These delicious chocolate chip banana pancakes fill the kitchen with the aromas of rich chocolate and sweet bananas. These are also the simple ingredients you’ll find packed in the tangy buttermilk batter. You won’t believe how easy it is to make a stack of satisfying fluffy pancakes from scratch!
There’s nothing better than waking up to a warm stack of banana and chocolate chip pancakes! These pancakes are the perfect blend of fluffy, sweet, and indulgent, thanks to the natural sweetness of ripe bananas and the richness of melty chocolate chips. Whether you’re making them for a weekend brunch, meal prep, or a quick weekday breakfast, this banana chocolate chip pancakes recipe is sure to be a hit with both kids and adults.
For the best texture and flavor, use ripe bananas with plenty of brown spots, as they add natural sweetness and moisture to the batter. If you love a little crunch, sprinkle sliced almonds into the batter or on top before serving. The best part? These pancakes freeze beautifully, so you can make a big batch ahead of time and reheat them straight from the freezer for a quick and easy breakfast. Whether enjoyed fresh off the griddle or saved for later, these pancakes are a delicious and satisfying way to start your day!
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Why We Love These Banana and Chocolate Chip Pancakes
- Completely customizable.
Whether you like your flapjacks lightly golden, extra dark brown, or somewhere in the middle, you can prepare your chocolate chip pancakes just the way you prefer. Pack them full of chips or go heavy on the fruit—it’s your choice. - This easy chocolate chip pancake recipe is fun for kids.
A regular short stack is delicious, but you can go a step further and let your kids or grandkids use cookie cutters to make fun or silly shapes. - It’s an easy weekend breakfast or brunch idea.
They pair well with other easy breakfast recipes like crispy breakfast potatoes, seasonal pumpkin pie baked oats, or as a sweet side to a scrambled egg sandwich recipes.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Butter: Unsalted, as we’re adding a measured amount of salt with the dry ingredients. If you have to use salted butter, omit the additional salt.
- Buttermilk: Either whole or 2% milk can be used instead.
- Bananas: Use a total of ¾ cup mashed bananas — the equivalent of 2 small ones.
- Baking powder: This is what keeps these banana chocolate chip pancakes light and fluffy, even with the dense, moist fruit.
- Chocolate chips: Use your judgment for whether to use semi-sweet, dark, or milk. It’s all about how you want your chocolate chip pancakes! Semi-sweet chocolate chips provide a balanced sweetness with a slight bitterness, complementing the natural flavor of bananas without overpowering them. Dark chocolate chips have a richer, bolder taste with less sweetness, making them great for those who prefer a more intense chocolate flavor. Milk chocolate chips, on the other hand, are sweeter and creamier, creating a more indulgent, dessert-like pancake. For the best experience, choose based on your sweetness preference, or mix different types together for a delicious chocolate blend!
🎯 TFN Pro Tip
Make a buttermilk substitute by combining 2 tablespoons of either white vinegar or lemon juice with 2 cups of regular milk (or half and half, for denser flapjacks).
Recipe Variations
- Nutty banana pancakes: Add chopped almonds or walnuts to the batter for extra crunch and flavor.
- Double chocolate pancakes: Mix in a tablespoon of cocoa powder along with the chocolate chips for a richer, chocolatey taste.
- Peanut butter banana pancakes: Swirl a tablespoon of peanut butter into the batter for a delicious twist.
- Dairy-free option: Use almond or oat milk instead of regular milk, and opt for dairy-free chocolate chips.
- Make-ahead freezer pancakes: Let the pancakes cool completely, then layer them between sheets of parchment paper and store them in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Equipment Used in this Recipe
- Griddle
- Silicone spatula
- Medium mixing bowl
- Large mixing bowl
- Balloon whisk
How To Make Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes Recipe
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients — in that order!
You’ll first whisk all of the wet ingredients together, then combine the dry, and then gradually stir the dry components into the wet.
This is the absolute best method for preventing the batter from clumping, and it also helps to prevent pockets of dry ingredients.
🎯 TFN Pro Tip
Don’t overmix the batter! A few lumps are okay—overmixing can lead to dense pancakes instead of light and fluffy ones.
- Be sure your griddle or skillet is preheated.
We have a quick little test that you can use to know for sure that the pan is hot and ready to start cooking your banana pancakes.
Before adding butter to the skillet, sprinkle just a few droplets of water onto the dry surface of the pan/griddle.
If the water jumps around on the surface and then evaporates quickly, the pan is hot and you can proceed! If it just sits and sizzles, heat it for just a bit longer.
- Look for bubbles to know when to flip the pancakes.
Once small bubbles are constantly popping up on the surface, lift the cake just a tad. If the color is lightly brown, it’s ready to flip.
- Want perfect pancakes? Leave them be!
Whether you’re making pancakes from scratch or following the back of a box, it’s hard to resist nudging those cakes to see if they’re ready to flip…
… but that will actually reduce the quality of your chocolate chip banana pancakes! Don’t push them, and don’t press down on them — this will make them less fluffy.
This is also why you don’t flip them more than once if pillowy cakes are your goal!
Serving Suggestions
These banana and chocolate chip pancakes taste amazing on their own, but adding the right toppings and sides makes them even better! Choose your favorite toppings or drizzle with warm maple syrup, sprinkle with chopped nuts, or top with sliced bananas, dried strawberries, raspberries, or other fresh fruit and whipped cream for extra indulgence.
