Banana Blueberry Pancakes -- The Morning She Didn’t Need Me Anymore

Valentine's Day. Heart pancakes year five. Zaria's pancakes are perfect now — she does not need my hand on the pan. She makes them herself, heart-shaped, golden, served with a syrup flourish that she invented (she drizzles the syrup in a heart pattern because Zaria believes presentation matters, and she is correct). Aiden ate four. I ate two. Marc's sat on the table, growing cold, growing loved.

Zaria has been making these Banana Blueberry Pancakes with me since year one — when her job was mostly handing me the blueberries and eating the ones that didn’t make it into the batter. The banana is what keeps them tender and just sweet enough that you don’t need much syrup, though Zaria will tell you the syrup heart on top is non-negotiable. If you want to make them heart-shaped like she does, just pour the batter slow and deliberate into a heart outline — or use a mold the first year or two, until your hands know what they’re doing. She doesn’t need the mold anymore.

Banana Blueberry Pancakes

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Servings: 4 (about 12 pancakes)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 large ripe banana, mashed (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the pan
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Instructions

1. Mix dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar until combined.
2. Mash and mix wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, mash the banana until smooth. Whisk in the buttermilk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla extract until well combined.
3. Combine. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined — a few lumps are fine. Do not overmix or the pancakes will be tough.
4. Fold in blueberries. Gently fold the blueberries into the batter with a spatula.
5. Heat the pan. Place a nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat and add a small pat of butter. When the butter foams and subsides, the pan is ready.
6. Cook the pancakes. Pour about 1/4 cup of batter per pancake onto the skillet. Cook until bubbles form across the surface and the edges look set, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook another 1 to 2 minutes until golden on the bottom. For heart-shaped pancakes, pour slowly into a heart outline using a squeeze bottle or the back of a spoon to shape the batter before it sets.
7. Keep warm and serve. Transfer finished pancakes to a plate in a low oven (200°F) to stay warm while you cook the remaining batter. Serve with maple syrup — drizzled in a heart pattern, if you know what’s good for you.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 310 | Protein: 8g | Fat: 8g | Carbs: 52g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 390mg