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Banana Pancakes

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Best Banana Pancakes

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Fluffy on the inside, crispy on the outside and delicately flavored with bananas, these are phenomenal banana pancakes.

Stack of banana pancakes topped with bananas and syrup.

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 and a dusting of confectioners’ sugar.

Banana pancakes are good year round, but if you’re up for trying seasonal variations, you’re in the right place. 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. And of course, don’t forget bacon on the side (for perfectly crispy bacon, see how to cook bacon in the oven.)

What You’ll Need To Make Banana Pancakes

Banana pancake ingredients including vanilla, eggs, and milk.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Begin by combining the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a bowl.

Bowl of unmixed dry ingredients.

Whisk well and set aside.

Whisk in a bowl of dry ingredients.

In a medium bowl, mash the banana until almost smooth.

Fork in a bowl of smashed bananas.

Add the eggs.

Eggs and smashed bananas in a bowl.

Whisk with a fork to combine.

Fork in a bowl of egg and banana mixture.

Mix in the milk and vanilla extract.

Milk and vanilla in a bowl with a banana mixture.

Pour the banana mixture and melted butter into the dry ingredients.

Bowl with butter, dry ingredients, and banana mixture.

Fold the batter with a rubber spatula. It will be thick and lumpy.

Bowl of banana pancake batter.

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.

Circles of banana pancake batter in a skillet.

Flip the pancakes and cook a few minutes more.

Banana pancakes cooking on a skillet.

Top with maple syrup and fresh sliced bananas, if you like.

Stack of banana pancakes topped with bananas and syrup.
Photo by Alexandra Grablewski (Chronicle Books, 2018)

Video Tutorial

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Banana Pancakes

Fluffy on the inside, crispy on the outside and delicately flavored with bananas, these are phenomenal banana pancakes.

Servings: Makes twelve 4-inch pancakes
Total Time: 20 Minutes

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 low fat milk
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For Cooking

  • 1 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

For Serving

  • Maple syrup
  • Sliced bananas
  • Confectioners' sugar (optional)

Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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, sliced bananas and confectioners' sugar if desired.
  5. Freezer-Friendly Instructions: 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

Powered by Edamam

  • Per serving (6 servings)
  • Serving size: 2 pancakes (does not include maple syrup or toppings)
  • Calories: 278
  • Fat: 12 g
  • Saturated fat: 6 g
  • Carbohydrates: 35 g
  • Sugar: 9 g
  • Fiber: 1 g
  • Protein: 7 g
  • Sodium: 299 mg
  • Cholesterol: 85 mg

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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Comments

  • 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!

    • — Kerry Hampstead
    • Reply
  • These are the best pancakes I’ve ever made. Thank you for this lovely recipe!

  • These were excellent – made using vegan sustitutes (chia egg replacer, soy milk and Nuttelex) and they still turned out perfectly. Great recipe!

  • I have a great buttermilk pancake recipe that is my family’s favourite but I wanted a quick pancake recipe to use up the many over ripe bananas we have at the moment and this one is just perfect. Quick to make and super delicious. I nearly added another banana but glad I stuck with the 1 small as the texture was just right. A soft sponge with little banana gems and great flavour. Another would have made it more claggy and I don’t think I’d have achieved the lovely buttery crispy edges. YUM!

  • I made these this am me and my husband loved them! I had to use cake flour -was out of all purpose and also added an extra egg for preference when making pancakes. This made them slightly more thin and crepe-like. Then stacked them up and topped with butter and warmed maple syrup! So delicious and definitely will make these again!

    • — Susan Valentine Paschen
    • Reply
  • Tried this recipe this morning and it was perfect! Pancakes were fluffy and delicious.

  • ok all the reviews are really good which is making me kind of apprehensive that they’re actually real so could someone please confirm?

    • Nah they’re legit, I just made them and *chef’s kiss*

  • These weren’t bad. As I like to say, they were edible. I thought they were quite eggy & didn’t rise as much. They weren’t fluffy. And even though my banana was super ripe, I didn’t quite get a lot of banana flavor.

    • Thats a bummer, Jan. That’s weird these didn’t come out perfect. I wonder about your baking powder. These always come out fluffy on the inside and rise at least half an inch for us. You should give them another try. I wonder if they’d come out differently for you.

  • Decadent. Light on the inside, crispy outside and the perfect amount of banana. We added fresh blueberries.

  • So yummy and easy!! If you are looking for a banana pancake recipe, use this one! you won’t be disappointed 🙂

    • I tried other banana recipes and this is the best one so far. Although i added 1 more cut up bananas in the mix because i just love bananas. I also separated the egg. Beat the white until fluffy then whipped it in the mixture. Fluffy and just the right amount of sweetness.

      • — Nenette Milana
      • Reply
  • Best Pancake recipe! Fluffy, thick and perfect. I heated up maple syrup , added sliced bananas on top with cinnamon.

  • This was so good!!! I’m only 12 and I can make this recipe. I put in food colouring and it looks and tastes so good. I couldn’t make it into circles because it was too thick though.

  • Unreal delish!!! Followed the recipe to a t! Actually doubled it! Now I feel I may explode. Will make them again. The texture of the pancake is perfect!

