These Caramelized Banana Coffee Pancakes are going to be a new breakfast favorite! Made by mixing buttery brown sugar caramelized bananas into the batter, these pancakes turn out perfectly soft and chewy with gooey chocolate chips and a subtle hint of espresso.
When I came up with the idea for this banana coffee pancake recipe, I had been craving a stack of homemade pancakes for SO LONG. I can do a lot with an air fryer and a microwave in my dorm room, but unfortunately pancakes is not one of them. When I came home for winter break, I immediately set to work dreaming up my ideal pancakes. I absolutely love banana pancakes with chocolate chips, but I wanted to add a twist to make them even more special.
I eventually landed on these Caramelized Banana Coffee Pancakes—and let me tell you, they did not disappoint. You start by caramelizing banana slices in a bit of butter and brown sugar until they’re nice and golden brown. Half of the bananas get mashed into the batter while the other half are reserved for the topping. Then it’s business as usual: add your milk, oil, flour, baking powder, salt etc.
The last twist I added was a bit of espresso powder. I am not a coffee drinker but I do love the taste of coffee in baked goods. Especially when there’s chocolate involved. This part is technically optional—I know not everyone has espresso powder on hand, but it does add such an interesting flavor. A little nutty and just bitter enough to balance out the sweetness of the bananas.
Once you’ve got your batter mixed up, fold in those chocolate chips. I used a non-dairy brand, but feel free to experiment with whatever kind you like. Use a nonstick pan to cook the pancakes until they’re golden brown and crisp on both sides. Keep in mind that these banana coffee pancakes will turn out a little denser and thicker than your average pancake—almost like banana bread!
I like to serve my Caramelized Banana Coffee Pancakes fresh off the griddle in a big stack with a generous drizzle of maple syrup and the rest of those caramelized bananas. So good!
Any leftovers can be refrigerated for 4-5 days and reheated in the toaster the next day. For long-term shortage, I recommend freezing the pancakes in between layers of parchment paper for up to 2 months. Microwave to thaw, toast and enjoy as a late-night snack or quick breakfast.
Tips and Tricks
- Most banana recipes will call for overly ripe, blackened bananas. This is not the case here. Since we’re caramelizing them, we want the banana slices to be able to hold their shape in the pan. The best kind for this recipe are yellow with maybe a couple brown speckles.
- To make these Caramelized Banana Coffee Pancakes Vegan, simply swap in whatever kind of non-dairy milk you prefer and use vegan butter and vegan chocolate chips.
- These banana pancakes are already pretty thick and dense, so it’s super important to not over-mix the batter. If there are still a couple pockets of flour left, that’s ok.
More Breakfast Recipes to Try
- Spiced Pear Cinnamon Rolls
- Maple Glazed Apple Fritter Waffles
- Zucchini Bread Pancakes
- Miso Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Made this recipe? Tag @wandering_chickpea on Instagram and follow along on Pinterest for more delicious recipes!
Caramelized Banana Coffee Pancakes
These Caramelized Banana Coffee Pancakes are going to be a new breakfast favorite! Made by mixing buttery brown sugar caramelized bananas into the batter, these pancakes turn out perfectly soft and chewy with gooey chocolate chips and a subtle hint of espresso.
Ingredients
Caramelized Bananas
- 2 large bananas, sliced into 1-inch thick coins
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp vegan or dairy butter
Pancake Batter
- 1 1/2 cups milk of choice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp instant espresso powder
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/3 cup chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
- To make the caramelized bananas, melt the butter in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar and add the banana slices in a single layer. Cook for 3-4 minutes, flip, and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes or until they’re caramelized on both sides.
- Reserve half the caramelized bananas for serving and quickly transfer the rest to a large mixing bowl along with any liquid in the pan. Mash with a fork then whisk in the milk, olive oil, maple syrup, espresso powder, apple cider vinegar and vanilla extract.
- In another mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until just combined—a few pockets of flour are ok. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Wipe out the nonstick skillet and return to medium heat. Spoon the batter into the hot pan and cook until small bubbles appear on the top and the underside is golden brown. Flip and repeat for the other side.
- Serve the pancakes right away with the reserved caramelized bananas and a drizzle of maple syrup.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 532Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 559mgCarbohydrates: 84gFiber: 4gSugar: 38gProtein: 9g
All nutritional info is an estimation
