Equipment
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 190 g all-purpose flour
- 30 g granulated sugar
- 10 g baking powder
- 3 g baking soda
- 3 g fine sea salt
Wet Ingredients
- 300 ml buttermilk, room temperature
- 45 g unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 2 large egg, room temperature
- 5 ml vanilla extract
Caramelized Bananas
- 3 firm, ripe bananas, peeled and sliced on a bias, 1.5cm thick
- 45 g unsalted butter
- 60 g light brown sugar
- 60 ml heavy cream, room temperature
- 15 ml dark rum
- 1 g fine sea salt
Cooking Medium
- 30 ml clarified butter or neutral oil
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 695 kcal
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbohydrates
- 83 g
- Fat
- 35 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 38 g
- Sodium
- 1018 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 17 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 8 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 161 mg
- Potassium
- 554 mg
- Calcium
- 288 mg
- Iron
- 1.7 mg
- Magnesium
- 49 mg
- Phosphorus
- 257 mg
- Zinc
- 1.2 mg
- Vitamin A
- 269 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 8 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.7 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.1 mg
- Vitamin K
- 3 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.5 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.12 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.35 mg
- Niacin
- 1.3 mg
- Folate
- 47 mcg
- Water
- 174 g
- Alcohol
- 2 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and fine sea salt until evenly distributed.
In a medium mixing bowl, vigorously whisk the buttermilk, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla extract until fully homogenous.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Use a spatula to gently fold the mixture together just until the flour disappears. Lumps should remain in the batter.
Allow the batter to rest undisturbed at room temperature for 15 minutes. This allows the flour to hydrate and the baking powder to activate.
Heat a non-stick skillet or griddle over medium heat to approximately 160°C/320°F. Brush lightly with clarified butter. Pour 60ml portions of batter onto the griddle, spacing them apart. Cook until bubbles form on the surface, pop, and the edges look set and dry.
Carefully flip the pancakes and cook the other side until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a warm plate or an oven set to 90°C/200°F to keep warm. Repeat with remaining batter.
While the final pancakes are cooking, prepare the sauce. In a separate skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and brown sugar together, stirring until the sugar dissolves and bubbles.
Add the sliced bananas to the caramel. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, then gently flip them. Carefully pour in the heavy cream, dark rum if using, and sea salt. Swirl the pan to emulsify the sauce.
Stack the warm pancakes onto serving plates. Spoon the caramelized bananas and rich sauce generously over the top of the pancake stacks.
Chef's Notes
- Resting the batter is arguably the most critical step for perfect pancakes. It gives the starch molecules time to absorb the liquid, ensuring a tender crumb, while the chemical leaveners distribute evenly.
- Slicing the bananas on a bias increases their surface area, allowing more of the fruit to interact directly with the caramel and butter for improved flavor extraction.
- Using clarified butter to grease the griddle is a restaurant secret. It provides a rich buttery flavor and golden crust without the milk solids that quickly burn and turn black over extended cooking periods.
- Adding a small pinch of salt to the caramel elevates the complexity of the sweetness and balances the richness of the butter and cream.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store pancakes and banana mixture in separate airtight containers.
Freezer: 1 month — Freeze pancakes only. Separate with parchment paper. Do not freeze the caramelized bananas.
Reheating: Reheat pancakes in a toaster or oven at 175 degrees C. Warm bananas gently in a saucepan over low heat.
Troubleshooting
Pancakes are tough and dense instead of fluffy.
Cause: Overmixing the batter developed too much gluten, or the batter was not allowed to rest.
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Fold the wet and dry ingredients together just until combined, leaving visible lumps. Always rest the batter for at least 15 minutes.
Caramel sauce breaks or becomes greasy.
Cause: Heat was too high, or cold cream shocked the hot sugar causing the butter to separate.
Fix: Whisk in a splash of warm water or an extra splash of heavy cream to attempt re-emulsification.
Prevention: Use room temperature cream and add it off the heat or over low heat, whisking gently.
Bananas turned to mush in the caramel.
Cause: Bananas were too ripe or cooked for too long in the sauce.
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Select bananas that are yellow but still slightly firm. Only warm them briefly in the caramel sauce.
Cultural Context
Pancakes represent one of mankind's oldest and most universal prepared foods. The fluffy, buttermilk-leavened variant is an American classic that evolved in the 19th century through the popularization of commercial baking powder. Pairing these light cakes with caramelized bananas and rum draws heavy inspiration from Bananas Foster, an iconic dessert created in 1951 at Brennan's restaurant in New Orleans. This recipe effectively bridges the gap between comforting breakfast fare and decadent Southern dessert culture.
