Even before school started back up (which was today!), my boys have always loved eating breakfast. (Otherwise, I’m dealing with crabby boys!)
But, they don’t eat your typical kind of breakfast. It’s grilled cheese or even a pasta dish of some sort.
We never have normal breakfast at my house. It’s usually whatever they can put down their bellies! (And, if you have boys in your household, you know what I mean!)
Buttermilk Pancakes are a favorite with my boys. But, I have to say that the Peanut Butter Buttermilk Pancakes are especially my favorite. (Because as you know, I’m in love with pb!)
I’m sharing with you today my boys’ favorite bedtime meal “snack”…
Pancakes filled with an abundance of ripened bananas AND they’re made with whole wheat.
If you like banana bread, you’ll love these Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes!
Oh, did I mention these banana filled pancakes are made from scratch? No need to feel intimidated!
If you haven’t made pancakes from scratch before, now is the time! I’ve got you covered.
These are just as easy (and less expensive!) than mixing up that box of the dry ingredients with the milk or water.
Once you make these pancakes, you’ll be jumping up and down in the kitchen with so much excitement…because I do. (Really, I do! Especially because these pancakes puff up! Yes, that’s how easily I get excited…puffy food.)
Using very ripened bananas are key. Let those bananas set in the corner of your kitchen and get black!
I have to hide the rotting ripening bananas or Justin will think they are bad and throw them away! Then I have to start the whole process of waiting for bananas to over ripen again. So from experience, tuck the bananas away until they’re ready and black!
The bananas are simply easier to smash and have more flavor when over ripe. They literally melt into the pancake batter…and then into your mouth!
Start by putting all of your dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Including the cinnamon and nutmeg.
Put the buttermilk, vanilla, egg, and smashed bananas in a separate mixing bowl and stir.
Gently stir the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients. Stop stirring once you no longer see flour.
Set the pancake batter aside for 20-30 minutes. (Or overnight in the refrigerator, covered.) By doing this, it absorbs the whole wheat and makes these pancakes super soft.
My boys don’t even realize there is whole wheat in them! They can be picky…and I can be sneaky like that.
After letting the batter rest, heat your skillet to medium-high heat. Put a few pats of butter in your skillet.
Tip: if your butter is starting to burn, your heat is up too high. Wipe the butter out with a paper towel and let the skillet cool before adding more butter.
Drop some batter into your skillet about 1″ apart from each other. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side. Once you start seeing air bubbles popping up through the top, usually means it’s time to flip (gently). Take a peek underneath…but, don’t flip unless it is ready. Only flip once! Flipping it over and over will result in a flat pancakes. And, you want a fluffy pancake!
You can make these as big or as small as you want. Most of the time, we make the pancakes small so we can stack them up so high like a castle structure…then crush it down with each bite.
That’s how it is with boys…total destruction!
Tip: Mix all of the dry ingredients together and store away for later use (and label). Then, when you want to make a batch later, all you need to do is mix up the wet ingredients.
Also, after the pancakes have cooled, wrap individually with air tight freezer wrap and freeze for up to a month.
Would you like a bite? Because, you know I’ll share!
These are delicious with just a pat of butter melted on them or with your favorite maple syrup drizzled on top. You decide!
Enjoy, my friends!
- ¾ cup 100% whole wheat (I like to use King Arthur flour)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 over ripe bananas, smashed
- 3 tablespoons butter (to prevent sticking in the skillet)
- Whisk together the flours, sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder and, baking soda. Set aside.
- Beat the egg into the buttermilk with the vanilla.
- Stir the smashed bananas into the buttermilk mixture.
- Add the wet ingredients into the flour mixture.
- Gently stir with a large spoon until you no longer see flour.
- Do not over mix. (Lumpy is GOOD!)
- Set aside and allow to rest for 20-30 minutes to absorb the whole wheat. (Or overnight in the refrigerator, covered.)
- Do not stir again after letting the batter rest. Gently scoop out batter as you make the pancakes.
