Jennifer Hanes MS, RDN, LD
Imagine the mouthwatering combination of sweet strawberries and creamy bananas infused into fluffy pancakes. Today, we’re making delightful Strawberry Banana Pancakes.
Pancakes are a beloved breakfast choice, but adding the vibrant flavors of strawberries and bananas takes breakfast to a whole new level.
Join us as we discover the deliciousness of Strawberry Banana Pancakes. It’s time to upgrade your breakfast routine and indulge in this irresistible flavor duo. Let’s get started!
Why Strawberry Banana Pancakes
The combination of strawberries and bananas is classic. So are pancakes, actually. I recently had some banana nut pancakes, and it gave me the idea to try other fruit combinations in the batter itself.
All fruit can add fiber and phytochemicals to your diet, giving you a great health boost to otherwise boring, bland pancakes.
Pancakes are a great breakfast option because they’re pretty easy to feed a crowd and are inherently vegetarian. Bacon or sausage is optional for meat eaters.
Ingredients
For this recipe, we will be using:
- All-Purpose Flour
- Baking soda AND baking powder
- Egg
- Overripe banana
- Strawberries
Alternatives and Variations
Another nice thing about pancakes is that they are super easy to customize. You can change out the fruit or tailor them to individuals with allergies or other preferences.
Food Preferences
You can change out the fruit for one(s) you like better. A mixed-berry pancake could be cool.
You could also add chopped nuts or chia seeds for some crunch and some added protein and fiber, or any other modification your creative self can come up with.
Dietary Preferences
This recipe is already vegetarian, but it wouldn’t take much to make it vegan!
Use a baking egg alternative, such as a flax egg, and you’ll be set with minimal difficulty.
For those with high protein needs, you could always add protein powder. You can buy protein powders that are vegan or not and that are not flavored. You can also find some fun flavors, such as salted caramel, that might work, too.
Allergies and Other Food Intolerances
For diners allergic to eggs, consider the options listed above for vegan modifications.
Those who must eat gluten-free can choose a gluten-free pancake mix or gluten-free flour. However, some ingredient proportions may need to be altered when using flour other than wheat.
I recommend searching for a recipe specific to your chosen flour and replacing the liquid with pureed fruit.
Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
Sift the flour, baking soda, and baking powder into a large mixing bowl. I use a mesh strainer, place the dry ingredients in, then gently shake into the bowl.
Puree the bananas and strawberries in a blender or food processor. You want to have about 3/4 cup of puree. Add more strawberries if needed. The banana flavor will be fine. Add the egg, buttermilk, and melted butter and mix thoroughly.
Pour the fruit mixture into the flour mixture and gently mix until just combined. Don’t mix until all the lumps are smoothed out! This is the number one mistake people make when baking with flour. Allow the batter to sit for about 10 minutes before cooking.
Turn on your griddle to approximately 300° F or the non-stick skillet to medium heat. Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to create equal-sized pancakes. Add thin slices of strawberries on top of the batter. Push them into the batter a bit so they stay with the pancake when it is flipped.
You should get a yummy caramelization on the fruit.
You could do both strawberries and bananas, but we found that including sliced bananas here overwhelmed the taste of the strawberries, and we ended up with weirdly pink banana pancakes instead of strawberry banana pancakes.
When little bubbles appear and the edges start to lift from the griddle, flip the pancakes and allow them to cook through. Flip them, then leave them alone. Don’t flip them back and forth or push down on the top. You’ll reduce how fluffy they get.
You can keep the pancakes warm in the oven while you make the rest.
Serving Suggestions
Serve these however you usually serve pancakes. Good old butter and syrup will work just fine!
If you wanted to make them a bit more special, you could add whipped cream, peanut butter, or caramel or chocolate sauce.
Or you could go all out and make a fruit topping. Melt 1-2 Tbsp butter in a skillet on medium-high heat, add some chopped strawberries and bananas and a tsp of sugar. You could probably use any leftover strawberry banana puree instead of sugar if you wanted. Stir frequently until caramelized.
Add on top of your pancake stack and enjoy! We found that when we made this topping, we didn’t even need pancake or maple syrup.
To complete your meal, add a protein option. 2-3 eggs cooked your favorite way or a vegetarian sausage option would work well. Greek yogurt could work too.
Strawberry Banana Pancakes
Equipment
- 1 Blender or Food Processor
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 Griddle or large non-stick skillet
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 banana, roughly chopped overripe
- 10 strawberries, roughly chopped approx twice the volume of the banana
- 1 large egg beaten
- 4-5 strawberries thinly sliced
For the topping
- 2 tbsp salted butter
- ½ banana roughly chopped
- 4-5 strawberries roughly chopped
- 1 tsp sugar or extra strawberry banana puree
Instructions
- In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Puree the strawberries and the banana in a blender or food processor. You want to have about 1 1/2 cup of pureed fruit. Add more strawberries if necessary.
- Add fruit puree and the egg to the flour mixture. Mix just until incorporated. Do not overmix, small lumps are okay!
- All batter to sit for at least 10 minutes before cooking. Pre-heat griddle to 300° F
- Drop 1/4 cup batter on the hot griddle and spread into a 5-inch circle. Gently pushed a few sliced strawberries into the top of the batter.
- Cook until bubbles begin to form on surface and edges begin to brown. Gently flip and continue to brown other side. Repeat with remaining batter.
