Perfect for an indulgent breakfast, brunch, snack, or packed lunch occasion, these mini-pancakes can easily be made by little cooks too, with adult supervision of course.
We have added some semi ripe banana slices on top of batter for sweetness, and a salted caramel sauce for drizzle on top, which makes them even more addictive. Pancakes are one of the easiest baking projects that you can recruit your little ones to help with; as this recipe only involves a bowl and a whisk.
How to Make Caramelized Banana Pancakes
1. Prepare the Salted Caramel Sauce
- Heat the granulated sugar in a heavy-duty stainless steel saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly. The sugar will form clumps and then melt into a thick amber-colored liquid, which should take about 6 minutes.
- Once the sugar is completely melted, add the butter in 6 pieces. Be cautious as the mixture will bubble vigorously. Stir until the butter is fully melted and combined.
- Slowly pour in the heavy cream while stirring continuously. The mixture will bubble rapidly as the cream is added. Let the mixture boil for 1 minute without stirring, allowing it to thicken slightly.
- Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in the salt. Let the caramel cool slightly before using.
2. Prepare the Pancake Batter
- In a large bowl, combine the self-raising flour, baking powder, raw sugar, and salt. Whisk to evenly distribute the ingredients.
- In a separate bowl, lightly beat the egg. Add the milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract, whisking until fully combined.
- Gradually pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir until a smooth batter forms. Allow the batter to rest for 5 minutes.
3. Cook the Pancakes
- Heat a nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Grease the pan with a small amount of butter.
- Pour a small amount of pancake batter onto the pan, about 1/4 cup per pancake.
- Top each pancake with 3–4 banana slices. Cook until bubbles form on the surface and the edges look set, about 2–3 minutes.
- Flip the pancake and cook the other side until golden brown and puffed, about 1–2 minutes. Repeat with the remaining batter.
4. Assemble the Pancakes
- Stack the banana pancakes on a plate and drizzle generously with the salted caramel sauce.
- Optionally, top with additional banana slices, a dusting of powdered sugar, or whipped cream. Serve warm.
Caramelized Banana Pancakes 101: Tips for Success
- Banana Ripeness: Use semi-ripe bananas for the topping to ensure they hold their shape during cooking. Overripe bananas may turn mushy.
- Even Heat: Cook the pancakes over medium heat to ensure even cooking without burning the butter or pancakes.
- Caramel Consistency: If the caramel sauce solidifies in the refrigerator, reheat it gently on the stove or in the microwave to restore its pourable texture.
- Pancake Size: Make small pancakes to make flipping easier, especially with the banana slices on top.
Recipe Notes
- Make-Ahead Tip: The caramel sauce can be made up to 1 month in advance and stored in the refrigerator. Reheat before using.
- Banana Substitution: Try substituting bananas with other fruits like sliced apples or pears for variety.
- Serving Suggestion: Serve the pancakes with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a dessert twist.
Caramelized Banana Pancakes
- Total Time: 15 mins
- Yield: Serves 4
Description
These pancakes use ripe bananas and are drizzled with a salted caramel sauce that is truly addictive. Say hello to your new favorite brunch dish.
Ingredients
For the Pancakes:
1 1/4 cups self-raising flour (156 g)
1 tsp baking powder (4 g)
1 cup milk (240 ml)
1 large egg (50 g)
1 tsp vanilla extract (5 ml)
Pinch of salt
1 tbsp raw sugar (12 g)
2 semi-ripe bananas, sliced
2 tbsp melted butter (28 g)
2 tbsp butter (for greasing the pan)
For the Salted Caramel Sauce:
1 cup granulated sugar (200 g)
6 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature (85 g)
1/2 cup heavy cream, room temperature (120 ml)
1 tsp salt (5 g)
Instructions
1. Prepare the Salted Caramel Sauce
- Heat the granulated sugar in a heavy-duty stainless steel saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly. The sugar will form clumps and then melt into a thick amber-colored liquid, which should take about 6 minutes.
- Once the sugar is completely melted, add the butter in 6 pieces. Be cautious as the mixture will bubble vigorously. Stir until the butter is fully melted and combined.
- Slowly pour in the heavy cream while stirring continuously. The mixture will bubble rapidly as the cream is added. Let the mixture boil for 1 minute without stirring, allowing it to thicken slightly.
- Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in the salt. Let the caramel cool slightly before using.
2. Prepare the Pancake Batter
- In a large bowl, combine the self-raising flour, baking powder, raw sugar, and salt. Whisk to evenly distribute the ingredients.
- In a separate bowl, lightly beat the egg. Add the milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract, whisking until fully combined.
- Gradually pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir until a smooth batter forms. Allow the batter to rest for 5 minutes.
3. Cook the Pancakes
- Heat a nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Grease the pan with a small amount of butter.
- Pour a small amount of pancake batter onto the pan, about 1/4 cup per pancake.
- Top each pancake with 3–4 banana slices. Cook until bubbles form on the surface and the edges look set, about 2–3 minutes.
- Flip the pancake and cook the other side until golden brown and puffed, about 1–2 minutes. Repeat with the remaining batter.
4. Assemble the Pancakes
- Stack the banana pancakes on a plate and drizzle generously with the salted caramel sauce.
- Optionally, top with additional banana slices, a dusting of powdered sugar, or whipped cream. Serve warm.
Notes
Make-Ahead Tip: The caramel sauce can be made up to 1 month in advance and stored in the refrigerator. Reheat before using.
Banana Substitution: Try substituting bananas with other fruits like sliced apples or pears for variety.
Serving Suggestion: Serve the pancakes with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a dessert twist.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Pan Frying
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 Pancakes
- Calories: 410
- Sugar: 28g
- Sodium: 340mg
- Fat: 17g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 55g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 80mg
These pancakes are going straight into my brunch rotation. The caramel sauce is next level, but I might drizzle it over ice cream next time too!
Fantastic recipe! Added brown sugar in the same step the pancakes are topped with banana, and they came out perfectly caramelized. I would recommend adding a link to the salted caramel sauce, or even including the entire thing here— without it, this is truly only half the recipe. Overall, they came out excellent!
Hi there, thanks for the great input – we just added the sauce recipe into this post, and clarified some other things. Appreciate your help!
OMG, these were incredible! I made the pancakes with almond milk instead of regular milk, and they still turned out super fluffy. The caramel sauce was the perfect touch.
Not usually a pancake person, but these were next level. The bananas cooked right into the pancakes and got all caramelized. I’ll be making these every weekend!
Made these for brunch today, and they were a total hit!
Phenomenal, loved it!!!
Assalamu’alaikum , Jehanne
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
I reduced the sugar just a bit because my 10 month old was going to have that too.
Made a few minis without bananas because my mom likes it plain.
We have another recipe for “fancy “pancake but that’s meant for weekends only.
Now we can have weekday pancakes!
We all had it on its own and everyone loved it.
This is a keeper .