Peanut Butter Banana Pancakes
intro
Fluffy, nutty, naturally sweet pancakes swirled with creamy peanut butter and ripe banana, perfect for a fast, cozy, satisfying meal any time of day.
Ingredients
Steps
Mash banana base
Peel the 2 ripe spotty bananas, add them to a large mixing bowl, and mash thoroughly with a fork for 1 full minute until completely smooth, with no lumps larger than a pea. Stir in the ⅓ cup creamy peanut butter until fully combined with the mashed banana, with no visible streaks of separate peanut butter.
Mix wet ingredients
Add the 2 room-temperature large eggs, 1 cup whole milk, 2 tablespoons cooled melted butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to the banana-peanut butter mixture. Whisk steadily for 30 seconds until all wet ingredients are fully incorporated, with no visible streaks of unincorporated egg left in the bowl.
Fold in dry ingredients
Add the 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and ¼ teaspoon fine salt directly on top of the wet mixture. Fold gently with a rubber spatula for 10 to 12 total stirs, just until combined; the batter will be thick and slightly lumpy. Do not overmix, as this will create tough, dense pancakes.
Preheat cooking surface
Place a large non-stick skillet or flat griddle over medium-low heat (set to 325°F / 160°C for electric griddles) and allow it to preheat for 3 full minutes. Lightly coat the surface with cooking spray, then wipe away any excess grease with a folded paper towel to prevent soggy, greasy pancakes.
Cook first pancake side
Scoop ¼-cup (60ml) portions of batter onto the preheated pan, leaving 2 inches of empty space between each scoop to allow for batter spreading. Cook for 2 to 2 ½ minutes, until small, steady bubbles form and pop across the entire top surface of each pancake, and the edges look set and pale golden.
Flip and finish cooking
Carefully slide a thin spatula under each set pancake and flip in one smooth motion. Cook the second side for 1 to 1 ½ minutes, until the surface is evenly golden brown and the center springs back immediately when lightly pressed, with no wet batter oozing out. Transfer finished pancakes to a warm plate, re-grease the pan lightly between batches, and repeat with remaining batter. Serve warm.
Tips
2.Wait for bubbles to pop across the entire top surface before flipping: flipping too early causes pancakes to break apart or cook unevenly, and never press down on pancakes with a spatula while cooking, as this squeezes out moisture and creates flat, tough cakes.
3.Use very ripe, heavily spotted bananas for the best natural sweetness: under-ripe, green-tipped bananas have a starchy, bland flavor and will not mash smoothly, leading to lumpy, unevenly flavored pancakes.
OMG these are SO good! I made them for Saturday brunch with my roommates and everyone went back for seconds. The fluff is real, no sad flat pancakes here. I added a handful of mini chocolate chips on top and it was chef’s kiss. 10/10 will make every weekend now.
Game changer for busy school mornings! I prepped the dry mix last night so all I had to do this morning was mash the banana and mix in the peanut butter and milk. My kids devoured these, didn’t even ask for extra syrup which never happens. So easy even my oldest could help flip them!
I swapped the regular milk for oat milk and used a flax egg to make these vegan, and they still came out perfectly fluffy! The peanut butter and banana flavor combo is unbeatable. I topped mine with a drizzle of maple syrup and some sliced strawberries, so good.
Made these for a potluck at my office this week and people were asking for the recipe left and right! I was worried they’d get soggy sitting out for a bit but they held up great. Only note: I used crunchy peanut butter because that’s all I had, and the little nut bits added such a nice texture. Only reason it’s not 5 is I burned the first two because I had the heat too high, oops. Definitely keep the pan on medium low like the recipe says!
These are perfect for my post-long run breakfast! I used whole wheat flour instead of all purpose to add a little extra fiber, added a scoop of vanilla protein powder, and they still came out so light and fluffy. The banana adds the perfect amount of sweetness so I didn’t even need extra syrup. Will be adding these to my weekly meal prep rotation for sure!
As someone who can barely make toast without burning it, I was shocked how easy these were to pull off! No fancy ingredients, all stuff I already had in my dorm kitchen. They taste way better than the frozen pancakes I’ve been living off of all semester. 10/10, even a cooking novice can nail this.
If you love peanut butter as much as I do, do yourself a favor and add an extra tablespoon of creamy peanut butter to the batter. It makes the flavor so much richer, I’ll never make regular pancakes again. I topped mine with a dollop of peanut butter and extra banana slices, absolute heaven.
I made these with a 1:1 gluten free all purpose flour blend and they came out amazing! I’ve had so many bad gluten free pancake experiences that are either gummy or super dense, but these were just as fluffy as the regular version. My whole family loved them, even my gluten-eating husband didn’t notice a difference!
Made these at 1am after a movie night with friends and they hit DIFFERENT. We didn’t even have syrup, just topped them with a little Nutella and whipped cream, and everyone was raving. Cook time was way faster than I expected too, which is perfect when you’re half asleep and craving something sweet.
I made a big batch of these on Sunday and kept them in the fridge for quick breakfasts all week. They reheat perfectly in the toaster oven, just like fresh! I love that they’re not overly sweet, so they keep me full until lunch without that sugar crash. My toddler loves them too, perfect finger food for her.
These pair so perfectly with a hot vanilla latte, I can’t even explain it. I was worried the peanut butter would make them heavy but they’re so light, I ate three without even realizing it. The banana flavor is present but not overpowering, it’s the perfect balance. 10/10 will be my go-to pancake recipe from now on.
Wait, mine came out a little darker on the outside before the inside was fully cooked? Did I do something wrong? Flavor was amazing though, the parts that were cooked through were so fluffy and tasty, I just wanna get the texture right next time.