What really makes a weekend breakfast fabulous is a big stack of fluffy, homemade, buttermilk Blueberry Banana Pancakes! These irresistibly soft from scratch pancakes are loaded with ripe bananas and juicy blueberries are truly the best!
Is there anything as cozy and comforting on a cold morning as a big stack of homemade pancakes?
Slathered with melty butter.
Bathed in and dripping with golden maple syrup.
Flanked with a stack of crispy bacon.
I mean, the bacon is optional, but in our house…it’s non-negotiable.
This page includes step by step instructions, as well as tips and notes. If you’d like to skip all that, feel free to scroll down to the full, printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
So, what do you do with brown bananas?
More often than not, Abe and I end up with at least 2 or 3 gross, inedible dark brown bananas with every bunch we buy. Of course, this is intentional.
I always buy extra so I have a reason to make banana bread, banana cake, or banana muffins!
I had no idea how absolutely delish these easy banana pancakes are until the day my buddy Lara and I were doing some client work, and one recipe happened to be a buttermilk pancake recipe.
She begged me to hang on to the last 2 scoops of batter so she could smash a banana into it before cooking it. (Apparently, she’s been eating pancakes like that for years.)
Of course, hers were loaded with chocolate chips and bathed in Buttermilk Syrup, so I went crazy for them.
I went with blueberries here because, well – it’s too classic a combo to pass up. And worthy of equally crazy adoration, for that matter.
I decided years ago I would never make pancakes from a mix again. These buttermilk banana pancakes made me realize I will forever put smashed overripe bananas in there, no matter what.
Ingredients
- Overripe bananas – the ugly, spotty ones no one wants to eat are perfect for these!
- Fresh blueberries – partially thawed frozen berries work fine here, too, but they might bleed a little into the batter.
- Buttermilk
- Flour – all-purpose is my go to, but these are also tasty with white-wheat flour and 1:1 gluten free flour.
- Granulated sugar
- Baking powder, baking soda, and salt
- Cinnamon – optional, but yummy!
- Large eggs
- Melted and cooled butter – unsalted is best, but if you only have salted, just reduce the amount of salt you add to the dry ingredients.
- Vanilla extract
For exact ingredient measurements and recipe instructions, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the post!
Out of Buttermilk?
Go ahead and add 1 1/2 tablespoons of lemon juice or vinegar, or 2 1/2 teaspoons of cream of tartar to the milk in this recipe. Stir it up and let it sit for 5-10 minutes before proceeding with mixing the batter. The acid will curdle the milk and act as a buttermilk substitute! It works like a charm, even though it looks a little gross when you add it to the batter.
Other buttermilk substitutes include:
- Buttermilk powder & milk (or water)
- A 3:1 ratio of sour cream & milk (or water)
- A 3:1 ratio of plain yogurt & milk (or water)
- Kefir
- Plant milks + acid of your choice
- Lactose-free milk + acid of your choice
Of course, you can always make this recipe with regular milk as well!
Are These Banana Pancakes Healthy?
Ehhhhh. Not exactly. Sorry, friends. If you were looking for some 2-ingredient, low carb, gluten free flapjacks, you’ll have to look elsewhere.
These banana pancakes are flour based, and are made with granulated sugar and buttermilk.
So while they’re not keto friendly, a couple of pancakes is just over 300 cals. If you have some wiggle room in your diet, a nice weekend breakfast of carby comfort could be exactly what you need.
Can You Freeze Leftover Banana Pancakes?
If you end up with extra pancakes (this recipe makes 12, so you might!), pop them in the freezer! Abe LOVES finding leftovers waiting for him on his on-the-go mornings, and these reheat as good as if they were fresh.
How To Make Banana Pancakes
Pancakes from scratch are just as easy as using a boxed mix, and they taste so much better!
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients. If you’re feeling extra ambitious, sift it all together. Some people swear this makes their pancakes even fluffier, but I have yet to notice a difference. Use a rubber spatula to make a well in the middle of the dry stuff.
- In another medium sized bowl, whisk some eggs up until they’re fluffy, then add in your mashed bananas and remaining wet ingredients. Make sure everything is room temperature, and your melted butter is slightly cooled before mixing it in. This ensures it won’t solidify.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir it up! But only until it’s just mixed – the more you mix, the tougher your ‘cakes with be.
- Heat an electric griddle to 325 degrees F, or set a griddle pan over medium heat in the stovetop. Rub a stick of butter over the surface until it sizzles. Use a ladle or large cookie scoop to drop 1/4-1/3 cup of the batter onto the hot surface. Drop some blueberries on each pancake. Let them cook 2-4 minutes (your griddle may vary) until the top looks slightly dry, then us an oversized spatula
to flip them and cook another 1-2 minutes. - Transfer them to a baking sheet in a low-temp oven to keep them warm while you finish off the batter.
to flip them and cook another 1-2 minutes.Tips For Perfectly Fluffy Pancakes From Scratch:
- Don’t Over Mix! It is criminally easy to mix pancake batter too much – and the punishment is rubbery, flat pancakes that are only slightly appetizing. As soon as the clumps of flour blend into the batter, stop mixing!
- Heat It Up. In my experience, the most evenly cooked and perfect looking pancakes come off a 325-350 degree F griddle – electric or stovetop pan. Make sure the surface is evenly heated before cooking your pancakes.
- Butter Is Better. Non-stick cooking spray is fine when cooking pancakes, but why? Why use that when you can use butter?? Butter inside, butter on top – why not just sizzle them in butter, too?
- Leave Them Be. Resist the urge to flatten them with your spatula, unless you don’t like fluffy pancakes! Let them cook until the exposed side looks slightly dry, then flip them once.
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Blueberry Banana Pancakes
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 overripe bananas mashed
- 2 cups buttermilk room temperature
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup fresh blueberries plus more for serving
- Maple syrup for serving
- Fresh banana slices for serving
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add the mashed banana, buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla and whisk well to combine.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Whisk well.
- Use a spoon or spatula to create a well in the middle of the dry ingredients, the pour the wet ingredients in. Stir just until incorporated, being sure not to overmix.
- Heat a non-stick griddle to 325 degrees F, or set a large skillet over medium heat. Melt butter over the surface or spray with cooking spray as needed.
- Use a large ice cream scoop or ladle to pour about 1/3 cup batter onto the cooking surface. Scatter blueberries over the top of the pancake and cook until bubbles form on top and the batter is set and looks partially dry, 2-3 minutes.
- Use a large spatula to flip the pancake and cook the other side until golden brown and cooked through, 1-2 minutes
- Repeat with the remaining batter, storing finished pancakes on a baking sheet in a 150 degree F (if desired) oven until ready to serve.
- Serve with sliced bananas, blueberries, butter, and maple syrup, as desired.
Nutrition
This banana pancakes post was originally published on January 15, 2019. It was updated with an edited recipe and updated information on March 13, 2024.
peachices says
These were thee most blissful pancakes I’ve ever made in my life, they were beyond delicious, as warm and soft as a heated duvet.
Mike Perham says
My mix did not mix well at all and was very liquidity. I used a kitchen aide mixer. The pancakes were flimsy and thin. They tasted okay, nothing great.