Banana Choc Chip Pancakes

Banana Choc Chip Pancakes

Banana choc chip pancakes - the title says it all, really! I made up these squidgy, fluffy little pancakes on a morning when I was home sick from work, feeling very sorry for myself. I had a healthy bowl of muesli waiting for me, but really felt like something decadent and comforting, and thus, my banana choc chip pancakes were born.

I whipped up a normal pancake batter, adding a very ripe mashed banana, and a few spoonfuls of milk chocolate chips. Easy peasy!

Batter and choc chips

I'm sure I don't need to teach y'all how to cook pancakes, but I thought I might share a few helpful pointers. As is common in pancake recipes, I whisk some melted butter into the batter. (I just melt the butter in the frypan that I'm going to use, and pour it straight into the batter from there - less washing up that way).

I also don't fry the pancakes in extra butter, finding that a good non-stick frypan, the little bit of butter in the batter and any residual butter remaining in the pan, prevents the batter from sticking. Not using extra butter to fry them also means that you get even colouration on the pancakes. (Of course, if you do fry them in butter, the colour will be uneven, but you'll get delightful little crispy edges - your call).

I made them pikelet-sized, using about 30 millilitres of batter per pancake. Don't worry, I'm not suggesting that you precisely measure each pancake - I use a quarter-cup measure, which holds about 62.5 millilitres, and got two pancakes out of each scoop. It's a good way of getting them a reasonably even size without going OTT!

People often complain that the first pancake never works - it's not true, I tell you! The reason that this happens is that the pan is not hot enough, and the impatient cook has tried to flip the first pancake before it's ready, resulting in a sticky (yet delicious) mess. (I know, I've been there dozens of times!) To avoid this: make sure your pan is properly heated before you ladle in your first pancakes, and don't attempt to flip them until the bottom is sealed and the top is bubbly. You can test if the bottoms are sealed by moving the pancakes gently around the pan with an egg-flip. If they move freely, then they're ready to turn. If they're stuck, be patient and give them a bit more time.

Cooking pancakes

See the bubbles on the pancakes at the front and on the right? They're ready to flip! The ones on the left and at the back need a bit more time.

Ta-dah!

Pancakes cooking

And they're done!

Well, almost - I think a light dusting of icing sugar is very pretty!

These are such perfect, comforting pancakes. The mashed banana makes them moist and squidgy, and the chocolate is awesome because it is chocolate. It goes all melty on the inside, and crunchy on the edges where it's been in contact with the pan. So good!

Mmm.. fluffy pancake with crunchy and melty chocolate chips

(This particular pancake has crunchy edges and uneven colouring because it was one of the first ones and there must have still been some butter left in the pan).

I think they're perfect just as they are, but if you wanted to serve them with syrup, honey, peanut butter & milo, even whipped cream - I wouldn't stop you.

Banana Choc Chip Pancakes
An original recipe by Sarah Cooks

Ingredients
1 very ripe banana
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup self-raising flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon butter
2-4 tablespoons chocolate chips

Method
Mash the banana in a mixing bowl, then whisk in the egg and milk, followed by the self-raising flour and sugar. Melt the butter in a non-stick frying pan (the same one you'll fry the pancakes in later!) and pour the melted butter into the pancake batter, whisking to combine. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Heat the frypan over a medium heat, and ladle in approximately 30 millilitres (2 tablespoons) of batter for each pancake. (I use a 62.5 millilitre / quarter cup measure as my ladle, measuring out two pancakes at a time). Fry for a couple of minutes on the first side, or until bubble appear on the surface. Flip over and cook for another minute on the other side, before removing to a waiting plate. Repeat with the remaining batter. Serve with a light dusting of icing sugar if you desire.
Makes 10-15 depending on how big your banana is (!!)

Banana Choc Chip Pancakes

Banana choc chip pancakes - the title says it all, really! I made up these squidgy, fluffy little pancakes on a morning when I was home sick from work, feeling very sorry for myself. I had a healthy bowl of muesli waiting for me, but really felt like something decadent and comforting, and thus, my banana choc chip pancakes were born.

I whipped up a normal pancake batter, adding a very ripe mashed banana, and a few spoonfuls of milk chocolate chips. Easy peasy!

Batter and choc chips

I'm sure I don't need to teach y'all how to cook pancakes, but I thought I might share a few helpful pointers. As is common in pancake recipes, I whisk some melted butter into the batter. (I just melt the butter in the frypan that I'm going to use, and pour it straight into the batter from there - less washing up that way).

I also don't fry the pancakes in extra butter, finding that a good non-stick frypan, the little bit of butter in the batter and any residual butter remaining in the pan, prevents the batter from sticking. Not using extra butter to fry them also means that you get even colouration on the pancakes. (Of course, if you do fry them in butter, the colour will be uneven, but you'll get delightful little crispy edges - your call).

I made them pikelet-sized, using about 30 millilitres of batter per pancake. Don't worry, I'm not suggesting that you precisely measure each pancake - I use a quarter-cup measure, which holds about 62.5 millilitres, and got two pancakes out of each scoop. It's a good way of getting them a reasonably even size without going OTT!

People often complain that the first pancake never works - it's not true, I tell you! The reason that this happens is that the pan is not hot enough, and the impatient cook has tried to flip the first pancake before it's ready, resulting in a sticky (yet delicious) mess. (I know, I've been there dozens of times!) To avoid this: make sure your pan is properly heated before you ladle in your first pancakes, and don't attempt to flip them until the bottom is sealed and the top is bubbly. You can test if the bottoms are sealed by moving the pancakes gently around the pan with an egg-flip. If they move freely, then they're ready to turn. If they're stuck, be patient and give them a bit more time.

Cooking pancakes

See the bubbles on the pancakes at the front and on the right? They're ready to flip! The ones on the left and at the back need a bit more time.

Ta-dah!

Pancakes cooking

And they're done!

Well, almost - I think a light dusting of icing sugar is very pretty!

These are such perfect, comforting pancakes. The mashed banana makes them moist and squidgy, and the chocolate is awesome because it is chocolate. It goes all melty on the inside, and crunchy on the edges where it's been in contact with the pan. So good!

Mmm.. fluffy pancake with crunchy and melty chocolate chips

(This particular pancake has crunchy edges and uneven colouring because it was one of the first ones and there must have still been some butter left in the pan).

I think they're perfect just as they are, but if you wanted to serve them with syrup, honey, peanut butter & milo, even whipped cream - I wouldn't stop you.

Banana Choc Chip Pancakes
An original recipe by Sarah Cooks

Ingredients
1 very ripe banana
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup self-raising flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon butter
2-4 tablespoons chocolate chips

Method
Mash the banana in a mixing bowl, then whisk in the egg and milk, followed by the self-raising flour and sugar. Melt the butter in a non-stick frying pan (the same one you'll fry the pancakes in later!) and pour the melted butter into the pancake batter, whisking to combine. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Heat the frypan over a medium heat, and ladle in approximately 30 millilitres (2 tablespoons) of batter for each pancake. (I use a 62.5 millilitre / quarter cup measure as my ladle, measuring out two pancakes at a time). Fry for a couple of minutes on the first side, or until bubble appear on the surface. Flip over and cook for another minute on the other side, before removing to a waiting plate. Repeat with the remaining batter. Serve with a light dusting of icing sugar if you desire.
Makes 10-15 depending on how big your banana is (!!)