Banana Walnut Pancakes

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 whole large eggs
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 whole ripe bananas, medium
• ¾ cup raw walnuts
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, for cooking
• 4 tablespoons pure maple syrup, for serving

Instructions

1. 1

   Roughly chop 0.75 cup of raw walnuts into 1/4-inch pieces — you want some texture but nothing so large it breaks the pancake. Set aside in a small bowl.

2. 2

   Peel 2 medium ripe bananas. In a small bowl, mash them with a fork until mostly smooth with a few small lumps remaining — you should have about 1 cup of mashed banana. Stir in 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract and set aside.

3. 3

   In a medium bowl, whisk together 1.5 cups of all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, 0.25 teaspoon of kosher salt, and 0.5 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. This pre-mixture ensures the leavening and spices distribute evenly.

4. 4

   Melt 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Once melted and foaming slightly, remove from heat and let cool for 1 minute.

5. 5

   Crack 2 large eggs into a large bowl and whisk together with 1 cup of whole milk and the cooled melted butter until combined. Pour the mashed banana mixture into the wet ingredients and stir gently until just combined — the mixture will be slightly lumpy, which is perfect. Do not overmix.

6. 6

   Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and fold together with a rubber spatula using about 8-10 strokes until just combined. The batter should look slightly lumpy with some flour streaks visible — this prevents tough, dense pancakes. Fold in the chopped walnuts.

7. 7

   Set a 12-inch nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat. Let it preheat for 1-2 minutes until a drop of water sizzles and evaporates immediately on contact. Wipe the surface with a paper towel.

8. 8

   Add 0.5 tablespoon of unsalted butter to the skillet and let it melt and coat the cooking surface evenly — about 30 seconds. Once the foam subsides and the surface is golden-brown and ready, you're set to cook.

9. 9

   Pour the batter onto the hot skillet in 1/4-cup portions — space them about 2 inches apart so steam can circulate and they cook evenly. You should fit 3-4 pancakes per batch.

10. 10

    Cook until the edges look set and opaque, about 2-3 minutes. You'll see tiny bubbles forming on the surface — when most of them have popped and the tops appear matte (not glossy), it's time to flip. This means the inside is cooked enough to flip without tearing.

11. 11

    Using a wide fish spatula, flip each pancake gently and cook the second side for 1-2 minutes until golden-brown and cooked through. The second side cooks faster because the pan is already hot.

12. 12

    Transfer the finished pancakes to a warm plate and tent loosely with foil to keep them warm while you cook remaining batches. Add 0.5 tablespoon of butter before each new batch to maintain consistent browning.

13. 13

    Stack the warm pancakes on serving plates. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of pure maple syrup over each serving (about 4 pancakes per person). The warm pancakes will absorb the syrup, creating a rich, integrated flavor.

Tools you’ll need

• 12-inch nonstick skillet or griddle
• small saucepan
• medium mixing bowl
• large mixing bowl
• small bowl
• whisk
• fork
• rubber spatula
• wide fish spatula
• measuring cups and spoons
• paper towels

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