Pancakes are the perfect treat to make for a weekend brunch or breakfast I love them whether it’s regular pancakes topped with syrup, pumpkin pancakes during Fall, crepes with chocolate, or my new personal favorite, banana pancakes! They’re soft, light, and fluffy with the most delicious taste of banana and vanilla and feel extra special topped with fresh fruit and drizzled with maple syrup.
These banana pancakes are always a crowd pleaser and are super easy to make all you need is a few basic everyday ingredients and some ripe bananas. See my step by step recipe below that shows you how to make them with helpful photos, my top tips, and delicious topping ideas!
What you need to make this recipe
Bananas – ripe bananas are best for making banana pancakes because they taste sweeter. Use bananas that have some brown spots (see photo above).
Flour – all you need is regular all-purpose flour no special flours needed here.
Egg – an egg is essential for binding the ingredients together and creating fluffy pancakes.
Butter – butter is used to give flavor to the pancakes and for frying them. I recommend using unsalted.
Milk – I use whole milk for flavor but you can use lower fat milk or non dairy milk if you prefer.
Sugar – I like to use regular granulated sugar but you can also use brown sugar.
Baking powder – make sure your baking powder hasn’t expired or your pancakes won’t rise.
Vanilla – make sure you use vanilla extract and not essence.
How to make Banana Pancakes
1. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl, set aside.
2. Mash the bananas in a separate bowl making sure to keep some chunks.
3. Pour in the melted butter, egg, vanilla, and milk and stir to combine.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.
5. Whisk until just combined.
6. Heat a dot of butter in a hot skillet and fry the pancakes until golden brown on both sides.
Pro tips for making this recipe
- Ripe bananas (those with brown spots) will give you a sweeter flavor.
- Use 1/3 cup measure for even-sized pancakes.
- Make sure your baking powder hasn’t expired or your banana pancakes won’t rise as much.
- You’ll know the pancakes are ready to flip when you see tiny holes appear on the surface.
- Keep greasing your skillet with butter for each new batch of pancakes or they will be too dry and burn.
- You can also grease your skillet with a small amount of oil such as vegetable oil or coconut oil instead of butter.
- I love to top these banana pancakes with maple syrup and extra slices of bananas but your topping options are endless why not try; fresh berries, peanut butter, chocolate sauce, powdered sugar, or crispy bacon.
- You can easily double this recipe to make more pancakes.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I cook the banana pancakes for?
I like to use 1/3 of a cup measure for each pancake that way they cook evenly and end up roughly the same size. The underside will take around 2 minutes to cook, you’ll know it’s ready when tiny holes appear on the top. It’s then time to turn it over and cook it for a further minute of the other side.
Can I add different flavors?
Absolutely, you can add any flavorings you like! Cinnamon is a great addition and goes perfectly with the banana flavor as does pumpkin spice. You could also add in some chocolate chips to the batter or for a fresher taste some lemon zest, fresh blueberries or strawberries.
What can I do with leftover batter?
Leftover batter can be refrigerated for up to 1 day, the batter may darken as the banana oxidizes but it doesn’t affect the taste and still makes delicious pancakes!
How long do they last, can I freeze them?
These banana pancakes will keep well refrigerated for up to 3 days or can be frozen for up to 3 months. Make sure to defrost the pancakes completely then reheat in a skillet or oven until warmed through.
If you’ve tried these Banana Pancakes then don’t forget to leave a rating and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Banana Pancakes
Equipment
- Large bowl
- Pan
Ingredients
- 1 cup All-Purpose flour
- 2 ½ tsp Baking powder
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 egg
- 1 cup milk
- 3 tbsp melted butter plus more for the pan
- 2 bananas very ripe, mashed
- 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a large bowl then set aside.
- Mash the bananas in a separate bowl leaving some chunks for texture then whisk in the melter butter, vanilla, egg, and milk.
- Pour the wet into the dry and mix until just combined.
- Place a large pan or griddle over medium heat and melt a dot of butter or some oil. Add about a third of a cup of batter to the pan and cook until golden on both sides. The underside will take about two minutes to cook, once golden and you see little holes on top, flip and cook for an additional minute or until golden.
- Repeat the process for the remaining batter and serve warm with fruit, maple syrup or powdered sugar.
Video
Notes
- Ripe bananas (those with brown spots) will give you a sweeter flavor.
- Use 1/3 cup measure for even-sized pancakes.
- Make sure your baking powder hasn't expired or the pancakes won't rise as much.
- You'll know the pancakes are ready to flip when you see tiny holes appear on the surface.
- Keep greasing your skillet with butter for each new batch of pancakes or they will be too dry and burn.
- You can also grease your skillet with a small amount of oil such as vegetable oil or coconut oil instead of butter.
- I love to top my pancakes with maple syrup and extra slices of bananas but our topping options are endless why not try; fresh berries, peanut butter, chocolate sauce, powdered sugar, or crispy bacon.
- You can easily double this recipe to make more pancakes.
- Storage - the pancakes will keep well for up to 3 days in the fridge or can be frozen for up to 3 months.