Banana Pancakes
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Fluffy inside with crisp, golden edges, this easy banana pancake recipe turns one overripe banana into a breakfast everyone loves.
Photo by Alexandra Grablewski (Chronicle Books, 2018)
This banana pancakes recipe comes from an unlikely source: a Williams Sonoma children’s cookbook, which tells you just how easy it is to make. Mashed ripe banana gives the pancakes natural sweetness and plenty of banana flavor, while vanilla adds a warm finishing note. I love them with a simple drizzle of maple syrup, or topped with sliced bananas to hint at what’s inside.
“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.”
What You’ll Need To Make Banana Pancakes
- All-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt: Flour provides the structure, while baking powder gives the pancakes their light, fluffy texture. For the most accurate measurement, spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off rather than scooping directly from the bag.
- Banana: The riper, the better—a heavily spotted or brown banana will give you the sweetest, most pronounced banana flavor. Frozen and thawed bananas work well, too—see my guide on how to freeze bananas for details on freezing and thawing.
- Eggs and milk: Eggs add richness and structure, while milk keeps the batter tender. Any type of milk works here.
- Sugar and vanilla: A little sugar supplements the banana’s natural sweetness, while vanilla rounds out the flavor.
- Melted Butter: Adds richness to the batter and flavor as the pancakes cook.
- Vegetable Oil: Using oil along with butter helps the pancakes brown without the butter burning.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How To Make Banana Pancakes
Mix the batter: Whisk the dry ingredients together so the baking powder and salt are evenly distributed. In a separate bowl, mash the banana until nearly smooth, then combine it with the wet ingredients. Fold the wet mixture into the dry just until combined. Don’t try to work out every lump—the batter should be thick and a little lumpy, and overmixing can make the pancakes tough.
Cook the pancakes: Heat a little oil and butter in a nonstick skillet or on a griddle; the butter adds flavor while the oil helps keep it from burning. Add the batter and cook until bubbles form on the surface and the undersides are golden and crisp. Flip and cook through without pressing down with the spatula, which can deflate the pancakes.
Serve or store: Serve warm with maple syrup and sliced bananas, or add your favorite toppings. Leftover pancakes can be frozen for an easy breakfast another time; see the recipe card below for freezing instructions.
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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I’ve made this recipie so many times by now and my last batch just came out SO GOOD! they we’re thick, fluffy, and I didn’t even need to add syrup to them! A note: I would add more sugar, for me the 2 TBSP didn’t do much. I did about 32 grams or so and it made all the difference. Spices too like Cinnamon and Nutmeg really add depth to the pancakes. Overall, 10/10, some of the best (and healthy-ish… potassium, right?) pancakes i’ve made
I just made these pancakes as a quick lunch since I was really craving a pancake, and am obsessed with them! I made them gluten free with the bob’s red mill 1 to 1 gluten free flour and it truly worked wonders. I’m definitely making these again!! Thank you Jenn!
Most amazing pancake recipe ever!! Followed recipe exactly except I used whole milk instead of low fat. Just like the instructions say i didn’t over mix the batter. They turned out perfect and delicious and I’ve made them 3 times since then. Thanks !!
Followed recipe exactly and these turned out terrible. Too thin, not fluffy at all, and tasted terrible. Not sure where things went wrong.
Hi – is it possible to make the batter a day ahead and leave it refrigerated overnight?
Thanks!
Brian
Hi Brian, The pancakes will definitely fluffier if you cook them right after you make the batter, but it can be made in advance and refrigerated, if necessary.
Perfect and delicious! I followed the recipe exactly, especially in regards to not over-mixing. Froze some for later and they reheated very well. Nice to have a recipe besides banana bread for very ripe bananas. Thank you!
Love it! Finally a banana pancake that’s no too banana flavoured. I did use whole meal flour as it’s what I had a home and put some cinnamon in it. Even my toddlers ate it. Topped with youghurt and berries
You can stop searching and just make this recipe! Make it as written and it will come out perfectly. My pancakes were always either too dense, too oily, too dry. This bunch came out so well! Fluffy inside, crispy edges, not too sweet, easy to flip, holding shape. This is the first time I finally understand the idea of “do not over mix, the batter is meant to be lumpy”. Magical!!
This recipe is so tasty!
Always love your recipes! I added some coconut emulsion and chocolate chips for my kiddos, (we ate them with no syrup) and they were delicious. Thanks for all you wonderful recipes.
This is a great recipe, thank you!