Chocolate Chip Banana Pancakes

One of my favorite flavor combos + one of my favorite breakfast foods. If you got some ripe bananas lying around, this is a great way to use them up.

Makes 6-8 pancakes with a 1/3 cup measuring cup.

• Prep time: 10 minutes

• Cook time: 20 minutes

• Equipment needed: Pan or griddle, mixing bowls, spatula, measuring cups/spoons

See *Notes for more important tips/clarifications

My mom used to make me chocolate chip pancakes all the time before I went off to school. And on particularly special occasions, she’d make these banana nut pancakes. I remember how well the crunch of the walnuts worked with the natural sweetness from the ripe bananas. So, as a nod to those childhood favorites, I wanted to create a recipe of my own. This way, I can have my own chocolate chip banana pancakes whenever I was in the mood… which is, very often 😉.

In my opinion, buttermilk is the key to making great, delicious pancakes. On top of providing a subtle tang, it reacts with the baking soda, giving the pancakes extra height and making them incredibly light.

Hope these pancakes can become a staple in your home too!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all purpose flour

• 1 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1/4 tsp baking soda

• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

• 1/8 tsp nutmeg

• 1 cup buttermilk

• 1 very ripe banana, mashed

• 1 1/2 tbsps unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

• 1 egg, beaten

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/4 - 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (my favorite are Ghiardeli!)

• 1 sliced banana for serving, optional

*Notes

• Don’t overmix the batter or the pancakes will turn out flat. When adding the wet ingredients to the dry, gently fold in with a rubber spatula just until no dry flour spots remain. The batter will be lumpy, that’s okay.

• Whisking the dry ingredients together helps them both to mix more evenly with each other (and then the rest of the batter) and also helps to incorporate some air into it.

• Make sure your egg and buttermilk are at room temperature and that the butter is slightly cooled after melting it so everything mixes properly.

• Letting the pancake batter rest helps the pancakes to rise better in the pan and helps make them light and fluffy.

• Optionally, you can set your oven to its lowest temperature (mine is 250 °F) and keep your pancakes warm on a wire rack set over a sheet tray while you make the rest.

Process:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

2. In a small bowl, mask the banana with a fork. Whisk in the buttermilk, butter, egg, and vanilla. Create a well with your hands in the dry ingredients and pour the wet in and gently fold in with a rubber spatula. Then, gently fold in the chocolate chips.

3. If time allows, let pancake batter rest for 10-20 minutes.

4. In a large nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat, melt a bit of butter and cook pancakes, about 2 minutes per side, flipping when you see bubbles and the underside is golden brown.

5. Serve with syrup, more butter, and sliced banana. Enjoy!