Vacation pancakes! That’s what I’ve been calling these coconut banana pancakes over here! Because they remind me of the time, we went to Maui and ate the most delicious, flavorful banana and coconut flavored desserts. I had banana pancakes at our hotel one morning and topped them with freshly made coconut syrup, and thus the inspiration for these pancakes struck. We’re taking my favorite quarantine pancake recipe (psst.. I shared that over on Instagram) that uses a couple of tablespoons of yogurt in the batter and yields the most amazing fluffy and tender pancakes you’ve ever had. The addition of the mashed banana and the sweetened shredded coconut takes it to a whole new level! Top with your favorite sweet syrup and serve these hot off the griddle!
Ingredients in homemade coconut banana pancakes:
All-purpose flour: I use the scoop and level method to measure it out. I use a smaller scoop/measuring cup and add flour to a larger one until it’s heaping full. In this case, I used the ¼ cup measuring cup to add flour to my 1 cup measure. Then, use a knife and run it across the top to level it out without applying pressure on the knife. This method works best when baking or using flour in recipes where you don’t want to measure by weight.Shredded coconut: I like to use sweetened shredded coconut for this recipe. However, unsweetened shredded coconut will work too. Keep in mind you don’t want desiccated coconut or coconut powder. Instead, you want shreds of coconut.Leavening agent + Flavorings: We’re using baking powder (not soda! I made that mistake during recipe testing.. EKK.) to leaven these pancakes. Baking powder helps these pancakes rise. You’ll need vanilla extract. I could never make pancakes or banana bread or most desserts without it. You’ll also need a big pinch of kosher salt to help balance the sweetness. Granulated Sugar: Adds just a hint of sweetness to the pancakes. The sugar in the pancakes will go through the Maillard reaction and help them brown when you cook them on a griddle.Yogurt: just two tablespoons of regular whole milk yogurt is all you need. I learned that adding yogurt to pancakes when you’re out of buttermilk (quarantine lessons) works surprisingly well. And since I never have buttermilk on hand (but always seem to have yogurt), this works perfectly. I haven’t tested the recipe with Greek yogurt, but I do think it could work. You may want to whisk the yogurt and milk together first, so it isn’t as stiff when combining. Milk-substitute yogurts, like coconut or cashew yogurt, will also work.Melted Butter: Just a couple of tablespoons of melted butter added to the batter keeps you from having to grease the pan constantly, and it also gives these pancakes the fat it needs.An Egg: adds stability and structure. Those little bubbles that you see on pancakes when they rise? You can thank the egg for that. The yolk also provides fat and flavor here.Banana: These coconut banana pancakes are the perfect solution for that lone overripe banana. Usually, I made my nutella banana bread when there’s enough, but when there’s one, these pancakes totally fit the bill!Milk: You can use cow’s milk or other non-dairy milk as well. My suggestion would be to swap cow’s milk for coconut milk (you could even use light coconut milk from a can.) This will further enhance the coconutty flavor.
How to make coconut banana pancakes at home:
Best tips for making better pancakes at home:
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Fluffiest Whole Wheat Buttermilk PancakesEasy Blender CrepesLemon Blueberry WafflesWhole Wheat Zucchini Chocolate Chip PancakesBomb Diggity Chocolate Waffles
