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Banana Walnut Pancakes with Tart Cherry Maple Syrup

Yummy banana-walnut pancakes with tart cherry maple syrup
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American

Equipment

  • 2 Large Mixing Bowls
  • 1 Set Measuring spoons
  • 1 Set Dry Measuring cups
  • 1 Liquid Measuring cup
  • 1/4 cup scoop for measuring batter for pancakes (for measuring the size of the pancakes)
  • 1 whisk
  • 1 fork (for mashing the bananas)
  • 1 rubber spatula
  • 1 non-stick pan (size determines how many to cook at once)
  • 1 plastic pancake turner (metal will damage non-stick pan)
  • 1 oven (warmed to 180 degrees to hold pancakes hot if not serving immediately)
  • 1 small saucepan
  • a few paper towels
  • 1 baking dish or plate (to hold the pancakes warm in the oven until serving)

Ingredients
  

For the Pancakes:

  • 2 cups White Whole Wheat Flour (King Arthur has a great one)
  • 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
  • 1 cup Greek Yogurt, plain (or plant-based for vegan)
  • 1 cup Milk (or plant-based for vegan)
  • 3/4 cup Banana, very ripe mashed (Keep ripe bananas peeled in freezer for this)
  • 1/2 cup Walnuts, roughly chopped
  • 1/4 cup Maple Syrup
  • 2 each Eggs (sub flax eggs or egg-replacer for vegan)
  • 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
  • 3 tablespoon Coconut oil, melted (or vegetable oil)
  • 1 can Cooking Spray (or sub butter or vegan butter)

For the Tart Cherry Maple Syrup:

  • 1/2 cup Tart Cherry Juice
  • 1/4 cup Pure Maple Syrup

Instructions
 

Method of Preparation:

  • Allow any chilled items (banana – if smashed from frozen, milk, yogurt, eggs) to sit out until room temperature. By allowing them to warm from chill, they mix better for a smoother batter that will make fluffier pancakes.
  • Meanwhile start the tart cherry reduction. In a small saucepan, cook the tart cherry juice on medium high heat until it reduces by half (or even further if you want a thicker syrup). Add the maple syrup and whisk together. Set aside or in refrigerator to cool.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, walnuts.
  • In the other large mixing bowl, whisk together the wet room temperature ingredients: yogurt, milk, smashed banana, maple syrup, eggs and vanilla first and then whisk in the oil last.
  • Make a well in the dry ingredients and then pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients using the rubber spatula to gently fold together from the bottom of the bowl until there are no dry spots. It will be a thick batter that may be a bit lumpy – and that is okay.
  • Allow the batter to sit for at least 5 minutes to rest.
  • On a medium stove setting, heat the nonstick pan. Once it is hot, make one pancake with the ¼ measuring cup. The first one is always a tester, so don’t waste the batter until you get this one done. Cook the pancakes until the edges start to look set and lightly bubble holes around the outside show up, then flip and cook on the other side another minute or two. After this tester one, make as many in batches as fit well in your pan, wiping out the pan with paper towels and re-adding pan spray or butter to melt for cooking.
  • Hold pancakes warm or eat immediately with thetart cherry-maple syrup. Enjoy!

Notes

Chef's Tip: Personally, there is a very certain stage at which I like to eat bananas. Once they get more ripe than I prefer them, I just peel and freeze them on a small sheet pan. Once they are frozen, I put them in a reusable container for use in recipes like this one! 
Ingredients for (non-vegan) version of this recipe
Mise en Place: Ingredients
Banana Walnut Pancakes
Banana-walnut pancakes