I can't believe it's been 2 months since I last posted something! It's been a crazy time!
This morning, I came downstairs and saw that we had 4 very ripe bananas. We wouldn't want to waste them, but we also probably wouldn't eat them by themselves in one day. So, what do you do?
One of Allie's all-time favorite breakfasts is pancakes (which are also part of the story of how we met). They're a nice and sweet, but surprisingly filling, thing to have for breakfast. I love that you can put pretty much any fruit (or chocolate!) in them, and they're totally different, but just as delicious.
Now back to the bananas! One thing that makes bananas especially good for pancakes is that they're so easy to liquefy and add to the batter. In this recipe, I use two bananas—one puréed and liquefied for the batter, and one chopped for banana chunks inside of the pancake. The liquefied banana replaces some of the milk from a normal pancake recipe and gives it a subtle banana flavor. The chopped banana gives you even more of that delicious banana. You could also definitely add some mini chocolate chips or finely-chopped walnuts. This recipe was loosely based on the recipe for plain pancakes from Grace and Good Eats.
Now that I'm writing this post, I also wonder how it would be to replace some of the sugar with honey . . . mmmm, bananas and honey . . . so good! I'll have to try that in the future. Anyway, even without the honey, this recipe is fabulous and worth eating.
To produce that nice, even brown color, there's a simple trick: cook with low heat (I set the stove to 4 out of 9), and use a nonstick pan with little to no grease or butter. The grease tends to fry portions of the pancake unevenly which is what gives some pancakes the crazy look. Cooking at too high of a temperature will cause the outside to burn before the inside has a chance to cook.
Have fun and enjoy!
Fluffy Banana Pancakes
Makes: 8 medium or 16 small pancakes
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 4 minutes per pancake
2 very ripe bananas
1 ½ cup (180 grams) all-purpose flour
3 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
¼ cup sugar
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
1 large egg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
¾ cup milk
3 Tbsp melted unsalted butter
1. Place a flat, nonstick skillet on the stove on medium-low heat to preheat.
2. Purée one of the bananas in the food processor, and chop the other into ¼-inch chunks.
3. Whisk together the dry ingredients, then whisk in all of the wet ingredients, including the puréed bananas (but not the chunks).
4. For medium pancakes, scoop batter onto the skillet using a ¼-cup measuring cup. For small pancakes, use a ⅛-cup measuring cup.
5. While the first side is cooking, add the banana chunks to the pancakes and continue cooking the first side for a total of about 2 minutes, until bubbles start to form.
6. Flip the pancakes, then cook the second side for 2 minutes.
7. Remove the pancakes from the skillet, then serve with with maple syrup (and more chopped bananas or walnuts if you're feeling adventurous). You can also keep them warm in the oven at 170℉ until you're ready for them.