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Easy banana pancakes recipe

Weekends were made for pancakes, and this easy banana pancakes recipe uses basic ingredients you already have in your pantry. Mashed banana gives the pancakes the perfect amount of banana flavor, without being overwhelming.

I’ll give you variations and substitutions where I can, plus helpful tips and tricks for success. Read on for this info as well as the recipe. If you’d like to skip straight to the recipe, use the jump to recipe button at the top of the post.

You may also be interested in my banana muffins with cinnamon streusel and my lemon ricotta pancakes recipes. For ease of browsing, you can find all of my breakfast and brunch recipes in one place.

Easy banana pancakes on black plate with sliced bananas. I am pouring maple syrup over the top of the stack of pancakes.

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Why you should make this recipe

If you love pancakes that are light and fluffy, easy to make and are loaded with fresh bananas, you should try this recipe.

  • Quick & easy – This fluffy banana pancake recipe is done in under 30 minutes, start to finish.
  • Common ingredients – You won’t find any unusual ingredients here, just common pantry staples.
  • Versatile – Check out the list of variations at the end of the post for a few ways to riff on the original recipe.
Banana pancakes with sliced bananas and maple syrup on a black plate in front of a white background.

Easy banana pancakes recipe

Banana pancakes are the perfect weekend treat, especially if you have overripe bananas. It never fails, I buy the most beautiful bananas, only to find that when I wasn’t looking, they’ve started to speckle.

Making pancakes from scratch requires very little effort and they taste so much better than the boxed mix. Plus, you can make the batter the night before and get straight to pancake making in the morning.

A stack of pancakes on a black plate with bananas and maple syrup.

If you are pancake lovers like we are in this house, make a few portions of the dry ingredient mixture and store it in the freezer. Then, just add wet ingredients and mix up your batter whenever the craving strikes.

Topped with a pat of butter, maple syrup and a few slices of fresh bananas, these pancakes are our absolute favorite weekend indulgence.

Ingredients

Pancakes are great because they use common pantry ingredients. You likely have everything you need to make them already.

Ingredients for easy banana pancake recipe on white marble background.
  • All-purpose flour – Weighing your flour is the most accurate way to measure. The amount of flour can vary greatly when you scoop with a measuring cup.
  • Bananas  – We want ripe bananas, but they do not have to be completely brown.
  • Milk – You can use whatever milk you have or prefer.
  • Butter – A small amount of butter gives the pancakes added richness.
  • Vanilla – It adds that familiar flavor we all love.
  • Sugar  – Provides just a bit of sweetness.
  • Egg – Provides moisture and structure to the batter.
  • Salt – Everything needs a touch of salt for balance.
  • Cinnamon – A small amount of cinnamon gives the pancakes extra flavor.
  • Baking powder – Baking powder makes the pancakes fluffy.

How to make

Here’s a quick summary of how to make this easy banana pancakes recipe. Please see the card at the bottom of this post for the full recipe. 

Step by step photos showing how to make banana pancakes.
  1. Prep – Whisk dry ingredients in a medium bowl, whisk wet ingredients in a slightly larger bowl. Preheat a pan on the stove.
  2. Combine – Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.
  3. Whisk – Whisk the mixture together just until combined. It will be a little lumpy, that’s ok.
  4. Cook – Cook pancakes until large bubbles form around the edges and the surface looks a little dry, then flip to cook through.
Close up of cooking pancake in pan, showing bubble on the surface of the pancake.

This recipe will make 8 pancakes. If you are really hungry, that would feed two adults. The pancakes aren’t the plate-sized portion you’d get at the diner, they are about 4 inches each, if you use a 1/3 cup measure to portion the batter.

This recipe is great for beginners and experienced cooks. This is also a great recipe to make with kids, it’s a fun way to get them in the kitchen with you. 

Easy banana pancakes recipe FAQ’s

Can pancake batter be made ahead of time?

Yep. You can make the banana pancake batter the night before, store it in an airtight container in the fridge and cook the pancakes the following morning.

Can I make pancakes ahead of time?

Yes. Store the cooked pancakes in an airtight container in the fridge, then gently warm the following day.

Can I freeze the banana pancakes?

Pancakes freeze really well, so make a double batch and freeze some for busy mornings.

Stack of pancakes on black plate in front of a white background.

Variations and substitutions

  • Nutty – Add 1/2 cup chopped pecans to the batter.
  • Chocolaty – For a chocolate twist, add 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips to the batter.
  • Tropical – Add 1/4 cup shredded coconut + 1/4 cup crushed pineapple (drained well).
  • Buttermilk – Swap out the regular milk for 1 cup of buttermilk + 1/4 tsp. baking soda.

Serving suggestions

I like to serve the pancakes with sliced bananas on top and warm maple syrup. If you are hosting a brunch, here are a few recipes that you may enjoy.

Pancakes on a fork in front of a stack of pancakes on black plate.

Helpful tools and equipment

  • Whisk – You’ll need a good whisk to mix up the batter.
  • Sauté pan – This is the pan I used for this recipe. It has a large surface area, so you can cook a few pancakes at a time. The sides do not have a steep slope, so the bottom of the pan is larger.

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Banana pancakes image for Pinterest.

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Easy banana pancakes

Cheryl Bennett
Easy banana pancakes recipe using pantry items and overripe bananas to make a delicious breakfast.
5 from 6 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Breakfast and brunch recipes
Cuisine American
Servings 8 pancakes
Calories 548 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup all purpose flour // 120g
  • 1 1/2 tbsp. sugar
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/8 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 egg beaten
  • 3/4 cup whole milk // 190ml
  • 2 tbsp. melted butter cooled
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 small ripe bananas mashed

Instructions
 

  • Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a bowl. Whisk to combine and set aside.
  • In a medium bowl combine egg, milk, butter, vanilla and bananas, and whisk to combine.
  • Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, whisk until just combined and all of the flour is incorporated. (Batter will be lumpy, it's ok, do not overmix) 
  • Heat a large sauté pan over medium/medium-high heat.
  • Ladle 1/3 cup // 85ml batter into the pan. Let pancakes cook for 2 to 3 minutes until you see large bubbles on top and the surface looks slightly dry.
  • Flip pancakes over with a spatula and cook for another 2 – 3 minutes.
  • Serve with warm maple syrup and extra sliced bananas, if desired.

Notes

Recipe makes 8 – 4" pancakes, using 1/3 cup of batter per pancake.

Variations:

  • Nutty – Add 1/2 cup chopped pecans to the batter.
  • Chocolaty – For a chocolate twist, add 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips to the batter.
  • Tropical – Add 1/4 cup shredded coconut + 1/4 cup crushed pineapple (drained well).
  • Buttermilk – Swap out the regular milk for 1 cup of buttermilk + 1/4 tsp. baking soda.

Storing pancakes

  • You can make the batter the night before and store it in an airtight container in the fridge.
  • Store cooked pancakes in an airtight container in the fridge, I like to put squares of parchment between them, and gently reheat the following day.
  • Freeze the pancakes (parchment between each pancake) in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 548kcalCarbohydrates: 85gProtein: 14gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 133mgSodium: 950mgFiber: 4gSugar: 27g
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Originally published 12/18/12, most recent update 10/27/23.

6 Comments

  1. Have tried many pancake recipes, but I’ve always wanted to eat these golden and smooth pancakes like in Matilda’s movie 🤤 But no other recipe turned out that way. I tried this today and they were golden and so beautifully made and also very soft and tasty. Recommended! Thank you for the recipe

5 from 6 votes (6 ratings without comment)

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