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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They were sooo yummy. you need to make this.
Amazing recipe! My family loved them
Fantastic recipe! Great use of bananas that are quite ripe. I was surprised the recipe only calls for one, but it was enough. The fruit flavor wasn’t overpowering or hidden, it was just the right amount. Adding fresh banana slices on top was a game changer, too! I also added a 1/2 tsp of cinnamon, because I like the taste and I felt it matched well. I’d definitely make these again!
The best pancakes I’ve ever had !! I added 2 more tablespoons of sugar ☺️
Hi Jenn, I use a ton of your recipes and usually love them all. But this batter I just made is not thick, just lumpy. Haven’t cooked them yet. So we’ll see how they turn out. Followed the directions exactly. Not sure why the batter isn’t thick. Should I add more flour and mix again before cooking?
Hi Judy, sorry you had a problem with the pancake batter. Did you make any adjustments and did you use one small banana? All that said, adding a bit more flour should help to thicken it up. BTW, it’s likely that I’m weighing in too late to have helped so I hope they turned out OK!
I just made these for the third time and they’re literally the best pancakes ever! I am not always such a banana-flavored food person because they tend to be too banana-ey, but these pancakes have the PERFECT amount of banana, making it the best pancake ever. I made them into 6 very large pancakes, served with mixed berries and plenty of maple syrup! Yum!!!
I have been making this recipe for years and it is the best… except for the first time they were a little dry. I doubled the banana the next time and it was actually perfect. Sometimes I switch out the butter for coconut oil, the flour for wheat flour, or add blueberries, but any way it is a great recipe!
Delicious! A keeper! I topped mine with maple syrup, whipped cream and some chopped candied pecans. Perfection!
Hi Jenn is there a way to use oats instead of flour and get a similar result? Thank you!
Hi Maria, I’ve never used oats in these, so I can’t say from experience. I suspect it will work with oats blitzed in a food processor/blender, but suggest swapping no more than 1/2 cup of oats for the flour. I’d love to hear how it turns out if you make them this way!
I have made these a couple of years now and by far the best ones! A truly great recipe!
So fluffy and, so delicious! I added a drop of banana extract, and a sprinkle of cinnamon to amp the flavour up. Thank you for the best Banana pancake recipe on the internet! 🙂 🙂 🙂