    • — Julie Woodburn
    • Reply
  • My son and husband love this recipe! Out of all the pancake recipes I made, this is the winner. I just made this again tonight and doubled the recipe and placed them in the freezer for future busy mornings. Thank you so much for sharing! 😊

  • Absolutely delicious with chopped banana, honey & Nutella – my kids loved making them!

  • This recipe is a keeper.

    • — Kimberly A Mehlhoff
    • Reply
  • Excellent!
    Excellent!
    I don’t have success in making pancakes from ‘scratch, this recipe is a winner, they turned out, tasted so good, very easy to make. Thank you for sharing.
    I definitely will be making these again and again.

  • Wow!!! Amazing, wonderful recipe from the start!!! The 2nd time I modified it a bit by adding extra tbsp of oil and then putting water instead of milk (I really wanted to eat them, but had no milk), and using 1cup of wholewheat flour and 1/2 of regular white (did not have enough of plain flour). It also turned out SUPERB, even slightly tastier for me due to wholewheat flour. Thank you for coming up with this gem 🙂

  • Was a good recipe. I found that double the amount of banana made for a good strong flavour and add a pinch more sugar better suited my sweet tooth.

  • Perfect!

    • I made this recipe this morning and modified it by adding chocolate chips and peanut butter powder…turned out amazing!

  • Just delicious! I sat down and read the instructions out to my partner who doesn’t usually cook and he made me and my son the most delicious breakfast from scratch with this recipe 🥰

  • The fluffiest banana pancakes ever

  • Third pancake recipe from your site I have tried, Jenn, and our favorite yet. I used buttermilk rather than regular milk, and the pancakes were light and fluffy. The banana flavor was not overpowering as in some recipes, but light. I don’t think I will ever use pancake mix again!

  • These are amazing! I make them at least once a week in the morning for breakfast. They have the perfect amount of banana taste and I like to add some chocolate chips to sweeten it up a bit! When I add the chocolate chips it tastes just like a banana muffin😋 I highly recommend making these at least once!

    • — fannie wengerd
    • Reply
  • Best banana pancakes I’ve ever made. Light, fluffy and super delicious. Quick and easy to make, I strongly recommend it 🙂

  • These seemed quite eggy to me and weren’t nearly as fluffy as I’d hoped they would be. Not my favorite pancakes but they were nice with a little bit of syrup and some fresh fruit on top.

  • These pancakes are amazing!! My new go-to recipe!!

    Is it ok to make the batter the night before and store in the fridge?

    Do you think adding some Chia seeds would change the texture/flavour too much?

    Also, can you recommend any healthier oils to fry them with?

    Thank you so much!

    • Glad you like them! The pancakes will be much fluffier if you cook them right after preparing the batter, but it can be made in advance and refrigerated if necessary. And I’ve never added chia seeds to the batter so it’s hard to say for sure how they will impact the texture but you could certainly try with a small amount and if you like them that way, increase the amount the next time you make them. And some people have commented that they’ve fried them using coconut oil if you want to go that route. Hope that helps!

  • Loved it! Best pancakes ever!

  • Omg best pancake recipe I’ve tried!!!!

  • Yummy pancakes! Made it a few times and it’s always a hit. Bookmarked for life!

  • Delicious and so eas.y Way better use then banana bread! We added strawberries to a few. yummmy

  • The best banana pancakes we’ve made!

  • Best pancake recipe for me. I usually make pancakes for kids for school and they really loved them.

  • Yummy! Thank you: eating happily as I type!

  • ..and it works for Gluten Free ..

    lovely pancakes — thank you

    I used self raising GF flour and 2 bannanas

    Richard

  • This is the best pancake recipe I have ever made. If you have one overripe banana sitting around, you probably have all the other ingredients needed for this recipe, and you should make these immediately!! Most of the time I am disappointed by pancake recipes I randomly find online, but this one is bookmarked, saved, forever and ever!

    • This was a great. Kids loved it and best of all, it freezes well!

  • Fantastic! Fluffy, crispy, and easy to make.

    I used almond milk since I didn’t have cow’s milk on hand. Looking forward to trying the recipe as written.

  • i don’t have eggs is there anything i can substitute it for

    • Hi Michaela, Two of the best substitutes I’ve heard about (I haven’t personally tried either of them) are a combination of water, oil, and baking powder and carbonated water. Scroll down to the bottom of this article for more information about both. I would assume many baking recipes would also work with some kind of store-bought egg substitute.

  • These pancakes are delicious! I even made them with gluten free flour and they turned out amazing. I made waffles with the batter as well and it worked like a charm.

  • Amazing! So delicious! I add cinnamon and 1/3 cup of walnuts And they become the best pancakes in the world hahahah. Thanks for this great recipe, I love how it’s not too sweet as well.

  • Hi Jenn,
    I have fallen in love with so many of your recipes! I love how you provide a photograph of ingredients to use. Do you recommend a particular brand of flour? I’ve noticed that sometimes you indicate what brand of things to use.

    Thanks!
    Elwanda

    • So glad you like the recipes! My favorite brand of flour and the one I always use is King Arthur. Hope that helps!

  • I’ve made this once with as it was written, using bananas that were just turning ripe, and they were a hit. Followed the recipe exactly, just added a few chocolate chips onto the batter on the pan once bubbles started to appear on the top. You should definitely make this!

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