Pair them with a side of crispy bacon or breakfast sausage for a hearty meal. If you’re looking for a refreshing contrast, serve with a fruit salad or a smoothie. These pancakes also go well with a hot cup of coffee, iced latte, or freshly squeezed orange juice for a complete breakfast experience.
Other Great Ways to Use Ripe Bananas
Soft, over-ripe bananas can be added to both sweet and savory recipes to introduce moisture, nutrition, and flavor. Obviously, they are the key ingredient in sweet banana pancakes with Bisquick, but you can add them to blueberry muffin mix pancakes too!
But those ripe bananas are good for more than adding flavor! They can be used as a substitute for up to half of the fat in many baked goods, like cookies, cakes, and even brownies.
For example, our banana sourdough muffins would look like a platter of golden treasures in a brunch spread, as would our moist banana bread with Bisquick recipe! They pair well with bitter coffee and tangy mimosas alike — perfect to start your day or even serve as a snack later on.
Recipe FAQs
The fruit will naturally make banana chocolate chip pancakes gooier than others, but the batter shouldn’t be raw or mushy.
If this is the case, and the cakes are browning while leaving a mushy center, the heat is probably too high. Lower the heat and try again!
Overly ripe bananas are perfect for making pancakes from scratch! However, if they’ve reached the point at which the flesh itself is black, pooling, or leaking liquid, and their scent is off, play it safe and dispose of them.
Make sure there isn’t too much banana weighing down the batter and making it too gooey. Take a look at the process images for an idea of the right batter consistency.
Additionally, make sure the heat isn’t too high. It’s good practice to let the pan cool and return to the right temperature between batches so that the outside doesn’t cook faster than the inside, leading to mushy banana chocolate chip pancakes.
For optimal storage, place leftover pancakes in an airtight container and keep them in refrigeration for up to 5 days. When ready to eat, reheat them on the stove over low heat or in the microwave in 10 to 15-second intervals until warm. If you expect leftovers, the pancake batter can also be refrigerated overnight and will cook just as well the next morning, making it a convenient make-ahead option for breakfast!
Absolutely! Whole wheat flour adds a slightly nuttier flavor and extra fiber. Just keep in mind that the pancakes may be a little denser.
For fluffier pancakes, let the batter rest for 5-10 minutes before cooking. This allows the flour to absorb the moisture and helps create lighter pancakes.
Love Fruity Breakfast Recipes? Here’s More
- Cottage Cheese Cups with Fruit
- Strawberry French Toast
- Lemon Blueberry Sourdough Scones
- Baked Apple Fritters
If you tried this banana chocolate chip pancakes recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Chocolate Chip Banana Pancakes
Equipment
- griddle
- silicone spatula
- medium mixing bowl
- large mixing bowl
- balloon whisk
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled (6 tablespoons = 3 ounces, or 3/4 stick)
- 2 cups buttermilk *see Notes for substitutions
- 2 large eggs slightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 small bananas mashed (about 3/4 cup mashed)
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder aluminum-free recommended
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup chocolate chips
Optional (For Serving)
- banana slices
- whipped cream or powdered sugar
- butter
- maple syrup
Instructions
- To a large mixing bowl, add butter, buttermilk, egg, and vanilla extract. Whisk well to combine. Add mashed bananas and stir well to combine.
- To a separate mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients, then whisk to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients to the large bowl of wet ingredients. Set aside to allow the pancake mixture to rest for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat a large griddle or skillet over medium heat.
- Test the skillet by adding a few drops of water to the surface; If they “dance” around, it’s time to cook!
- Add 1 tablespoon butter to the pan/griddle. When butter has melted, use a 1/3 cup measuring cup to portion pancake batter to the hot pan, leaving at least 1/4-inch space between each pancake.
- Sprinkle 1 tablespoon chocolate chips evenly over each portion of batter.
- Cook banana chocolate chip pancakes on the first side for 1-2 minutes, until bubbles appear on the top, and the edges are drying.
- Use a pancake turner to flip the pancakes over, then cook for another 1-2 minutes, until golden brown on the bottom.
- Note: For the fluffiest pancakes, do not press down on the batter, or flip the pancakes more than once.
Notes
- Nutty banana pancakes – Add chopped almonds or walnuts to the batter for extra crunch and flavor.
- Double chocolate pancakes – Mix in a tablespoon of cocoa powder along with the chocolate chips for a richer, chocolatey taste.
- Peanut butter banana pancakes – Swirl a tablespoon of peanut butter into the batter for a delicious twist.
- Dairy-free option – Use almond or oat milk instead of regular milk, and opt for dairy-free chocolate chips.
- Make-ahead freezer pancakes – Let the pancakes cool completely, then layer them between sheets of parchment paper and store them in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 5 days and reheated on the stove at a low temperature, as well as in the microwave in short, 10 to 15-second spurts.
- The batter itself can also be refrigerated overnight if you anticipate leftovers. Chocolate chip banana pancakes cook just as well the next morning!
Nutrition
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Jacqueline Staples says
Made this recipe but I altered the flour to GF flour and added chia seeds, they came out delicious! Thank you
TAYLER ROSS says
I made these pancakes for breakfast this morning and they were AMAZING! Both the hubby and kids loved them!