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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This recipe was the BOMB. So good. Fluffy and yummy. Thank you!!
Delicious pancakes! I did cut the salt down to 1/4 tsp. because I was using salted butter – they were perfect. I’m not the most experienced pancake maker in our household, so knowing exactly when they were done was a bit of a stretch, but they worked out really well. I’ll be making these again and maybe add some blueberries too next time.
Super good, fluffy, tasty and thick.
You can taste the banana but not in a major way.
It’s super tasty, I’m in love!
“Phenomenal” banana pancakes is an understatement! Crazy Good! Said my husband while devouring these spectacular pancakes!! Another keeper recipe…thanks Jenn!!
Hi thank you for this wonderful recipe I have made this over and over again whenever I have bananas getting overripe. I use 2 bananas and it seems to work . It’s light fluffy sweet crispy and delicious. Today I made these with blueberries and raspberries quite a treat for Easter. This has become a go to thing to do once a month, become a tradition very grateful I stumbled upon your recipe.
I eat a banana every day…
On “Pancake Tuesday” one half the banana was incorporated in the pancake batter and the other half, along with a handful of mixed berries and lovely Canadian Maple Syrup drizzled over the mouth-watering stacks…. for a delicious welcome to the lenten season…..
Thank you Jen; you are the best!
Grandson approved – these were delicious, thanks for the recipe; will make them again!
I tried your recipe this morning and followed it exactly except I only had whole milk. I especially love “frying” them in combination of oil and butter. They were fabulous and will now be my go to recipe. I wonder, do you have a pancake recipe without banana?
Glad you enjoyed them! Yes, I few a few pancake recipes without bananas:
Homemade Pancakes
Ricotta Pancakes
I also have a few others with fruit. You can check them out here. Hope you enjoy any others you make!
These are great, just a little on the dry side.
I have some buttermilk I need to use up. Can I substitute that for the milk? Or even 1/2 milk and 1/2 buttermilk. I will be making this either way. I sounds delicious!
Hi Corinne, for the best results, I’d stick with regular milk. Hope you enjoy them!
the best pancakes ever!
Delicious! Texture is perfect; not too heavy that they clog up your throat yet not so light that they disintegrate on your tongue. The banana is subtle here, which is a boon since my roomie isn’t a fan of banana pancakes. But she absolutely liked these! I’m pretty sure I can leave off the Bisquick now.