the butter from burning). Spoon the pancakes onto the griddle and cook until some bubbles appear on the top and the underside is golden brown and crisp.
Flip the pancakes and cook a few minutes more.
Top with maple syrup and fresh sliced bananas, if you like. Chopped nuts and a dash of cinnamon would be delicious, too.
Video Tutorial
You May Also Like
Banana Pancakes
Ingredients
For Pancakes
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled off
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 small over-ripe banana, peeled (the browner, the better)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For Cooking
- 1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
For Serving
- Maple syrup
- Sliced bananas
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
- In a small bowl, mash the banana with a fork until almost smooth. Whisk in the eggs, then add the milk and vanilla and whisk until well blended. Pour the banana mixture and the melted butter into the flour mixture. Fold the batter gently with a rubber spatula until just blended; do not over-mix. The batter will be thick and lumpy.
- Set a griddle or non-stick pan over medium heat until hot. Put a pad of butter and one tablespoon vegetable oil onto the griddle, and swirl it around. Drop the batter by ¼-cupfuls onto the griddle, spacing the pancakes about 2 inches apart. Cook until a few holes form on top of each pancake and the underside is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Flip the pancakes and cook until the bottom is golden brown and the top is puffed, 1 to 2 minutes more. Using the spatula, transfer the pancakes to a serving plate.
- Wipe the griddle clean with paper towels, add more butter and oil, and repeat with the remaining batter. Serve the pancakes while still hot with maple syrup and sliced bananas, if desired.
Notes
The pancakes can be frozen for up to 3 months. After they are completely cooled, place a sheet of parchment or wax paper between each pancake and stack together. Wrap the stack of pancakes tightly in aluminum foil or place inside a heavy-duty freezer bag. To reheat, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and cover with foil. Bake in a 375°F oven for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until hot.
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
good pancake, kinda dry
Yes true especially in the inside
The best banana pancake recipe out there!
I have been making these pancakes for my family for 2 years. It is a favorite breakfast, nothing goes to waste as we serve any remaining cakes from the weekend before school. These pancakes have just the right amount of flavoring, nothing is overwhelming, and consistency. Well done!
Made these today for my kids and I. I divided the recipe 2/3 with flour for my kids and 1/3 with almond flour for myself. I had to add extra almond flour to mine as it was runny and since I am still in transition to keto with recipes i did add a teaspoon of regular flour also. Pancakes were out of this world! The almond version rose almost just as high as regular ones. Very pleased. My only mistake was I added salted butter and forgot to omit the salt. Wish I could post a side by side comparison on this recipe.
I’m never going to make any another pancake recipe ever again! These are totally amazing! I’ve made them several times and they just seem to get better every time! Always perfect and never dry 😀
These are the most amazing pancakes I‘ve ever eaten. They‘re so fluffy and delicious. Whole family loves them! Really easy to make too. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
These are the best pancakes ever. Bold statement? Sure- but so true. I followed the recipe and doubled it. I know it says it makes 12 but every other recipe says that and you end up with seven. This one was totally accurate so we ended up with extra. They’re crispy on the outside and buttery and soft on the inside.
As if being super yummy isn’t enough of an awesome reason to make these – they’re so crazy easy. My toddlers ( 3&4) helped. This is our new go to.
Thanks soo much!! Love your recipes!!
Disgusting salty mess.
Operator error. Silly, salty man, you obviously used regular, “salted” butter, which is what you had on hand. This recipe specifically calls for “unsalted” butter. Of course your results were salty- you used twice the amount of salt. These pancakes are phenomenal. Take a look at all the reviews- they speak volumes. This recipe is absolutely perfect exactly as written, but you must follow the directions. It is quite a simple recipe, originally written for children (who follow directions).
Making pancakes is as close to baking as you can get, therefore following the recipe to the letter is a must. I made these pancakes with ripe bananas and they were phenomenal. Try it again.
Great recipe. Kids loved them. Added half spelt flour as didn’t have enough plain. Delicious
Really tasty pancakes. A definite go to recipe for me and I’m not the biggest fan of bananas plus the kids love them too.