Designate a medium bowl for the dry ingredients and sift the whole wheat flour into it. Add the baking powder, brown sugar, and salt (if using).

In a large bowl, place the ripe bananas and use a fork to mash them up really well, almost to a puree-like texture. Add the egg, milk, and butter with the mashed bananas and use the fork to whisk the eggs well and mix the wet mixture.

Add half of the dry ingredients into the large batter bowl and use a spatula to fold them into the batter. Add the other half of the flour mixture and mix until there are no visible flour lumps. Use a fork to press any banana lumps into the side of the bowl instead of continuing to mix.

Heat a large non-stick pan or griddle over medium-high heat. Once hot, spray or grease with butter or oil and immediately pour about ¼ cup of batter per pancake.

Cook the first side for about 2 minutes until the edges are defined and bubbles form in the middle. Flip and continue cooking on the other side for another minute. Don't press the pancakes down after flipping. Remove from the griddle or pan onto a plate and repeat the process with the remaining pancake batter.

Top your pancakes with additional sliced bananas, pancake syrup, or your favorite pancake toppings.