Banana peanut-butter pancakes
by Emma Reed
Banana peanut-butter pancakes bring ripe banana sweetness and a mellow nutty flavor to a small skillet breakfast. Eggs hold the flourless batter together, while a little baking powder helps keep the pancakes soft. A spoonful at a time makes small rounds that are easier to turn than one large, delicate pancake.
The ingredients go into one mixing bowl before the batter is portioned into a lightly greased skillet. Gentle heat gives the centers time to set without scorching the banana. Serve the pancakes in short stacks, with a light maple drizzle if you like. The recipe below includes measured amounts and clear texture checks so you can follow the whole method without referring to the video.
Recipe Highlights: Banana peanut-butter pancakes
- Flavor: Ripe banana, smooth peanut butter and lightly browned edges, with maple syrup as an optional finishing touch.
- Why Make It: Four familiar batter ingredients become small flourless pancakes in one bowl and a nonstick skillet.
- Serving Suggestions: Serve about four small pancakes per person in short stacks while warm.
Total Time: 26 mins Serves: 4
Ingredients
The batter uses eggs, banana, peanut butter and baking powder. The oil is for the skillet, and the maple syrup is a serving option rather than part of the batter. Measure the ingredients before you start so the separate additions are easy to follow.
- Eggs: Four large whole eggs provide the structure. Crack them carefully and check the bowl for shell fragments before adding the peanut butter.
- Bananas: Two very ripe medium bananas, about 240 grams after peeling, provide the fruit and sweetness. Brown-speckled skins are a useful sign; firm green bananas will be harder to crush smoothly.
- Peanut butter: Measure 1/4 cup of smooth peanut butter and stir separated oil back in first. Unsweetened peanut butter lets the banana lead the flavor without adding another sweetener to the batter.
- Baking powder: Use 1 teaspoon of baking powder, not baking soda. Break up clumps so you do not leave a concentrated pocket in the batter.
- Skillet and serving ingredients: A thin film of neutral oil helps the pancakes release. The 2 tablespoons of maple syrup are optional and are divided over the finished servings.
How to Make Banana Peanut-Butter Pancakes
Keep the ingredient additions separate, then mix thoroughly before heating the batter. Small portions and a broad spatula make the delicate flourless rounds easier to handle.
Combine and mash: Add the eggs and peanut butter to the glass bowl, followed by the baking powder and then the banana rounds. Crush the very ripe banana against the side of the bowl with a fork so you do not leave firm slices in the mixture.
Whisk thoroughly: Work through the bowl until the eggs, peanut butter and banana form a uniformly tan batter. Scrape the sides and bottom; there should be no separate egg white, powder pocket or peanut butter mound.
Portion gently: Warm and lightly grease the nonstick skillet. Add about 2 tablespoons of batter in each of four separate positions, leaving black pan surface between the rounds so they stay individual pancakes.
Turn when set: Cook gently until the rim is set and the underside is golden. Slide a thin broad spatula fully underneath each pancake, turn once, and finish the second side until the center is set rather than wet.
Finish in batches: Transfer cooked pancakes to a plate, recoat the skillet lightly as needed and continue with the remaining batter. Make short stacks and add a light maple drizzle only if using it.
Tips for Small, Tender Pancakes
The batter has no flour, so these pancakes need gentle handling. Use the first batch to judge your pan rather than increasing the heat to match a fixed cooking time.
- Keep the rounds small: Measure about 2 tablespoons per pancake so the center can set and the spatula can support the whole round. Larger pancakes are harder to turn intact.
- Wait for the rim to set: If the edge is still loose or the underside will not release with light spatula pressure, give it more time rather than forcing the turn.
- Lower the heat when needed: Banana can brown before the egg mixture is set. Reduce the burner if the underside becomes dark while the center remains wet.
- Finish one pour before the next: Let the batter stream taper off over the same round, then move the spoon to an empty position. This avoids joining the pancakes with batter trails.
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerate cooked leftovers in a shallow covered container within 2 hours, or within 1 hour if the surrounding temperature is above 90°F. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below and use the pancakes within 3 to 4 days. Store the optional syrup separately so the pancakes do not sit in it.
Reheat only the portion you plan to serve, using gentle heat in a covered skillet or short microwave intervals. Heat leftovers to 165°F, checking with a food thermometer. No fixed reheating time is given because the portion size and appliance affect it.
The pancakes may soften during storage. Warm them gently and support them with a broad spatula when moving them; add any syrup after reheating. Freezing texture and thawing times have not been established for this authored formulation, so no specific freezing method is included.
Banana peanut-butter pancakes
Soft flourless banana peanut-butter pancakes with measured ingredients, gentle skillet cooking and a light optional maple drizzle.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts, equivalents and measured amounts in the method are multiplied. Use larger cookware or cook in batches; temperatures and timing estimates stay unchanged. Check doneness as you cook.
