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    Home » Recipes » Single Serving Breakfast

    By Joanie Zisk Published: May 5, 2022 · Updated: May 5, 2022 · This post may contain affiliate links · Please read my disclosure

    Banana Pancakes For One

    Jump to Recipe
    pancakes on a blue plate topped with pecans and bananas

    Fluffy and soft banana pancakes are made from scratch and ready in just 15 minutes. They're made with just one banana and a handful of pantry staples.

    three banana pancakes on a blue plate topped with slices of bananas and pecans

    Have you ever found yourself craving a short stack of soft, fluffy pancakes but hesitated to make them because you'd be left with more than you could eat? If so, you'll absolutely love this easy banana pancake recipe. They're made with one banana and ingredients you probably already have in your pantry.

    Why This Recipe Works

    • You only need 1 banana: This pancake recipe is the perfect one to use if you have one ripe banana on your counter.
    • Short stack of pancakes: You won't be left eating pancakes for days. This recipe yields three soft, fluffy pancakes. If you only want to eat one or two, these pancakes reheat to the same quality as the original.
    • Quick and easy: These banana pancakes can be ready and on your table in minutes!
    • Tasty: They're so fluffy and soft, perfectly sweet, and just so incredibly delicious! I love topping my pancakes with slices of fresh bananas, pecans, and of course a hefty pour of maple syrup.

    Ingredients

    banana pancakes ingredients on a wooden cutting board in a kitchen
    cooking for one subscription ad

    Ingredient Notes

    To make a short stack of banana pancakes, you will need:

    • Flour: Use all-purpose flour. This recipe has not been tested with other types of flour.
    • Baking powder: This ingredient helps the pancakes rise.
    • Sugar: Granulated sugar adds flavor and sweetens the pancakes. You don't need much because a little goes a long way.
    • Salt and vanilla extract: Both add flavor.
    • Egg: One egg binds the pancake batter together.
    • Milk: Milk adds moisture to the batter. You can use nonfat milk, whole milk, 1% or 2% milk. Almond and soy milk work great too.
    • Butter: The fat in the melted butter makes the pancakes rich and moist.
    • Banana: You wouldn't have banana pancakes without a mashed banana. Just one is all you need.

    See below for ways to use leftover ingredients.

    How To Make Banana Pancakes

    See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.

    1. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
    flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl
    1. In a separate small bowl, add the egg and whisk in the milk, melted butter, and vanilla.
    milk, egg, and vanilla in a small mixing bowl
    1. Peel and mash the banana on a small plate. Stir the mashed banana into the wet ingredients.
    mashed banana in a pancake batter
    1. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until combined.

    Pro Tip: When making pancakes, it's important to remember not to over mix the batter. For the fluffiest, lightest pancakes, you only need to stir the batter - no whisking and no beating.

    banana pancake batter in a mixing bowl
    1. Melt butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Ladle about ¾ cup of batter onto the skillet to make a pancake. Cook until bubbles break the surface of the pancake and the underside is golden brown, about 3 minutes.
    one banana pancake in a skillet.
    1. Flip with a spatula and cook the other side for about 1 to 2 minutes more until golden brown and cooked in the middle. Remove the pancake from the pan and place on a plate.
    one pancake cooking in a skillet
    1. Repeat until all of the batter is used up.
    2. Top with maple syrup, nuts, and fresh sliced bananas, if you like.
    banana pancakes on a plate next to a plate of butter and a jug of syrup

    Expert Tips

    • Keep the batter lumpy. Let lumps remain in the batter. Lumpy pancake batter is absolutely okay. Stir the batter until there are no more flour streaks and still lumpy. But be careful not to overmix.
    • Use a hot pan. Make sure your pan is hot before you add the batter. When the butter has fully melted, you will know the pan is ready.
    • Cook the pancakes on medium-low to medium heat. This is what cooks the pancakes to perfection. Cooking the pancakes slowly helps the insides of the pancakes cook fully and keeps them from blackening on the outside. Banana pancakes can fall apart and become soggy if they aren't cooked properly.
    • Use fresh ingredients: Check to make sure your baking powder is fresh. If it is old or expired you will end up with flat pancakes, not light and fluffy ones.
    • Measure ingredients correctly. Flour measurements can be a huge variable when it comes to baking. Weighing ingredients is by far the most accurate, but it isn't done much in the U.S. If you use measuring cups to measure, use this method of measuring the flour:
      • Use a spoon to fluff the flour in the container.
      • Use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup.
      • Use a knife or other straight-edged utensil to level the flour across the measuring cup.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Can This Recipe Be Doubled?

    Absolutely! If you want to make more pancakes, just double the ingredient amounts.

    Are These Healthy Banana Pancakes?

    Making homemade pancakes is typically healthier than using a boxed mix. These pancakes are also sweetened mostly with bananas. Check out the nutrition label below for calorie and nutrition estimates.

    You can leave out the ½ tablespoon of sugar in the recipe if desired.

    When Should I Flip The Pancakes?

    When you see buttles rise to the top and start to pop, the pancakes are ready to flip.

    How To Reheat Pancakes

    If you find that you don't want to eat the entire short stack of pancakes, store the pancakes in the refrigerator, covered for up to a week.

    If you want to make a double batch of pancakes and freeze some for later, just wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and then store them in a freezer-safe bag or container. They will keep for three months this way.

    The best method for reheating single serve pancakes is in the toaster. Heat the pancake(s) for about 60-90 seconds on a gentle setting, like "toast". Each model of toaster is different so you might have to experiment with the time and settings.

