Banana Zucchini Pancakes (Makes 12, Ready in 35 Minutes)

Banana zucchini pancakes are a way to get a vegetable into a Saturday breakfast without anyone negotiating over it. Ripe banana and finely grated zucchini disappear into a fluffy batter, and the recipe writes down the griddle temperature, so you are not guessing at the first pancake. The batch makes 12 pancakes, serves 4, and takes 35 minutes. Because it relies on a single medium zucchini from the grocery store and bananas from the fruit bowl, it works in any season. Put the whole family at the table and set the syrup in the middle.

Why this works

• The 5 minute rest lets the flour absorb the liquid that the zucchini and banana add, so the batter thickens on its own instead of needing more flour.
• Squeezing the shreds in a towel keeps the batter from turning wet and gummy.
• A measured griddle temperature gives an even golden color on both sides.
• Folding only 10 to 12 strokes keeps the pancakes tender. Lumps are correct.

Pancakes live or die by the batter and the heat. Here both are controlled: the batter is rested until it bubbles, and the griddle is set to a stated temperature. That means the pancakes brown evenly instead of burning outside and staying pale inside, even with the extra moisture from fruit and vegetable. It is a forgiving recipe for anyone who has been unlucky with pancakes before.

What to know about the ingredients

Use 1 cup of zucchini, which is about 1 medium. Grate it on the small holes of a box grater and squeeze it dry in a clean kitchen towel. Fine shreds are what make it vanish.

The bananas matter more than anything else. Choose 2 medium bananas with heavily freckled skin and mash them with a fork until only small lumps remain. Milk, eggs, melted butter and vanilla make up the wet side, while the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt are whisked together first as the dry mix.

Fine shreds matter here. Large shreds show up as green strands in the batter, which is exactly what picky eaters spot first. The small holes of a box grater give you tiny flecks that blend into the banana. If you shop for bananas for this recipe, buy them a few days early and let them ripen on the counter until the skin is heavily freckled, since the sweetness in the batter comes from the fruit.

Banana Zucchini Pancakes

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Ripe banana and fine shreds disappear into the batter, and the griddle temperature is written down.

Prep15 min

Cook20 min

Total35 min

Serves4

Scale1x2x3x

Ingredients

• zucchini, finely grated and squeezed dry — 1 cup (1 medium) (120 g)
• all-purpose flour — 2 cups (240 g)
• bananas, very ripe, mashed — 2 medium (240 g)
• milk — 1¼ cups (300 ml)
• eggs — 2 large (100 g)
• butter, melted — 2 tablespoons (30 g)
• baking powder — 2½ teaspoons (10 g)
• ground cinnamon — ½ teaspoon (2 g)
• vanilla extract — 1 teaspoon (5 ml)
• salt — ½ teaspoon (3 g)

Instructions

1. Grate the zucchini on the small holes of a box grater and squeeze it dry in a clean kitchen towel. These are the shreds, 120 g (1 cup).
2. Mash the bananas with a fork until only small lumps remain. Ripe means the skin is heavily freckled: an underripe banana stays in visible pieces and tastes like nothing.
3. Whisk the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. This is the dry mix.
4. Whisk the milk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla in a second bowl, then stir in the mashed banana and the shreds.
5. Pour the wet bowl into the dry mix and fold 10 to 12 strokes, until the flour disappears. Lumps are correct. Rest the batter 5 minutes, until bubbles show on the surface.
6. Heat a griddle or skillet over medium heat to 350 F (175 C). Test it: a drop of water should skitter across the surface and evaporate in about 2 seconds.
7. Cook 60 g (1/4 cup) pancakes for 2 to 3 minutes, until bubbles open across the whole surface and the edges look dry, then flip and cook 90 seconds more, until the second side is golden.
8. Keep the finished pancakes on a rack in a 200 F (95 C) oven while you cook the rest. Stacking them on a plate steams the bottoms soft.

Nutrition per serving

416Calories

13 gProtein

64 gCarbs

12 gFat

Estimated per serving from standard nutrition reference values; will vary with brands and substitutions.

Tips for getting it right

1. Whisk the wet and dry mixes in separate bowls, then combine. Fold 10 to 12 strokes, until the flour disappears.
2. Rest the batter 5 minutes, until bubbles show on the surface.
3. Test the griddle before you pour. A water drop that skitters and evaporates in about 2 seconds means it is at 350 F (175 C).
4. Pour 60 g (1/4 cup) per pancake. Flip when bubbles have opened across the whole surface and the edges look dry, after 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Cook the second side for 90 seconds, until golden.
6. Move finished pancakes to a rack in a 200 F (95 C) oven so the bottoms stay dry.

Keep the heat steady. If the first pancake browns too fast, lower the heat a notch, and if it stays pale, raise it. Wipe the pan lightly between batches only if it looks dry. Pour the batter from the same spot each time so the pancakes come out round and a similar size, and use the 60 g (1/4 cup) measure so each one cooks in the same time. Resist pressing on them with the spatula, which squeezes out the air you just rested into the batter.

How to store, freeze and make ahead

Refrigerate leftovers for 3 days, or freeze them for 2 months with parchment between each pancake so they do not weld together. Reheat in a toaster straight from the freezer. That makes a weekday breakfast out of a weekend batch.

What to serve with it

Serve them as a Saturday breakfast with syrup on the table. Fresh banana slices on the side look good and need no work. A glass of milk or the Chocolate Zucchini Smoothie rounds out the table, and a savory plate of eggs balances the sweetness for adults.

Variations

• Add a handful of chopped walnuts to the batter for crunch.
• Stir in a few chocolate chips for a weekend treat.
• Top with peanut butter and extra banana instead of syrup.
• Use the same batter idea in Cinnamon Zucchini Muffins when you want something that travels, or bake a loaf of Classic Zucchini Bread for the week.

For more ways to use zucchini through every season, see Zucchini Recipes and Small-Batch Preserving.