These banana pancakes will win your heart from the first bite! Infused with fragrant sweetness of cinnamon and green cardamom, they are delicate, fluffy, and very easy to make. Enjoy them with fresh berries and caramelized pecans on the side, drizzled with raw honey and with a few slices of fresh banana on top.
The Flavour Affair:
Bananas + Green Cardamom + Cinnamon + Honey + Pecans + Berries
A delicious combination full of natural sweetness – you won’t even need to add sugar to the batter!
Bananas: you will need two very ripe bananas, plus about half of a ‘regular’ banana for topping.
Green Cardamom: sweet with a lingering fresh finish, green cardamom enlivens the batter, making the overall flavour lighter and more playful.
Cinnamon: provides more of the natural sweetness, with a subtle spicy woodiness. By the way, it’s the one responsible for the darker shade of our pancakes!
Honey: if you have a really sweet tooth, drizzle some raw honey over the pancakes and berries. You can also use maple syrup – or even nutella!
Pecans: I make quick caramelized pecans for the side, because they are amazing. It’s a super simple, 5-minute project which is totally worth the effort. More on that in the next section!
Berries: I went for blueberries and blackberries, mainly because I like the colour combo 😀 That said, strawberries or raspberries work great here, too!
We will also need all purpose flour, baking powder, egg and milk.
Preparation Tips for Banana Pancakes with Sweet Spices:
- For the batter, use two very ripe bananas. They are easy to blend and have more of the natural sweetness.
- Don’t skip baking powder: it will help the pancakes get fluffy and airy.
- You can use ground spices or grind your own. I always prefer the latter – freshly ground spices are more flavourful and aromatic. To do so, crack 4-5 green cardamom pods open and extract the seeds. Place 1/2 of a cinnamon stick into a spice grinder and pulse a few times to break it, then add the pods and blitz everything to a fine powder.
- To make caramelized pecans, simply heat a dry pan to very hot, add 1/4 cups of water and wait for it to start bubbling. Pour in 2 tbsp of brown or coconut sugar and stir to dissolve. As the caramel thickens, pop in a cup of pecan halves. Keep moving and turning them around until the pan almost dries out, then transfer to a baking sheet. Use tongs to separate and let cool down a bit before using.
- To make the batter, blend together two very ripe bananas and one egg. Pour in milk, add the flour, ground spices and baking powder and blitz everything together. If the mixture seems too thick, add another splash of milk. It may be a little lumpy, which is perfectly fine.
- For frying, use regular cooking oil. Heat it to medium and use a ladle to scoop us the batter. One ladle typically yields 3 pancakes. Make sure they are spaced out so that the edges do not touch.
- Fry the pancakes over medium heat on one side for 3-4 minutes until they turn opaque, then turn and fry on the other side until deep golden.
Serving Suggestions:
For a spectacular presentation, place a few banana slices on top, pour over honey or maple syrup, scatter around caramelized pecans and pop in some fresh berries. You can also sprinkle over a bit more ground cinnamon and/or cardamom.
Bon Appetit! Check out some of my other pancakes recipes – such as these yummy Mini Apple Pancakes or Cottage Cheese Patties!
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Banana Pancakes with Sweet Spices, Honey and Berries
Equipment
- 1 Mixing Bowl
- 1 large pan
- 1 medium pan for caramelized pecans
Ingredients
Yields ±12 pancakes:
- 1 cup all purpose flour 250g
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground green cardamom
- 1 egg
- 2 medium very ripe bananas
- 2/3 cup milk
For caramelized pecans:
- 1 cup pecan halves
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tbsp brown or coconut sugar
For toppings/sides:
- A few extra banana slices
- Fresh berries
- Honey or maple syrup
Instructions
To make the pancakes:
- Use a blender to blend together 2 very ripe bananas and one egg.
- Add 1 cup of flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp each ground cinnamon and green cardamom to the mixture and pour in 2/3 cups of milk.
- Blend everything together until smooth. There may be some occasional lumps which is totally fine.
- If the batter looks too thick, add a splash of milk. It should have a consistency similar to that of condensed milk.
- Heat 2 tbsp cooking oil in a large pan to medium.
- Scoop the batter with a ladle. Slowly pour the batter onto a pan to form pancakes of about 8cm in diameter. One full ladle typically contains batter for three pancakes.
- Fry for 3-4 minutes until the pancakes turn opaque, then flip and continue frying until they turn golden.
- Serve with fresh berries, honey or maple syrup and caramelized pecans, with a few extra banana slices on top.
To make the caramelized pecans:
- Heat a medium pan until very hot and pour in 1/4 cups of water.
- Add 2 tbsp of brown or coconut sugar and stir to dissolve.
- When the caramel thickens, pour in the pecan halves.
- Move and turn them around constantly until most of the syrup dries out and the nuts are coated.
- Transfer to a baking sheet and separate with tongs. Let cool before using.
Notes
- The pancakes can last in the fridge for a day or two.
- Caramelized pecans can be stored in an airtight container and used for deserts or salads.