    When pancakes are reheated in the toaster, the outsides get crispy and the insides stay fluffy - which I love!

    a overhead view of three banana pancakes topped with pecans on a silver tray

    Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients

    If you have any ingredients leftover from this easy banana pancake recipe, you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:

    • Bananas: Banana Cream Pie, Banana Muffins, Banana Bread, Bananas Foster, Tropical Smoothie
    • Baking powder: Tortillas, Biscuits, Blueberry Muffin, Waffle, Pancakes
    • Milk: Carrot Cake, Blueberry Coffee Cake, Flan, French Toast, Mini Texas Sheet Cake
    • Eggs: Eggs Benedict, Cheesy Baked Eggs, Bacon, Egg and Cheese Cup, Pasta Carbonara, Crustless Quiche Lorraine
    • Vanilla: Two Vanilla Cupcakes, Mini Boston Cream Pie, Shortbread Cookies, Peach Scones, Icebox Cake

    If you would like additional information on the cooking and baking dishes I use in our “recipes for one”, please visit our FAQ page.

    For examples of the dishes used at One Dish Kitchen, please visit our Store page.

    If you’ve tried these fluffy banana pancakes or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below. Also, if you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!

    three pancakes topped with bananas

    Banana Pancakes For One

    Fluffy and soft banana pancakes are made from scratch and ready in just 15 minutes. They're made with just one banana and a handful of pantry staples.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    See the post above for expert tips,
    FAQs and ways to use leftover ingredients.
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 15 minutes
    Course: Breakfast
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 3 pancakes
    Calories: 238kcal
    Author: Joanie Zisk

    Equipment

    • Mixing bowl
    • 10-inch skillet

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup all-purpose flour
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ tablespoon sugar
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 1 large egg
    • ¾ cup milk
    • 1 tablespoon butter , melted, plus 1 teaspoon butter, softened
    • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 ripe banana
    • Optional toppings: Maple syrup, sliced bananas, pecans
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
    • In a separate small bowl, add the egg and whisk in the milk, melted butter, and vanilla.
    • Peel and mash the banana on a small plate. Stir the mashed banana into the wet ingredients.
    • Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until combined.
      Pro Tip: When making pancakes, it's important to remember not to over mix the batter. For the fluffiest, lightest pancakes, you only need to stir the batter - no whisking and no beating.
    • Melt 1 teaspoon of butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Ladle about ¾ cup of batter onto the skillet to make a pancake. Cook until bubbles break the surface of the pancake and the underside is golden brown, about 3 minutes.
    • Flip with a spatula and cook the other side for about 1 to 2 minutes more until golden brown and cooked in the middle. Remove the pancake from the pan and place on a plate.
    • Repeat until all of the batter is used up.
    • Top with maple syrup, nuts, and fresh sliced bananas, if you like.

    Notes

    Expert Tips
    • Keep the batter lumpy. Let lumps remain in the batter. Lumpy pancake batter is absolutely okay. Stir the batter until there are no more flour streaks and still lumpy. But be careful not to overmix.
    • Use a hot pan. Make sure your pan is hot before you add the batter. When the butter has fully melted, you will know the pan is ready.
    • Cook the pancakes on medium-low to medium heat. This is what cooks the pancakes to perfection. Cooking the pancakes slowly helps the insides of the pancakes cook fully and keeps them from blackening on the outside. Banana pancakes can fall apart and become soggy if they aren't cooked properly.
    • Use fresh ingredients: Check to make sure your baking powder is fresh. If it is old or expired you will end up with flat pancakes, not light and fluffy ones.
    • Measure ingredients correctly. Flour measurements can be a huge variable when it comes to baking. Weighing ingredients is by far the most accurate, but it isn't done much in the U.S. If you use measuring cups to measure, use this method of measuring the flour:
      • Use a spoon to fluff the flour in the container.
      • Use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup.
      • Use a knife or other straight-edged utensil to level the flour across the measuring cup.
    Nutrition Facts
    Banana Pancakes For One
    Amount Per Serving (1 pancake)
    Calories 238 Calories from Fat 54
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 6g9%
    Saturated Fat 3g19%
    Trans Fat 1g
    Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
    Monounsaturated Fat 2g
    Cholesterol 74mg25%
    Sodium 385mg17%
    Potassium 173mg5%
    Carbohydrates 37g12%
    Fiber 1g4%
    Sugar 5g6%
    Protein 9g18%
    Vitamin A 332IU7%
    Vitamin C 1mg1%
    Calcium 176mg18%
    Iron 2mg11%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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    About Joanie Zisk

    Joanie Zisk is the creator of OneDishKitchen.com, the number one go-to site for single serving recipes. The aim of One Dish Kitchen is to inspire individuals with access to single serving recipes that will enable them to enjoy the preparation of a meal that will nourish both body and soul. Her website is filled with hundreds of easy, flavorful recipes that are tailored for those cooking for one. Joanie is the author of "The Ultimate Cooking For One Cookbook" and her recipes and food photography have been featured in various publications including, TODAY.com, Huffington Post, Real Simple, Self.com,Women’s Day, Buzzfeed, and others. Come say hello and follow Joanie on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and LinkedIn.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Colin Upham says

      May 06, 2022 at 12:42 pm

      delicious - had it for dinner today.

      Reply
    2. J.Hegyi says

      May 05, 2022 at 5:40 pm

      Great recipe.

      Reply

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