Banana Pancakes
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Start your morning off right with fluffy banana pancakes, made with simple ingredients and packed with sweet banana flavor. Whether you’re craving a quick weekday breakfast or something special for a weekend brunch, these pancakes are the perfect way to kick off your day.
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 great year-round, but you can switch it up with seasonal variations—try pumpkin pancakes in the fall or blueberry pancakes in the summer. For a classic option, my basic pancake recipe is always a winner!
“SO good! I’m constantly making batches of these. The family devours them! Sometimes I add a handful of chocolate chips, but they’re lovely as is. Thanks Jenn!”
What You’ll Need To Make Banana Pancakes
- All-purpose flour: The foundation of the pancakes. For best results, scoop it into your measuring cup with a spoon and level it off with a knife.
- Sugar: Just enough to lightly sweeten the pancakes.
- Baking powder: Helps the pancakes rise so they turn out soft and fluffy.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and brings out all the flavors.
- Banana: Adds natural sweetness, moisture, and that classic banana flavor. Use a very ripe banana–the riper, the better.
- Eggs: Hold everything together and give the batter some richness.
- Milk: Adds moisture and helps create a smooth batter.
- Vanilla extract: Adds a little warmth and flavor in the background.
- Melted Butter: Brings richness and moisture to the batter; also used for greasing the pan and adding flavor while the pancakes cook.
- Vegetable Oil: Used along with butter to cook the pancakes to a golden-brown without burning.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Make sure to whisk thoroughly to break up any lumps and evenly distribute the baking powder.
Step 2: Mash the banana and mix the wet ingredients. In a medium bowl, mash the banana until nearly smooth. Add the eggs, whisk with a fork, and stir in the milk and vanilla.
Step 3: Combine everything. Pour the banana mixture and melted butter into the dry ingredients and fold with a rubber spatula. Folding gently (instead of stirring vigorously) prevents overworking the batter, which can make the pancakes dense or tough. The batter will be thick and a bit lumpy—that’s totally normal.
Step 4: Cook the pancakes. Heat a little vegetable oil and butter in a nonstick pan or on a griddle over medium heat. (Using both oil and butter is kind of the best of both worlds: oil prevents burning, while butter adds flavor.) Spoon the batter onto the surface and cook until bubbles form on top and the bottom is golden and crisp.
Step 5: Flip and finish. Flip the pancakes and cook a few minutes more, until cooked through. (Resist the urge to press down on the pancakes—this squeezes out air and makes them less fluffy.)
Step 6: Serve with toppings. Serve warm with maple syrup and sliced bananas. You can also add chopped nuts or a dusting of cinnamon for extra flavor. Leftover pancakes can be frozen for up to 3 months.
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
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.
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Could I use frozen bananas for this?
Sure!
I’VE TRIED THIS MANY TIMES. AND I STILL LOVE IT. Because It’s simple compare to another recipes and it’s easy. Sometimes i add choc chips inside pancakes but it turn to be so sweet.
Wonderful flavor and moisture. I barely needed any syrup!
Isnt 1/2 tsp of salt too much? I followed youe recipe but it turned out very salty. I had to throw it away . I dont know what did i do wrong
Maybe you accidentally added too much? Usually 1/2 tsp won’t be tasted 🙂
soooooo yummy! made them this morning! New go-to!!!!
I’ve made a lot of banana pancakes and these are the best. thanks for sharing your recipe!
I just learned that I love pancakes that have crispy edges and this recipe fit the bill! My only change would be to add another banana for flavor (I was afraid it would change the consistency). We have “Breakfast for Dinner” on Thursdays. I will definitely be making these again! YUM!
delicious !!!
Personally I’m not a fan of bananas but my son and boyfriend demolished these and loved them. I had 2 brown bananas so used them both and added a touch of cinnamon. I enjoyed making them. Great recipe!
Despite constantly looking for new recipes online, I think this is only the 3rd review I’ve ever done. These pancakes were so good and so easy, I just had to do a review! The only change I made was using a medium banana. I was going planning on using a large because I was afraid it might not have enough banana flavor. I decided to use the medium and add more to the batter if it needed it. When I tasted the batter, it was absolutely delicious with enough banana to taste but not overpower. Cooked on griddle on 3.5 of a 6 temp gas stove. Cooked perfect with slight crispness on edge and light, fluffy inside. I’ve never seen air pockets inside pancakes like I did with these.
Hi Jenn
I’d never made pancakes on scratch and this is my first time making banana pancakes. This is the best and very tasty. Can I double the recipe or maybe triple and freeze it? Please advise me…
I got your cookbook and my husband called it the best investment. Never failed is above and beyond the best ratings.
Thank you for sharing I am proud of my cooking skills since I found your blog plus I got your cookbook 😍
Thank you
Rose 🌹
Hi Rose, thanks for your support with the cookbook and so glad you like the pancakes! Yes you can definitely double or triple the batch and freeze them – they freeze nicely! 🙂
Hi Jenn,
Any recommendations for warming them up after they’ve been in the freezer? Should I put them the oven and what temperature? I made a lot — they’re so good.
Thank you for your quick response
Rose 🌹
Hi Rose, I’d just give them a round in your toaster oven. 🙂
Wonderful recipe… Delicate, fluffy and super tasty pancakes 😋… Thank you so much for the recipe❣️. We enjoyed a lot.
Wonderful recipe. Came out great! Soft and fluffy. I added about 2 tbsps of unsweetened dried coconut. Subtle but so good!