Banana Heatwave Pancakes Recipe

In a large bowl whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt until evenly combined.

In a separate bowl mash bananas until mostly smooth with a few small lumps. Add the egg, buttermilk, melted butter and vanilla; whisk until uniform.

Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and gently fold with a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix — small lumps are fine. Let the batter rest 5–10 minutes while you preheat the griddle.

Preheat a large nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat (about 375°F / 190°C if using an electric griddle). Brush surface lightly with vegetable oil and melt the tablespoon of butter across the cooking surface so pancakes get a golden edge.

For each pancake, pour 1/3 cup batter onto the hot griddle. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface and the edges set, about 2–3 minutes.

Flip and cook the second side until golden and cooked through, about 1–2 minutes more. Keep cooked pancakes warm on a baking sheet in a low oven (200°F / 95°C) while you finish the rest.

While pancakes cook, prepare the brûlée bananas. Halve or slice the 2 bananas lengthwise. In a small skillet over medium heat melt 1 tbsp butter. Add the banana halves cut-side down and cook 1–2 minutes until beginning to caramelize.

Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the cut surfaces, add lemon juice, and continue to cook another 1–2 minutes until sugar melts and forms a glossy caramel. Remove from heat. If you want a hard caramel crust, transfer the banana pieces to a heatproof plate, sprinkle evenly with the coarse (turbinado) sugar, and using a kitchen torch melt/sugar-brown to create a crisp brûlée finish; otherwise serve as soft caramelized bananas.

Whisk together the maple syrup, powdered sugar, melted butter, vanilla and ground cinnamon until smooth and pourable. If too thick, thin with 1–2 teaspoons water or additional maple syrup. Taste and adjust cinnamon or sweetness as desired.

Keep glaze warm or at room temperature for drizzling over pancakes and brûléed bananas.

Stack and Top

Stack 2–3 pancakes per serving on warm plates. Arrange 2 caramelized banana halves (or slices) across the top of each stack.

Brûlée Finish (optional)

If you did not torch earlier and prefer a crisp sugar crust, sprinkle the banana surfaces with coarse sugar and carefully caramelize with a kitchen torch until bubbly and amber.

Drizzle the maple glaze generously over the pancakes and bananas. Sprinkle a light dusting of ground cinnamon, and add extra maple syrup to taste if desired.

Serve immediately while warm. Leftover pancakes can be reheated in a skillet or oven and re-topped when ready to serve.