Bourbon Banana Pancakes

Take *that* Jack Johnson!  Because these bourbon banana pancakes 100% beat his…

I have an irrational strong dislike of Jack Johnson. But, the first Jack Johnson song I ever heard was “Banana Pancakes”, and it’s still the only one I can really stand (though still prefer not to hear). I resent that fact that Every. Single. Station. On Pandora will ultimately become a Jack Johnson and John Mayer station if you don’t fight it. Give it up, Pandora! We won’t stand for any of that nonsense here!

But I digress…anyway, I showed Jack Johnson who’s boss. Because these are so much more awesome than just regular banana pancakes.

Saturday morning when I got up, I planned to throw together some of my famous buttermilk pancakes. I’d realized that, while I’ve posted several adaptations on that recipe, I’d never published my regular, foolproof plan for fluffy goodness.

But when I got up and looked around my kitchen, my eyes fell on a pile of bananas on the verge of going bad. I just bought them a few days ago! It seems like all of my bananas are over-ripening in record time lately, so I decided I needed to make a dent in this pile and do something banana-y for breakfast.

And then I remembered this recipe I bookmarked from the always-interesting A Cozy Kitchen a while back. Bourbon. Banana. Pancakes.

Mmmmm Ol’ Fo.

You start by caramelizing the bananas. Melt 1/2 tablespoon (1 1/2 teaspoons) of butter in a small skillet over medium heat.

Then add the thinly-sliced bananas, brown sugar, bourbon, and cinnamon, and toss lightly until the bananas are evenly coated.

Sauté for a few minutes, until the banana are lightly browned. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

I may or may not have forgotten to put the cinnamon in until later. Don’t judge me.

The batter starts, like so many before it, by mixing the dry ingredients—flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

You’re supposed to mix the wet ingredients in a separate bowl, though I’m always lazy and don’t. Mix in the buttermilk, egg, bourbon, melted butter and vanilla (if you put the wet ingredients in a separate bowl, beat then well until combined).

Mix the wet and dry ingredients until just combined (it can have some small lumps).

Preheat your skillet over medium heat and brush with butter or vegetable oil (or cooking spray). Pour about 1/4-cup of batter onto the hot skillet, then add 4 to 5 slices of banana to each pancake. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until small bubbles start to form on the surface.

Flip them, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook on the other side for 1 to 2 minutes, until golden brown. 

Drench immediately in butter and syrup and devour. A hazelnut latte would not go amiss.

Seriously, these were so good! The flavor wasn’t overwhelming, but sweet and subtle, the texture was fluffy, and it felt indulgent to feel that whiskey heat first thing in the morning…

Other brunch goodness you’ll love:

• Cinnamon Polenta Pancakes
• Easy Small-Batch Challah French Toast
• Strawberry Cornmeal Griddle Cakes
• Marion Cunningham’s Overnight Yeasted Waffles
• Apple Pie German Pancake Bowls
• Bittersweet & Indulgent Dark Chocolate Waffles

Original recipe from A Cozy Kitchen

Bourbon Banana Pancakes

Yield: 6-8 pancakes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

These delicious bourbon banana pancakes are exactly what your brunch needs...fluffy, sweet, bourbon-y, indulgent, and oh-so-easy!

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Ingredients

• Banana Mixture
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of unsalted butter
• 2 ripe bananas, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon of light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon of bourbon
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• Pancake Batter
• 1 cup of all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons of light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon of salt
• 3/4 cup of buttermilk, plus 2 tablespoons, shaken
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons of bourbon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of melted butter, cooled
• 1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract

Instructions

1. To make the caramelized bananas, melt the butter over medium heat in a small skillet. Add the bananas, brown sugar, bourbon, and cinnamon, and toss lightly until the bananas are evenly coated.
2. Sauté the banana mixture for 2 to 3 minutes, until the banana are lightly browned. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
3. To make the pancakes, mix the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt) in a medium bowl. 
4. Add the wet ingredients (buttermilk, egg, bourbon, melted butter, and vanilla) to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined (it can have some small lumps). See notes.
5. Preheat your skillet over medium heat and brush with butter or vegetable oil. Scoop about 1/4-cup of batter onto the hot skillet. Add 4 to 5 slices of banana to each pancake, lightly pressing them down.
6. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until small bubbles start to form on the surface. Flip, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook on the other side for 1 to 2 minutes, until golden brown. Serve immediately.

Notes

• The original recipe recommends combining the wet ingredients in a separate bowl first, then adding to the dry ingredients. I'm too lazy for that and it worked fine for me.
• The recipe makes 4-8 pancakes, depending on how big you make them. You'll almost certainly have banana mixture leftover.

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