Banana Pancakes
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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
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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
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Loved this! The consistency of the batter with the smooshed banana inside was lumpy, but so fluffy when cooked with crispy edges and the perfect consistency. I followed the recipe as written and as are true of all of your recipes I have tried over these many years, this was delicious and so easy!! Thank you for another winning recipe. My son LOVED his pancakes.
I absolutely love these pancakes. The texture is amazing. It’s a crisp buttery outside with a smooth fluffy banana inside. They are very easy to make and taste amazing. These are the best banana pancakes I have ever had!
These pancakes are our family’s favorites! I feel like I’m on vacation when I eat them. They’re such a great.
I’ve experimented with varying amounts of whole wheat flour, and have enjoyed all of the variations. I read in an America’s Test Kitchen book that the bran in whole wheat flour inhibits gluten development, so the whole wheat version is nuttier in flavor but not tough.
I have made this recipe for my weekday breakfast for several years now. My family love it. It’s already sweet so We don’t need to add any syrup.
I make plain buttermilk pancakes often but when faced with extra bananas one time, I went searching for a recipe and found this one. It’s perfect!! The bananas add sweetness and moisture but In. I way diminish the light fluffiness of the pancakes. Now I hope that a ripe banana will be left by the time Saturday morning rolls around. Again, perfect balance is your hallmark Jenn.
Make these. Play Jack Johnsons song Banana pancakes. Eat pancakes. Have an awesome day.
Everyone loves breakfast for dinner!! These are the best pancakes EVER! Perfect way to use those uneaten bananas! I have even used a perfectly ripe banana because we just couldn’t wait to have them again! They have the perfect amount of banana flavor and you don’t need the syrup – unless you want it! We have these once a week with your perfect scrambled eggs from your cookbook!
This is a favorite breakfast of my toddler (and myself). This recipe is great, and the pancakes stay nice and fluffy, which can sometimes be a concern when using bananas (sometimes they become too dense). Sometimes I mush a banana and chop up another half banana to add chunks to the batter…sometimes I add chocolate chips. Sometimes we smear a little Nutella on top, and sometimes I top with syrup and pecans. There a lot of ways to dress up these pancakes, but this is a great base recipe to start. My toddler gets so, so excited to come downstairs to the smell of this yummy breakfast.
This recipe is so good! They turn out perfect every time. I buy extra bananas just so I will be sure to have extra to make these. My grandson always asks for them. Of course grandma has to spoil him with a little whipped cream and fresh sliced banana on top. Thanks!
These are the best pancakes I’ve ever made. Thank you for this lovely recipe!