Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes
Banana chocolate chip pancakes are a classic comfort food breakfast. They’re fluffy, sweet, and loaded with chocolate in every bite!
Bananas and chocolate go together like peanut butter and jelly (we also happen to have peanut butter and jelly pancakes!)—and if you love chocolate chip banana bread, then you’re going to flip for these banana chocolate chip pancakes! They’re like chocolate chip banana bread in the form of soft, fluffy pancakes.
We’ve shared a lot of banana pancake recipes in the past, including 2-ingredient banana pancakes, brown butter banana pancakes, and classic no-fail banana pancakes. But if you’re looking for kid-friendly pancakes, you really can’t do better than these banana chocolate chip pancakes!
About this banana chocolate chip pancake recipe
Now, when you’re mixing these up, you will notice that the batter has a different consistency than your typical pancake batter—it’s much thicker. Don’t panic and don’t add more liquid! That thick batter is key to thick, fluffy pancakes.
The beauty of these banana chocolate chip pancakes is their versatility. Top them with toasted nuts and sliced bananas for a healthier breakfast, or make them a special treat with whipped cream, chocolate syrup, and chocolate chips. (Or add all the toppings and really go to town! If you go that route, don’t miss our chocolate whipped cream and caramel sauce.)
What you need
- Wet ingredients: Mashed ripe bananas, eggs, granulated sugar, melted butter, pure vanilla extract, milk
- Dry ingredients: All-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt
- Chocolate chips: Use mini chocolate chips for more chocolate in every bite, or regular chocolate chips for big bursts of melty chocolate.
About the bananas: Don’t just mash 3 bananas and use them all in the pancake batter! Mash the bananas, then measure them. Bananas vary in size, so it’s important to go by the measurement of mashed bananas in a recipe, not the number.
How to make them
Prepare. Preheat a griddle or large skillet over medium heat.
Make the batter. Whisk the mashed bananas, eggs, sugar, oil, vanilla, and milk in a large bowl.
Add the dry ingredients on top of the wet mixture, then gently mix them before stirring them into the wet ingredients.
Fold in the chocolate chips.
Tip: If desired, you can sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of the pancakes after you pour the batter onto the griddle instead of folding them into the bowl. This will give you a more even chocolate distribution.
Make the pancakes. Grease or butter your griddle, if desired, then drop 1/4 cup of batter onto the griddle for each pancake. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, or until bubbles appear and the edges of the pancakes are dry. Carefully flip and cook for 4 to 5 minutes more on the other side.
Tip: You can reduce the heat to medium-low if the pancakes are cooking too quickly on the outside.
FAQs
The batter for these pancakes is thick, which means they need extra time on the stovetop, or they’ll end up soggy; sometimes this also means reducing the heat so the pancakes cook more slowly. If you’ve already accounted for this and the pancakes are still soggy, it’s possible that you used too little flour or too much mashed banana. Be sure to measure the mashed bananas before adding them to the batter and be precise in all of your measurements.
You can place bananas in a brown paper bag, loosely fold the top, and this will speed up the ripening process—usually within a day, the bananas will be ripe. An even faster option is to place the bananas on a baking sheet in a 400ºF oven for 5 minutes, or until they’re browned.
How to make these banana chocolate chip pancakes your own
These banana chocolate chip pancakes are perfect as-is, but here are some ways to switch them up and make them your own.
- Make peanut butter banana chocolate chip pancakes. Substitute peanut butter chips for half the chocolate chips in the recipe.
- Make them nutty. Add chopped walnuts, pecans, or peanuts to the batter for some crunch and flavor.
- Top them. In addition to the usual maple syrup or pancake syrup, try fresh fruit, whipped cream (or our chocolate whipped cream!), chocolate syrup, caramel sauce, chocolate chips, or peanut butter.
Make Ahead Ideas
Banana chocolate chip pancakes can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.
Storage Suggestions
Freeze your banana chocolate chip pancakes in an airtight storage container or a freezer bag; place parchment paper between the layers to keep the pancakes from sticking to each other.
Reheating Tips
Microwave the pancakes until they’re warmed through, or place them on a sheet pan, cover with foil to keep the pancakes from drying out, and heat in a 350ºF oven for about 10 minutes.
If you’re reheating the pancakes from frozen, simply add a few more minutes to the cooking time.
More banana pancake recipes
- Peanut Butter Banana Pancakes – Whole Wheat
- Healthy Banana Pancakes – naturally sweetened
- Banana Pancake Dippers – 4 Ingredients!
Get the Recipe: Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 bananas)
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup milk
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat a griddle over medium heat.
- In a large bowl, whisk together mashed bananas, eggs, sugar, oil, vanilla and milk.
- On top of wet ingredients, add dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt). Gently mix the dry ingredients together before stirring in to wet ingredients until just combined. Do not overmix. Fold in chocolate chips (see note).
- If desired, grease or butter your griddle.
- Drop batter by 1/4 cup portions onto preheated griddle and cook for 5-6 minutes or until bubbles appear and pancakes have a cooked/dry appearance around the edges. Flip and continue to cook for 4-5 minutes or until cooked through. Reduce heat to medium-low if they are cooking too quickly on the outside.
Notes
- Makes about 20 pancakes.
- This is a thick batter and they take a little longer to cook than thinner pancakes. You also may not see as many bubbles develop on the surface before flipping.
- If desired, you can sprinkle chocolate chips on top of the batter when you pour them on the griddle for a more even distribution.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.
- Freeze pancakes in an airtight storage container or a freezer bag; place parchment paper between the layers to keep the pancakes from sticking to each other.
- To Reheat: Microwave the pancakes until they’re warmed through, or place them on a sheet pan, cover with foil to keep the pancakes from drying out, and heat in a 350ºF oven for about 10 minutes. If you’re reheating the pancakes from frozen, simply add a few more minutes to the cooking time.