Vegan Banana Pancakes

Presidents' Day weekend and the grandchildren came — all four, with David and Jennifer, a full house, the particular chaos of four children under eight in a house designed for two quiet adults. Ethan is seven and reading chapter books independently, which fills me with a pride that borders on the clinical: I am observing his reading development with the professional eye of a forty-two-year veteran English teacher and the emotional investment of a grandmother, and both perspectives agree that this child is a reader, a real reader, the kind of reader who falls into books the way other children fall into puddles — completely, joyfully, without concern for the mess.

Sophie is five and writing her name — SOPHIE, in large, determined letters, on every available surface. She wrote it on the back of a receipt, on a napkin, on a piece of construction paper that she then gave to Marvin. Marvin looked at the paper and said, "Sophie." He said her name. He read her name. The reading was not guaranteed — his reading ability has been declining — but he read her name, five letters, his granddaughter's name, and she beamed, and I beamed, and the beaming was the holiday, the real holiday, Presidents' Day be damned.

I made pancakes for the children — buttermilk pancakes, from scratch, with blueberries folded into the batter. Pancakes are not Ashkenazi food. Pancakes are American food, the food of Saturday mornings and grandmothers' houses and the specific joy of a child pouring too much syrup on a stack of pancakes while the grandmother watches and says nothing because the syrup is the child's jurisdiction and the grandmother knows her jurisdictions. The pancakes were consumed with a velocity that suggested either extreme hunger or extreme quality. I am choosing quality.

The version I made that weekend used buttermilk and blueberries, but the heart of the recipe — the reason pancakes work for a house suddenly loud with children — is the banana: sweet enough that the stack stands on its own, sturdy enough to hold up under whatever a five-year-old decides to do with the syrup. These vegan banana pancakes have become my reliable version, the one I turn to when I want that same full-griddle feeling without the buttermilk on hand. Marvin can still sit at the table for pancakes, and that is enough reason to keep making them.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Servings: 8 pancakes (serves 3–4)

Ingredients

2 ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (or any non-dairy milk)
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted, plus more for the pan
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

Mash the bananas. In a large mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas thoroughly with a fork until smooth. A few small lumps are fine and add texture.
Mix the wet ingredients. Stir the almond milk, melted coconut oil, and vanilla extract into the mashed bananas until well combined.
Combine the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and cinnamon.
Make the batter. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir gently until just combined. Do not overmix — a few streaks of flour are fine. Let the batter rest for 3–5 minutes.
Heat the pan. Warm a non-stick skillet or griddle over medium heat. Lightly coat with coconut oil or cooking spray.
Cook the pancakes. Pour approximately 1/4 cup of batter per pancake onto the skillet. Cook until bubbles form across the surface and the edges look set, about 2–3 minutes. Flip and cook for another 1–2 minutes until golden.
Serve warm. Transfer to a plate and serve immediately with maple syrup, fresh fruit, or a dusting of powdered sugar.

Nutrition (per serving, 2 pancakes)

Vegan Banana Pancakes — The Saturday Morning Stack That Made a Full House Feel Like Home