Instructions
Combine the eggs and peanut butter. Crack the 4 eggs into the mixing bowl. Add the measured peanut butter, scraping the cup or jar so the full amount reaches the bowl. Keep the baking powder and banana in their separate containers until the next steps. The eggs and peanut butter are together in the bowl; no shell fragments remain.
Add the baking powder and banana. Sprinkle the baking powder into the bowl as a separate addition. Add the banana rounds afterward. With a fork, press the very ripe rounds against the side of the bowl until mashed, then scrape the mashed banana back into the egg mixture. No large banana slices remain. Small soft flecks are fine; do not leave firm chunks that will interrupt the pancake structure.
Whisk into an even batter. Whisk the mixture thoroughly until the peanut butter is dispersed and the eggs are evenly incorporated. Scrape around the sides and bottom of the bowl. The batter should fall from a spoon in a thick, pourable ribbon; it will be looser than a flour-based pancake batter. The batter is uniformly tan, with no separate egg white, peanut butter mound or dry baking powder pocket.
Preheat and lightly grease the skillet. Set the nonstick skillet over low to medium-low heat for about 2 minutes. Brush it with a thin film of the measured oil, reserving the remainder for later batches. Start gently: the banana can brown before the egg mixture has set if the pan is too hot. The pan is warm and lightly coated, with no smoking oil or deep pool of fat.
Portion four separate pancakes. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of batter into each of four separate positions in the pan. Aim for small rounds around 6 to 7 cm across and leave space for the spatula between them. Finish each pour before moving the spoon to the next position so batter does not connect the rounds. Four individual pancake rounds sit apart from one another; no batter trails join their edges.
Cook, turn and repeat. Cook the first side for about 1 to 2 minutes, or longer if necessary, until the rim looks set and the underside is golden. Slide the broad spatula fully underneath one pancake and turn it gently once. Cook the second side for another 1 to 2 minutes, until golden and the center is set rather than wet. Lower the heat if the exterior colors too quickly. Transfer to a plate, lightly recoat the skillet as needed and repeat with the remaining batter, stirring the bowl briefly between batches. The pancakes release with gentle spatula support and have softly set centers with no runny egg or wet batter when one is cut open.
Stack and serve warm. Arrange the cooked pancakes in short stacks on the serving plate. If using the maple syrup, drizzle the measured amount over the stacks. For the serving presentation, separate a bite from the top pancake with a fork and support it on the tines as you lift it, leaving the corresponding gap in that pancake. The remaining stack stays supported by the plate and the lifted bite stays attached to the fork. The inside is soft and set.
Notes
- This is an authored, video-inspired recipe. Measurements, batch yield and cooking details were developed to complete the demonstration; this version has not been kitchen-tested.
- The four base ingredients and their addition order follow the video. Maple syrup is a suggested optional topping for the amber-coated presentation, not an identification of the sauce in the original footage.
- The base batter contains no flour. Peanut butter and any serving syrup affect sugar content, so no sugar-free or nutritional claim is made.
- Do not scale burner heat, cooking time or skillet size with the serving multiplier. Cook extra batter in additional batches and rely on the set-center checkpoint. Contains eggs and peanuts.
Equipment: Large mixing bowl, approximately 25 cm across.; Small bowls or cups for the peanut butter, baking powder and banana.; Fork for crushing the very ripe banana; balloon whisk for combining the batter.; Measuring cups, measuring spoons and a 2-tablespoon portion measure.; 24 to 26 cm nonstick skillet and stovetop.; Thin, broad spatula for fully supporting the delicate pancakes when turning.; Silicone brush for spreading the oil and a serving plate.
Recipe Questions
Can these pancakes be made without flour?
Yes. This batter uses eggs, banana, peanut butter and baking powder without flour. The result is more delicate than a conventional flour pancake, so keep the portions small and let the first side set before turning.
Why do banana pancakes break when I flip them?
A pancake that is too large, still wet at the rim or only partly supported can tear. Use about 2 tablespoons of batter, wait for the edge to set, and slide a thin broad spatula fully underneath before turning.
How ripe should the bananas be?
Use very ripe medium bananas with brown-speckled skins. They should crush readily into a soft mash. Firm banana pieces can interrupt the batter and make turning the pancakes harder.
Should I use smooth or crunchy peanut butter?
The recipe is written for smooth peanut butter. Stir any separated oil back in before measuring so the batter receives an even mixture rather than an oily or dry portion.
How can I tell when the pancakes are cooked?
Look for golden undersides and set rims, then check that the centers are softly set with no runny egg or wet batter when a pancake is cut open. If the outside darkens first, reduce the heat and give the centers longer.
Is the maple syrup required?
No. It is an optional topping and does not go into the batter. The ripe banana already provides sweetness; use a light drizzle on the cooked stacks or leave it out.
Can I make the whole batch ahead?
You can cook the batch and refrigerate the cooled leftovers promptly in a covered container. Follow the storage guidance above and reheat the portion you need to 165°F before serving. The mixing instructions are written for batter cooked soon after it is made.
