You know who I just love to pieces?  Jack Johnson.  Without a doubt, he is one of my top three favorite artists.  He makes up 8.5% of my iTunes library.  And in my top three favorite Jack Johnson songs, Banana Pancakes for sure!  My sweet Ben bought me tickets to see Jack Johnson in concert last month as an anniversary gift, and we had a truly wonderful time.  Perfect weather in an outdoor venue, mellow environment, and great people watching.  (Also, we had a fabulous sushi dinner before the concert – a truly perfect evening!)  If you are a fan and you have never seen him in concert, I highly recommend it!

Anyway, the day after the concert I just couldn’t resist making banana pancakes for breakfast.  Cliche?  Maybe, but also delicious.  I’ve got to give Jack credit because before hearing that song, I had never even heard of banana pancakes, let alone tasted them.  Now this recipe has been a favorite in our household for several years.  These are easy as can be and would be great for a fun weekend project with the kiddos.  Even though Andrew isn’t quite old enough to help yet, he definitely did his part in eating them.

  • Yield about 8 pancakes

Ingredients

4 tbsp. unsalted butter, plus additional for greasing the pan
1½ cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. sugar
2½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
1 small ripe banana, mashed
1 cup milk
2 large eggs
½ tsp. vanilla extract
Additional banana slices, for serving
Maple syrup, whipped cream, etc. for serving

Directions

  • 01

    Preheat the oven to 200˚ F.  Melt the butter in a microwave safe bowl; set aside to cool slightly.  In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; whisk together to combine.  In a another bowl, combine the mashed banana, milk, eggs and vanilla and whisk to blend.  Add the melted butter and the banana mixture to the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix gently with a rubber spatula until just blended (the batter will be slightly lumpy).

  • 02

    Heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat.  Grease lightly with butter.  Drop the batter in 1/3 cup portions onto the heated cooking surface.  Cook until a few bubbles form in the top surface and the bottom is golden brown, about 2 minutes.  Carefully flip the pancake over and cook on the remaining side until golden brown, 1-2 minutes more.  Transfer finished pancakes to a plate in the warm oven while you use the remaining batter, re-greasing the pan as needed.  Serve warm with maple syrup and sliced bananas as desired.