These chocolate chip banana bread pancakes are the perfect way to use up overripe bananas, and a wonderful weekend breakfast or brunch.
I think that the experience of having overripe bananas is a universal one. Maybe you bought a whole bunch of them and weren’t able to eat them all, or maybe you forgot you had them, or maybe you thought someone else in your household would eat them and they never did. Regardless of how they got there, I think most of us have had that “oh crap” moment when we need to think of what to do with a few bananas that are about to go bad. Yes, you can freeze them for smoothies. Or you can go the traditional route and make banana bread. But I’m here to introduce you to my new favorite way to use up overripe bananas: chocolate chip banana bread pancakes.
A few Saturdays ago, in my usual routine, I was rummaging around the kitchen trying to figure out what to make for breakfast. And that’s when I saw them: two bananas (my namesake!) on the counter, mushy, almost black and needing to be used that day. I immediately thought of banana pancakes, because I love banana pancakes. But anytime I’ve made them before, I’ve always sliced the banana and delicately placed the slices on the the cooking pancake batter. These bananas were far too gone to be sliced, so I decided to mash them. And as I was mashing I realized: this was much more akin to banana bread than banana pancakes. So I decided to throw in some chocolate chips (one of my favorite banana bread additions) and call them what they were: chocolate chip banana bread pancakes.
AN EASY WEEKEND BREAKFAST
I know that to some pancakes might seem like a special breakfast, because they’re not quite as easy to make as something like toast or oatmeal. But when it comes down to it, as long as you have a little bit of patience to cook them, pancakes are actually super easy to make. And these banana bread pancakes are no different. Simply mash up the bananas and whip up a simple and easy batter with a few pantry staple ingredients, and then fry them off. They only take a few minutes on each side to cook. And if you have a griddle (like me), you’ll be able to cook a big batch of them at the same time.
Not only are they easy, but these banana bread pancakes, like their namesake, are completely customizable. Everyone in my house loves chocolate, so throwing some chocolate chips in these pancakes seemed like a no-brainer. But you can use whatever ingredients you like to use in banana bread, or even whatever ingredients you have on hand. Walnuts are a classic banana bread ingredient, but pecans or even slivered almonds would be amazing here. Try adding your favorite baking spices like cinnamon or nutmeg, or even a little bit of chili powder for some sweet heat. If you have some other fresh fruit on hand, like blueberries or strawberries, throw those in for some extra freshness. And shredded coconut would give these pancakes a delicious tropical vibe.
Whatever you decide to add to them (or even if you don’t add anything), these banana bread pancakes are super delicious, and the perfect addition to your weekend breakfast rotation.
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Pancakes
Ingredients
- 2 large ripe bananas
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking powerder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
- butter for the pan/griddle
- maple syrup, chocolate syrup, whipped cream, or fresh fruit for serving (optional)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
- In a separate larger bowl, mash bananas into a paste. Add the eggs and sugar and whisk until the sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes. Add the milk, vanilla extract and melted butter and whisk to combine.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet, whisking as you go, until the batter has just come together and there are no more white spots of flour. Lumps are okay! Then fold in the chocolate chips.
- Place a large skillet or griddle over medium heat and melt about a tablespoon of butter. Use a 1/4 or 1/3 size measuring cup to measure out the batter into the pan. Once you see little bubbles forming around the edges of the pancakes, about 3 minutes, flip them. Cook another 2 minutes on the other side, until golden brown. Cook the pancakes in batches, adding more butter to the pan as needed.
- Serve the pancakes immediately or keep them warm in a low oven until ready to serve. Top with maple syrup, whipped cream, chocolate syrup, or your favorite pancake toppings.
Within the listed Ingredients there was no mention of sugar! It’s an observation.
Good observation! Most pancake recipes do call for a small amount of sugar, but with the sugar from the bananas and the sweetness of the chocolate chips, I chose to leave it out. You could definitely try about a tablespoon of sugar in this recipe though!
Thank you for the clarification –I was looking for the “sugar” also!