- Add butter to the heated surface. (medium-high heat)
- Add ¼ cup of batter (per pancake).
- Allow to cook for about 2-3 minutes.
- Flip pancake when you see air bubbles and when the edges are dry.
- Cook the other side for another 2-3 minutes.
- Now you have fluffy homemade pancakes!
Beautiful! I’ll take a big fluffy stack!
Averie @ Averie Cooks recently posted…Reese’s Pieces Peanut Butter Fluffernutter Cookies with Peanut Butter Buttercream
Averie, I’ll trade you for some of your Peanut Butter-Swirled Cheesecake Bars!
These look super yummy! Pinning for later!
(I stick my bananas in the freezer after they’ve gotten soft, that way I always have them on hand for recipes like this.)
Laura @ The Rookie Cook recently posted…Vegetarian Confetti Pizza
What a great tip, Laura! That’s where I should “hide” them! (=
We are on the same banana brain-waves today! I love banana bread, so I’m sure I could easily devour these scrumptious looking pancakes! This is a keeper! Although, we might eat them for dinner. We call breakfast for dinner, “Brinner!”
Tahnycooks recently posted…Banana Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
I love that…Brinner! We have breakfast burritos all the time for dinner and the boys were saying they need to be called something else! (=
I love banana pancakes. Even better that they are whole wheat!! I love how fluffy they are. 🙂
sally @ sallys baking addiction recently posted…Pumpkin Cupcakes with Dark Chocolate Frosting.
Thanks, Sally! Fluffy pancakes are the best!
Yum!! These look really yummy. I don’t like bananas cooked in anything but I could leave them out! My mother used to make me banana pudding without the bananas! ha! I love raw bananas!
Paula recently posted…Veggie Quiche
Oooh, yes I do love banana bread so I know I’ll love these pancakes! They look so fluffy, I just want to cut myself a big piece. 🙂 Have a great rest of the week Gloria! xo
Anne ~ Uni Homemaker recently posted…Pancetta and Summer Squash Risotto
Thank you, Anne! I hope you’re having a great week so far! (=
I love making banana pancakes, but I don’t think I have ever made a whole wheat version before. Great back to school breakfast (or night time snack!). My son has never liked to eat breakfast so I have to make something really yummy to get him to eat.
Christin@SpicySouthernKitchen recently posted…Squash Puppies
Aren’t kids funny about that? I’m almost that way, though. For some reason, breakfast food sounds so yummy on a late Sunday morning or on a week night. Thanks, Christin! (I love how you spell your name!)
My kids are all about breakfast, but our boys are flip flopped, mine would rather eat breakfast for dinner, than actual dinner! I love the whole wheat in these pancakes Gloria. Makes me feel better about all the butter and syrup that will go on top!
tanya recently posted…Chicken With Buffalo Fettucine Alfredo #backtoschoolweek
So true, Tanya! Makes me feel like it’s okay to actually smother butter on these! (=
My 2 young nephews are all over the place with their eating habits too… Chicken nuggets for breakfst…graham crackers and nutella for dinner. Lol. They crack me up. Is it a boy thing? I never remember being that way.
Love love love pancakes! My husband is usually the king of breafast making on the weekends and he’s made whole wheat pancakes many times. We’ve added applesauce but never bananas. Not sure why, now come to think of it, because we love bananas. Definitely must try because these look so fluffy and delicious. 🙂
Tina @ Tina’s Chic Corner recently posted…The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie
I’ve never tried pancakes with applesauce…I bet they are delicious! You’d have to have him put the smashed bananas in them next time to see what he thinks.
Those sound like yummy dinners…nutella and crackers. That’s my kind of treat!
Thanks for coming over, Tina…always love hearing from you! xo
Those pancakes look ridiculously good! Definitely one of my favorite breakfast treats 🙂
Happy Valley Chow recently posted…NY Style Pizza Dough, Homemade Pizza Sauce, and Duxtop Review
Thanks, Eric! I bet you make amazing breakfast!
