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The perfect fluffy texture and delicious shredded coconut tidbits in every bite of these banana pancakes make this recipe awesome.
Banana Pancakes with Shredded Coconut
My family is over the moon with my epic banana pancake recipe, so it was only a matter of time before I added shredded coconut and took that recipe to another level.
I’m not saying that these pancakes are the equivalent of sipping on a piña colada by the pool, but when it’s the weekend, you need something, and it’s too early for a cocktail… I say whip these up and stack them high!
Ingredients
You’ll find how much of each in the recipe card but below you make any swaps here is what I’ve already tested:
- Flour: regular all-purpose flour is the base for this recipe. Follow this banana oat pancake recipe if you want to use oat flour or oats and just add ½ cup of shredded coconut.
- Baking powder: gives pancakes a fluffy texture when exposed to heat (after you flip them). Aluminum-free baking powder is best since the aluminum tends to give pancakes a bitter/salty flavor.
- Salt: just a pinch to enhance the sweetness of the batter. Omit it if your butter is salted.
- Shredded Coconut: shredded or flaked (I have two bags in my pantry and one says shredded the other says flaked) both are sweetened, the kind you use for desserts. If you use unsweetened flakes, chope them up because they’re larger.
- Banana: the riper the banana the sweeter the batter. You can use up to 2 bananas (1 ½ cups mashed) in this recipe.
- Milk: use regular milk or your favorite non-dairy alternative.
- Egg: to bind the ingredients and help the pancakes hold together. You can make banana pancakes without eggs by using your favorite egg substitute (I’ve tried this with a flax egg and a commercial egg replacer).
- Butter: adds moisture to the batter and a delicious buttery flavor.
- Vanilla: a little of this delicious extract will add a hint of flavor to the batter. It can be omitted.
How to Make Banana Coconut Pancakes
Pancakes 101: grab a bowl, and let’s keep things simple. If you’re a newbie, some helpful tips in the steps include:
- Make the batter
I prefer to mash the banana on a flat plate to the point it’s almost liquid. This ensures that it mixes into the batter well. Then, in the main batter bowl, I measure and combine the dry ingredients, make a well in the middle, and add the egg, milk, butter, and vanilla. I wait until the very end to fold in the mashed banana from the plate and the shredded coconut. - Cook the pancakes
Heat up the non-stick surface first, and then, once hot, grease it. Cook your pancakes over medium heat. Immediately, pour about ¼ cup of pancake batter and cook the pancakes for 2 minutes per side. - Serve
Stack them high and serve these banana coconut pancakes with sliced bananas, syrup, and more shredded coconut.
Banana Coconut Pancake Batter
This batter is on the medium-thickness side, similar to cake batter. I like to mix all the ingredients and add the mashed banana and the shredded coconut at the very end, folding them in with a spatula, to avoid overmixing the batter. It’s hard to tell if it’s a banana lump or a coconut shred, or a flour lump, ya know?
Making the Fluffiest Pancakes
When measuring the flour, I always use a spoon to fill the measuring cup so I don’t pack too much flour, leading to dense pancakes. Even with banana and shredded coconut in the batter, there’s enough baking powder to give these a fluffy texture. You’ll want to avoid pressing them down with the spatula after flipping, this will condense the batter and make them less fluffy.
Favorite Toppings for This Stack
These pancakes are so good that I’ve eaten cold from the fridge the next day! Hot off the pan you might want to give them a little pat of butter, a bit of pancake syrup, more banana slices (they don’t have to be as ripe), or a drizzle of nut butter… OMG.
Banana Pancakes with Shredded Coconut
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- Pinch salt, omit if butter is salted
- 1 large ripe banana, about ¾ cup mashed
- 1 large egg
- 1 ¼ cups milk, any
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, optional
- ½ cup shredded coconut, sweetened flakes
Instructions
Prep:
- Mash the banana on a plate with a fork until it’s almost a paste. Some tidbits left are ok.
Make the batter:
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Make a well in the middle and add the egg, milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Use a fork to whisk the egg first and once the egg yolk has broken up with the egg white, begin to mix it with the other liquids. Then, start to incorporate and mix the liquid with the dry ingredients in the bowl until you have a smooth batter.
- Add the mashed banana and the coconut flakes and gently combine them with the rest of the batter. You only need a few turns to mix them well.
Cook the pancakes:
- Heat a non-stick griddle or large pan over medium heat. Once hot, grease, spray, or melt butter on the hot surface. When using an electric griddle, heat it somewhere between 300 and 350F.
- Immediately, pour ¼ cup of pancake batter onto the greased pan. Cook the pancakes for about 2 minutes, until the edges begin to look defined and bubbles form. Flip the pancakes over and cook for another minute on the other side. Avoid pressing down on the pancake after flipping. Remove the pancakes from the pan onto a plate and keep them warm while you cook the rest of the batter.
Serve:
- Plate a few pancakes on a plate and top them with your favorite toppings and syrups.
Notes
- To ripen your banana in a pinch, peel the banana and microwave it in 15-second intervals, mashing it with a fork as it softens. This will quick-ripen the banana and bring out its sweetness. Then, allow it to cool down completely before making the batter.
- Since pancake batter naturally has a mild, neutral flavor, it’s important to use aluminum-free baking powder. The metallic flavor will ruin the taste, especially in fluffy pancake recipes that call for 2 or more teaspoons. Trust me on this one.
Lisa says
Loved them!