Those bananas are actually gold. 🍌
The browner and spottier they are, the sweeter your pancakes will be. And once you nail this recipe, you’ll quietly start hoping your bananas go brown faster.
These pancakes are light, fluffy, and full of real banana flavor — not the artificial banana-candy kind. They’re made with simple pantry ingredients, come together in one bowl, and honestly? They’re dangerous. You will make them every weekend.
Fair warning: you might never make regular pancakes again.
What You’ll Need
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated white sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Wet Ingredients
- 2 ripe bananas (the spottier, the sweeter)
- 1 cup buttermilk (or whole milk with a squeeze of lemon)
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For Cooking
- 1–2 tablespoons unsalted butter (for the pan)
To Serve (Optional but Encouraged)
- Maple syrup
- Sliced fresh banana
- Whipped cream or Greek yogurt
- Crushed walnuts or pecans
- A pinch of flaky sea salt
Tools You’ll Need
- Large mixing bowl
- Medium mixing bowl (for wet ingredients)
- Fork or potato masher (for mashing bananas)
- Whisk
- Rubber spatula or wooden spoon
- ¼ cup measuring cup (for portioning batter)
- Non-stick skillet or griddle
- Spatula (for flipping)
- Plate with a clean kitchen towel (to keep pancakes warm)
Pro Tips
🍌
Use very ripe bananas. A slightly yellow banana will give you a mild banana taste. A deeply spotted, almost-black banana? That’s where all the natural sweetness and flavor lives. Don’t skip this.
🥣
Don’t overmix the batter. A few lumps in the batter are totally fine — actually, they’re a good sign. Overmixing develops gluten, which makes pancakes chewy and flat instead of fluffy.
🔥
Get the pan temperature right first. Cook your very first pancake as a test. If it burns before the bubbles form on top, lower the heat. Medium to medium-low is usually the sweet spot.
⏳
Rest the batter for 5 minutes. After mixing, let it sit. This gives the baking powder time to activate and results in noticeably puffier pancakes.
🧈
Wipe the pan between batches. A quick wipe with a paper towel between pours removes burned butter bits and keeps each pancake looking clean and golden.
How to Make Banana Pancakes
- Mash the bananas. Peel both bananas and mash them in a medium bowl using a fork until mostly smooth. A few small chunks are totally fine — they create pockets of extra banana flavor in the finished pancake.
- Mix the wet ingredients. Add the buttermilk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla extract to the mashed banana. Whisk everything together until combined.
- Combine the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
- Bring it all together. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently with a rubber spatula until just combined. Stop as soon as you don’t see dry flour. Lumps are your friend here — do not smooth them out.
- Rest the batter. Let the batter sit for 5 minutes while you preheat your pan. This step is small but makes a real difference.
- Heat the pan. Place a non-stick skillet or griddle over medium heat. Add about half a teaspoon of butter and let it melt, swirling to coat the surface.
- Cook the pancakes. Pour ¼ cup of batter per pancake onto the pan. Cook until bubbles form on the surface and the edges look set — about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip once and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes until golden on the bottom.
- Keep them warm. Transfer finished pancakes to a plate covered loosely with a clean kitchen towel while you cook the rest. They’ll stay warm and soft without getting soggy.
- Serve immediately with maple syrup, fresh banana slices, and anything else your heart wants.
Substitutions and Variations
| If You Need To… | Swap It For… |
|---|---|
| Make it dairy-free | Oat milk or almond milk + 1 tsp lemon juice for buttermilk; coconut oil instead of butter |
| Make it gluten-free | 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend |
| No buttermilk on hand | 1 cup regular milk + 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar. Let it sit 5 minutes. |
| Want extra protein | Add 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder and reduce flour by 2 tablespoons |
| Add a flavor twist | Stir in ¼ cup chocolate chips, blueberries, or chopped walnuts into the batter |
| Make it eggless | 1 flax egg (1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water, rested 5 minutes) |
Make Ahead Tips
Mornings are chaotic. Here’s how to make this easier:
- Batter the night before: Mix the dry and wet ingredients separately and store them in the fridge in separate containers. Combine them right before cooking. This keeps the baking powder from activating too early.
- Freeze the finished pancakes: Let them cool completely, then stack them between sheets of parchment paper and freeze in a zip-lock bag. They’ll keep for up to 2 months.
- Reheat: Pop frozen pancakes straight into the toaster or a 350°F oven for 5–8 minutes. They come out almost as good as fresh.
Nutritional Breakdown
Per serving (2 pancakes, without toppings, based on 5 servings):
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | ~240 kcal |
| Carbohydrates | ~38g |
| Protein | ~6g |
| Fat | ~7g |
| Fiber | ~2g |
| Sugar | ~10g (mostly from banana) |
💡 Diet-friendly swaps: For lower carbs, substitute half the flour with almond flour. For a higher-protein version, use Greek yogurt instead of half the buttermilk. The texture changes slightly but is still delicious.
What to Serve With Them
- A strong cup of black coffee or a latte (obvious, but necessary)
- Crispy streaky bacon or turkey bacon on the side
- Scrambled eggs for a more filling brunch
- Fresh fruit salad to cut through the sweetness
- A drizzle of peanut butter + maple syrup if you’re feeling dramatic
Leftovers and Storage
- Fridge: Store cooled pancakes in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Stack with parchment paper between layers so they don’t stick.
- Freezer: Freeze for up to 2 months. They reheat beautifully in the toaster.
- Batter storage: Batter doesn’t store well once mixed — the leavening agents start to lose their power. Mix and cook on the same day for best results.
- Reheating: Toaster gives the crispiest edges. Microwave works in a pinch (20–30 seconds). Oven at 325°F for 5–8 minutes keeps them soft throughout.
FAQ
Why are my pancakes flat and dense?
Two likely culprits: overmixed batter or expired baking powder. Lumps in the batter are completely fine. Test your baking powder by dropping a teaspoon into hot water — it should bubble actively. If it doesn’t, it’s time for a new container.
Can I use frozen bananas?
Yes. Thaw them completely and drain the excess liquid before mashing. Frozen bananas are often even sweeter than fresh overripe ones, so the flavor payoff is real.
Can I make these without buttermilk?
Absolutely. Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to 1 cup of regular whole milk. Let it sit for 5 minutes and you’ve got a perfect buttermilk substitute.
How do I know when to flip?
Watch for two signs: bubbles forming across the surface of the pancake, and the edges starting to look matte (not shiny or wet). That’s your flip signal. Flipping too early is the number one mistake people make.
Can I double the recipe?
Yes, and it doubles perfectly. Just use a large enough bowl and give the batter a gentle fold rather than a vigorous stir.
My first pancake always burns. Is that normal?
It’s so normal there’s practically a saying about it in cooking circles. The first pancake is always the tester — it calibrates your pan’s heat. Lower the flame slightly and the rest will be perfect.
Do these taste like banana bread?
Similar vibes, different texture. Banana bread is dense and moist. These are light and fluffy with a clear banana flavor — especially if you use very ripe bananas and add the cinnamon.
Wrapping Up
This recipe is the kind of thing that quietly becomes a weekend ritual. You make it once, it comes out beautifully, and suddenly Sunday mornings look different.
The bananas do most of the heavy lifting in terms of flavor. You just have to resist the urge to overmix and let the heat do its thing.
Give these a go this weekend — and then come back and tell me how they turned out! Did you add chocolate chips? Go full peanut butter drizzle? Make a variation I haven’t thought of? Drop it in the comments below. 👇