Oh my gosh, I would love a stack of these right now. I have never made anything other than buttermilk pancakes at home. I am secretly excited to start a family so I can cook more things that my boyfriend wouldn’t want!
Julianne @ Beyond Frosting recently posted…Peanut Butter Cake Bars
That is hilarious, Julianne! Then you’d have more opinions in the house for sure! My husband says I should always make the boys eat one main thing that I make for lunch time (they come home from school to eat). But I already do that for dinner, lunch time is more flexible. (=
Gloria, these sound SOOOO good! I’ve never tried banana pancakes and I love bananas! I’ll bet these are just moist and delicious! I always make just plain pancakes or a kind my mom always made for when I was little – you cook a piece of bacon and then pour the pancake batter over it so the bacon cooks in the pancake. I still love that! Thanks for sharing you recipe – pinning and buffering! 🙂
Cindy Eikenberg recently posted…20 Minute Plastic Bangle Makeover
I love doing the same thing with my waffles…but I do the little bacon pieces instead. It’s yum! Thanks for sharing, Cindy! You are always so kind. xo
I can’t believe your boys eat grilled cheese and pasta for breakfast. Gross! haha. These look awesome! I’ve made banana pancakes before but never a whole wheat version.
Ashley @ Wishes and Dishes recently posted…Peach Crumb Bars
You just reminded me of how bad I want pancakes this week! Thank you Gloria for this great reminder! Your banana pancakes look AMAZING!
Pamela @ Brooklyn Farm Girl recently posted…Chocolate Spinach Brownies with Peanut Butter Frosting
ya! Just in time for school. I really needed more breakfast ideas. Thanks Gloria
My boys will eat whatever, whenever, and as long as it’s healthy, I let ’em! Chicken for breakfast is a common occurrence around here. I haven’t gotten into the habit of breakfast for dinner though; I should! These pancakes look perfect, and I agree, scratch-made is often easier! <3
Allie | Baking A Moment recently posted…Plum Biscoff Shortcakes
these look beautiful and yummy! love your photos! thank you for visiting my blog and commenting, returning the love
katherine recently posted…Wednesday Words- 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Wow! What a fluffy, pillowy stck of pancakes…makes me want to dig in straight away! Buttermilk pancakes are my favourite too. Plus whole wheat and bananas. I think this is the perfect breakfast for kids. Big kids too:-)
Sugar et al recently posted…Eggless Chocolate and Passion Fruit Melting Moments
Grilled Cheese and Pasta… very interesting breakfast! 🙂 Loving these whole wheat banana pancakes because first off they are whole wheat and secondly great way to use up extra bananas. Add some chocolate chips to these puppies and … yum. All over these, pinning now!
Krista @ joyfulhealthyeats recently posted…Blueberry Cobbler {Paleo}
Your pancakes look great! I’ll take a stack – pinned!
Deb@CookingOnTheFrontBurner recently posted…Peachy Keen Salad
Yum!! This looks amazing, Gloria! I’ve never seen bananas go black simply bc I won’t let them…We are banana killers around here. But I’m def going to tuck them away and wait patiently so I can make this soon! Looks so…fluffy!!
These look wonderful! I love banana pancakes, and I keep wanting to make whole wheat ones too! Maybe next weekend 🙂 Thanks for sharing! They look yummy!
Maria recently posted…Hearty Beef Stew
Hello! I’m so glad I found your blog 🙂 Those look amazing! I cant wait to try them 🙂 Following on bloglovin’! Feel free to stop by my blog and say hi!
endlesslybeloved.blogspot.com 🙂
Brianna recently posted…five on friday
Whoa…those are some gorgeous pancakes lady! Those look so yummy Gloria 🙂
Lisa@ Cooking with Curls recently posted…Best of the Weekend {18}
Pancakes are go to for my boys, they love buttermilk pancakes too! Sometimes, I even get requests for pancakes for dinner 🙂
I am yet to make them some wheat pancakes tho, I will definitely try your recipe because it looks awesome!
Lyuba@willcookforsmiles recently posted…Show Stopper Saturday – Link Party