Bananas Foster Pancakes are a great recipe for a special breakfast or brunch. Fluffy buttermilk pancakes are topped with a sauce made with butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, dark rum and cinnamon. Banana slices are heated in the sauce and the banana topping is served over the stack of pancakes. Chopped walnuts are sprinkled over the top.
Bananas Foster is a delicious dessert that was created at Brennan’s Restaurant in New Orleans. The sauce and caramelized bananas are served flambé over a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Flambé is the process of pouring alcohol over something and lighting it on fire. For this dessert banana liqueur is poured over the banana topping and lit.
Homemade pancakes are an easy recipe to make. They are made with ingredients you might already have in your pantry and you can whisk them together. No mixer needed!
What’s better than a stack of fluffy pancakes for breakfast? If you want to try some other new recipes besides the Bananas Foster Pancakes, check out Strawberry Whole Grain Pancakes, Red Velvet Pancakes, Pumpkin Oatmeal Pancakes, Caramel Apple Pancakes, Blueberry Cinnamon Pancakes, Gingerbread Pancakes and Strawberry Banana Pancakes.
SOME THINGS TO KNOW:FAQ’S
INGREDIENT TIPS:
- You want to use bananas that are just ripe and still very firm. They need to be nice and firm so they will maintain their shape while heating. Read about Bananas Ripeness Stages.
- This recipe calls for buttermilk in the pancakes. Did you know that you can easily make your own buttermilk at home. It is simple to do by adding white vinegar. For the 1 ½ cups of milk in this recipe, you need to add 1 ½ tablespoons of the vinegar to the milk. Stir it well and let it sit for 10 minutes before using..
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT NEEDED:
- Mixing Bowls: For mixing the pancake batter and ingredients for the Foster sauce.
- Whisk: To combine the dry and wet ingredients smoothly for the pancake batter.
- Measuring Cups and Spoons: For measuring all your ingredients accurately.
- Non-Stick Skillet or Griddle: For cooking the pancakes. A griddle is ideal for making multiple pancakes at once.
- Spatula: To flip the pancakes.
- Sharp Knife: For slicing the bananas.
- Cutting Board: For slicing bananas and chopping walnuts.
- Heavy Bottomed Pan or Skillet for Foster Sauce: A heavy pan is important for making the Foster sauce because it distributes heat evenly, reducing the risk of burning the sugar.
- Heatproof Spatula or Wooden Spoon: To stir the Foster sauce, especially when working with high heat and caramelization.
- Non-Stick Spray: Make sure that your skillet or griddle is non stick by properly using non-stick cooking spray or a little bit of oil to prevent the pancakes from sticking.
SUBSTITUTIONS:
- If you prefer not to use rum in the topping of the bananas foster pancakes, you can omit it and add 1 teaspoon of rum extract. You can increase the maple syrup by ¼ cup to maintain the same volume of liquid.
- For a gluten free version, you can use a gluten free all-purpose flour blend in place of the all purpose flour. To add more fiber, you could also substitute half of the all purpose flour with whole wheat flour.
- Vegetable oil can be replaced with any neutral oil like canola oil, light olive oil or grapeseed oil.
- Dark brown sugar can be replaced with light brown sugar but will have a milder molasses flavor.
- Honey or agave nectar can substitute for maple syrup.
- For a non-alcoholic version, use rum extract mixed with water (1 tablespoon of rum extract to 3 tablespoons of water) or just omit the alcohol and add a bit more maple syrup for sweetness.
- Any nut like pecans, almonds, or hazelnuts can be used in place of walnuts.
HOW TO STORE BANANAS FOSTER PANCAKES:
- You can store the bananas foster pancakes in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Let the pancakes cool to room temperature before you store them to prevent condensation and sogginess. Place a sheet of parchment paper or wax paper between each pancake to prevent them from sticking together. Transfer the layered pancakes into an airtight container or a resealable plastic bag.
- Bananas Foster pancakes can be frozen for up to 2 months for the best quality. Make sure that the pancakes are completely cooled before you freeze them to avoid ice crystal formation. Use parchment paper or wax paper between each pancake. Place the pancakes into a freezer-safe bag or container.
HOW TO REHEAT BANANAS FOSTER PANCAKES:
- The foster topping is going to be best when it has just been made. The heat of the sauce will soften the bananas. Reheating the sauce will cause the bananas to start to break down.
- To reheat banana foster pancakes, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the pancakes onto a cookie sheet in a single layer and cover them with with foil. Place them into the oven for 5-7 minutes until they are heated through.
In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
In a small bowl, beat the eggs. Stir in the milk and vegetable oil.
Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and gently whisk them together, mixing just until combined.
Spray an electric griddle or a large nonstick skillet with non stick spray and heat over medium heat. Pour ¼ cup of the pancake batter onto the griddle for each pancake. Cook until the top of each pancake is speckled with bubbles and some bubbles have popped open, about 2 minutes.
With a spatula, turn the pancakes over and cook until the underside is golden brown about 2 minutes.
In a large skillet place the butter over medium low heat. Stir it occasionally while it melts. Add the brown sugar, maple syrup and cinnamon to the melted butter in the skillet. Let the mixture simmer over medium low heat for 1-2 minutes until it thickens. Add the rum and stir to combine well.
Add the bananas to the skillet and stir them in very gently. Let them heat through for 1-2 minutes.
Bananas Foster Pancakes
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Ingredients
- PANCAKES:
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- *non stick cooking spray
- FOSTER SAUCE:
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup dark rum
- 4 bananas sliced about ½ thick
- ¼ walnuts, finely chopped
Instructions
PANCAKES:
In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
In a small bowl, beat the eggs. Stir in the milk and vegetable oil.
Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and gently whisk them together, mixing just until combined.
Spray an electric griddle or a large nonstick skillet with non stick spray and heat over medium heat.
Pour ¼ cup of the pancake batter onto the griddle for each pancake. Cook until the top of each pancake is speckled with bubbles and some bubbles have popped open, about 2 minutes. With a spatula, turn the pancakes over and cook until the underside is lightly browned about 2 minutes.
Serve the bananas foster pancakes immediately or place the pancakes onto a baking sheet and into a warm oven set to 200 degrees while you finish cooking the rest.
FOSTER SAUCE:
In a large skillet place the butter over medium low heat. Stir it occasionally while it melts.
Add the brown sugar, maple syrup and cinnamon to the melted butter in the skillet. Let the mixture simmer over medium low heat for 1-2 minutes until it thickens.
Add the rum and stir to combine well.
Add the bananas to the skillet and stir them in very gently. Let them heat through for 1-2 minutes.
Place the pancakes onto serving plates and spoon the bananas and sauce over the over the top of the pancakes.
Sprinkle with ground walnuts and serve.
