Banana Pancake Recipe: How to Make Banana Pancakes

To make banana pancakes, you add mashed bananas or sliced bananas to the batter, or you serve the cooked pancakes with sliced bananas on top—similar to how you might make chocolate chip or fresh blueberry pancakes.

Bananas are a good substitute for butter in many baking or stovetop recipes because they are of a medium consistency when mashed and a good source of potassium, vitamin C, and calcium. Foods baked with bananas instead of butter are also lower in saturated fat than those made with vegetable oil. Banana pancakes are popular within fitness communities, as certain recipes have only three ingredients—bananas, eggs, and baking powder (for fluffy pancakes)—and are high in protein and carbohydrates, two nutrition qualities that fitness enthusiasts usually find desirable.

You can add other ingredients, like peanut butter, all-purpose flour, or whole wheat flour, or a gluten-free flour of your choice, to banana pancakes. Keep in mind, the amount of flour you use will differ depending on the flour you choose.

There are a few ways to add bananas to your pancakes, including:

1. 1. Mash them up. Mashed bananas, especially overripe bananas, will add some texture and great banana bread flavor to a regular pancakes recipe. If you’re opting for a simple, three-ingredient pancake recipe, the mashed bananas become the star—mix them with large eggs and a little baking powder to imitate the fluffiness you want in a pancake.
2. 2. Mix them into the batter. Another fun way to add bananas to pancakes is to slice them and mix them right into your pancake batter. This way, as you mix them in, they will get broken up into smaller pieces and you’ll have banana chunks throughout the entire pancake. Bananas that are ripe but not overripe are best to use for this method so they retain their shape.
3. 3. Plop them on top. Add the banana slices on top of the batter once you’ve already poured it in the pan. When you flip the pancakes and the bananas come in contact with the pan directly, they’ll start to caramelize, increasing the sweetness and banana flavor.

The best pancakes are the ones you can whip up easily, customize to your liking, and enjoy at your leisure. Here are tips for making banana pancakes, no matter which basic recipe you follow:

1. 1. Toppings: The toppings are sometimes just as important as the pancakes themselves. Maple syrup is a classic topping. You can also add fresh fruit, pecans, or other nuts, and even whipped cream can elevate a simple banana pancake recipe.
2. 2. Recipe substitutions: You can customize the batter to accommodate any dietary or allergy restrictions. If you can’t eat dairy, you can substitute the main liquid (usually buttermilk or regular milk) with a dairy-free milk like almond milk or oat milk. Additionally, if you are gluten-intolerant, you can use gluten-free flour. Try to use a cup-for-cup replacement flour so you aren’t messing with the ratios and will still achieve the desired consistency.
3. 3. Cooking method: The pan you cook your pancakes in can make a big difference in the final product. Nonstick pans are the most common, but cast-iron skillets are also a viable option and will give you a crispier exterior. It’s easier to burn your pancakes in cast-iron pans, since they retain heat differently than nonstick ones, so keep that in mind when deciding between low heat and medium heat for cooking. If you’re cooking for a crowd, a griddle that can handle multiple pancakes at a time is a good option.