Breakfast · American
Banana Pancakes
Mashed banana in the batter, banana slices on top, and a little cinnamon.
- Hands-on
- 45 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Makes
- 14 10 cm (4 in) pancakes
- Serves
- 4
45 minutes in total. You cook in batches of 3-4 minutes each and stay at the stove the whole time. The low oven only keeps the stack warm.
- easy
- vegetarian
- weekend-breakfast
- brunch
- kid-friendly
Verified against at least two trusted test kitchens or food-safety guides · Last checked · What this means
Scaling? The recipe makes 14-16 pancakes with no serving count given; 4 servings (3-4 pancakes each) is our estimate. The batter halves easily. The cook time per pancake doesn't change; a bigger batch just means more batches. Some items (like eggs) don’t halve neatly: beat them, then measure out half.
Ingredients
You need: medium bowl and large bowl · whisk and fork · large non-stick frying pan or electric griddle · 1/4 cup (60 ml) measure or 4-tablespoon scoop · thin spatula · baking sheet with a wire rack (for keeping warm)
Contains: egg · milk · wheat · tree nuts
Method
Mix the dry ingredients
In a medium bowl, whisk together 210 g (1 3/4 cups) flour, 2 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 3/4 tsp salt.
Mash, then whisk in the wet
In a large bowl, mash 2 of the bananas with 25 g (2 tbsp) sugar using a fork until mostly smooth. That's about 1 cup. Whisk in the 2 egg yolks hard, then whisk in 227 g (1 cup) milk and 42 g (3 tbsp) melted butter. Keep the 2 egg whites for the next step.
Combine, then add the whites
Pour the dry mix into the wet and whisk until fairly smooth. A few small lumps are fine. Add the 2 egg whites and whisk until they disappear into the batter.
Slice the topper, warm the oven
Slice the third banana into rounds about 3 mm (1/8 in) thick. Turn the oven to its lowest setting, ideally about 95°C (200°F), and set a wire rack on a baking sheet inside.
Heat the pan
Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat (or an electric griddle to 175°C / 350°F). Then grease it lightly with oil.
Ready when: Flick in a drop of water before greasing: when it skitters across the surface, the pan is ready.
Pour, then turn the heat down
Spoon in a scant 60 ml (1/4 cup) of batter per pancake, leaving room between them. Straight away, lower the heat to medium-low (135°C / 275°F on a griddle). If the batter is too thick to spread into a round, stir in more milk 1 tsp at a time.
Ready when: Not done yet: this step only sets the heat. The batter should spread into a round on its own; if it doesn't, thin it with milk.
Otto tried this firstOtto leaves the heat on medium-high. The outside goes dark while the middle stays raw. Turn it down as soon as the batter goes in.Add banana slices, cook the first side
Cook for about 1 minute until the pancakes are just starting to set, then press 2-3 banana slices onto each. Cook about 2 minutes more.
Ready when: Bubbles are forming on top and the underside is browned.
Flip and finish
Flip once and cook about 3 minutes more.
Ready when: The second side is browned (the banana side caramelises, so it browns fast). The edges are set and the centre springs back when pressed, with no wet batter if you peek into the thickest one. For an exact check, the middle of a pancake reads at least 71°C (160°F), the food-safety minimum for dishes made with egg.
Keep warm, wipe, repeat
Move the pancakes to the rack in the warm oven. Wipe any caramelised banana out of the pan so the next batch doesn't stick. Repeat with the rest of the batter, adding a little oil as needed. Adjust the heat so the pancakes brown slowly enough to cook through.
Ready when: Same cues every batch: browned on both sides, springy centre, no raw batter inside.
Serve
Serve straight away with maple syrup, soft butter and toasted walnuts, if you like.
Swaps
- Instead of all-purpose flour: a measure-for-measure (cup-for-cup) gluten-free flour blend, same weight Check every other label too if you cook gluten-free.
Make ahead, store & reheat
- Storage
- Freeze leftover pancakes the same day you make them. Otherwise refrigerate within 2 hours and eat within 3 to 4 days.
- Reheat
- Reheat them in a 120°C (250°F) oven until warm all the way through. Leftovers should reach 74°C (165°F).
If something goes wrong
- Dark outside, raw in the middle Why: The pan is too hot. The sugar in banana browns quickly.
Lower to medium-low the moment the batter goes in, and keep adjusting so they brown slowly enough to cook through. - Batter won't spread into a round Why: Bananas and flour vary, so the batter can come out thick.
Stir in milk 1 tsp at a time until it spreads. - Later batches stick Why: Caramelised banana is left on the pan.
Wipe the pan clean between batches and re-oil lightly.
Good to know
- Use ripe yellow bananas: they mash easily into the batter.
- Keep finished pancakes warm on a rack in a low oven, about 95°C (200°F), while the rest cook.
Safety
- Don't taste the raw batter: raw flour and raw egg can both carry harmful bacteria.
- Wash your hands after separating the eggs.
- The pan, the oil and the caramelised banana get very hot. Kids can mash and whisk, while an adult handles the pan.
- Walnuts are a tree nut: leave them off for anyone with a nut allergy.