For the Topping
- Put all topping ingredients in a skillet that is pre-heated to medium-high. Stir frequently until the fruit is broken down and the whole mixture thickens and caramelizes, about 7-8 minutes.
Nutrition
*Nutrition Facts are an estimate only. Differences are expected when making substitutions for any ingredient or when different brands are used.
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Tips and Tricks
Look for yellow bananas with brown spots rather than brown and mushy. Strawberries should be dark red and have a strong scent. Having good-quality fruit is super important to making the pancakes taste as good as possible.
To achieve a consistent golden brown color, cook your pancakes on a nonstick surface without any cooking fat.
There are a few tips for getting fluffy, golden pancakes. Try to start with cold ingredients, and do not overmix the batter. This cannot be stated enough. If you overmix the batter (anything made with wheat flour), the resulting dish will be denser and tougher than you want and will likely not rise as much.
Other things to consider if your pancakes aren’t fluffy enough:
- Make sure your baking soda and baking powder are not only in date but also relatively new. Use leavening agents that have been open for less than 6 months.
- Make sure you sift the dry ingredients. Dumping it in a bowl will prevent the leaveners from evenly dispersing and cause the flour to be “heavy.”
- Make sure you let the batter rest before cooking it. Give those leaveners time to work!
- Don’t press down on the top of the pancake with your spatula. It’ll cook just fine without it, and you’ll press out any trapped air bubbles.
If you did all this and you want even fluffier pancakes, there are a few more things to try:
- Swap all-purpose flour for cake flour. Cake flour has less protein than AP flour, so less gluten will form in your batter. This makes for a softer, fluffier product.
- Use some carbonated, strawberry banana-flavored water in place of the puree.
- Beat the egg whites. Separate the yolk from the white. Make the batter with the yolk as stated above. But take the whites and beat them into stiff peaks (like a meringue). Then, gently fold the egg whites into the batter, being careful not to knock the air out of them. Then, cook as directed.
Reduce Food Waste – Uses for Banana Peels
Did you know that there are fun uses for banana peels? Our country has such a big problem with food waste, so why not find a new favorite use for banana peels? Note: these are just some fun ideas I found online. I don’t vouch for any of them!
- Make banana tea fertilizer—though this idea seems controversial. It may be better to add banana peels to the compost pile.
- Skincare—purported uses include placing pieces of the peel over your eyes to reduce puffiness, rubbing the inside of the peel on your face to brighten skin tone, reducing the appearance of acne scars, and preventing wrinkles (almost like a serum). It is also said to reduce the itch and sting of psoriasis spots.
- Haircare – Apparently, you can scrape the fleshy inside of the peel and mix it with coconut oil to make an anti-dandruff hair mask.
- First aid – Place the inside of the banana peel on sunburns and insect stings to reduce pain. You can also let it sit over a buried splinter to draw it to the surface of your skin.
- Food – banana peels can be candied and eaten as a treat. They can also be used as an ingredient in chutney, boiled to make tea, or blended into a smoothie. Just remember to wash them first!
Final Thoughts
Now, it’s your turn to experience the magic. From the first sizzle on the griddle to the final drizzle of maple syrup, you’ll be rewarded with flavors that will brighten your morning!
Lastly, we would love to hear from you. Did you try the Strawberry Banana Pancakes? Did you add your own twist or do you have any tips to share? Leave us a comment below, and let’s keep the conversation going. Your feedback and experiences are invaluable, and they inspire us to continue bringing you recipes and articles.
So, don’t hesitate. Grab your spatula, fire up the stove, and let the aroma of freshly cooked Strawberry Banana Pancakes fill your home. Embrace the joy of creating a delicious breakfast, and join us on this culinary journey. We can’t wait to hear about your pancake adventures!
Banana has such a strong flavor we found it overwhelmed the taste of the strawberries to have it sliced and added to the batter. In fact, even in our puree, we had to do a 2:1 strawberry to banana and add sliced strawberries in order to taste the strawberries at all.
However, if your goal is banana pancakes without the strawberries, pureeing the banana and adding slices on top of the batter on the griddle will definitely get you that.
My guess is that they were either undercooked or that you used too much liquid. I completely replace any liquid with fruit puree. Having fruit puree and milk or buttermilk could make the batter less structured than you need it to be.
You may have to adjust the temperature of your skillet or pan. If it’s too hot, the outside may risk burning before the inside is done.
It depends on the recipe. Regular fiber and no fruit doesn’t have much in the way of fiber. This recipe, however, is full of fruit and fiber! You could also use whole-grain flour instead of AP flour, but you’ll change the texture slightly.
I think any fruit would work, as long as you puree it first. Obviously remove any pits first. Use your favorite fruit combination!
Jennifer Hanes MS, RDN, LD is a registered dietitian, mom, wife, and vegetarian in North Texas. She has dedicated Dietitian Jenn to be a source of information, ideas, and inspiration for people like her, vegetarians that live with people with different dietary beliefs and/or needs in a multivore household.
- Jennifer Hanes MS, RDN, LDhttps://www.dietitianjenn.com/author/admin-2/
- Jennifer Hanes MS, RDN, LDhttps://www.dietitianjenn.com/author/admin-2/
- Jennifer Hanes MS, RDN, LDhttps://www.dietitianjenn.com/author/admin-2/
- Jennifer Hanes MS, RDN, LDhttps://www.dietitianjenn.com/author/admin-2/