Fluffy Banana Macadamia Nut Pancakes are filled with banana flavor and studded with macadamia nuts, then smothered in coconut syrup. Just like you had at that restaurant in Hawaii! These are so easy to make at home. Comes with free palm trees and a beach too. Originally published May 7, 2015.
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So tonight I get a text from my brother: “I let Lincoln (his 8-year-old son) make brownies tonight. He thought 2/3 cup oil meant 2 or 3 cups of oil. Had to triple the recipe. Now we have a lot of brownies.”
Why did an overload of brownies have to happen when I’m out of town?? I would so help a brotha out. (Probably next time I make brownies I will “accidentally” add 2 cups of oil. Or 3.)
But instead I’m at a hotel a couple of hours away from home at an event, where I get to help introduce a new brand of ice cream. So I basically will be eating ice cream from 9 am onward tomorrow. Don’t feel too bad for me.
You’ll love these banana macadamia pancakes
Bananacadamiapalooza!! Say that 3 times fast. On Tuesday I shared a recipe for the Coconut Syrup that goes on top of these pancakes. I could drink that stuff, for real. But on top of these Banana Macadamia Pancakes?? Fugetaboutit.
I really loved these pancakes with some fresh pineapple on top, which gives it a pina colada feel (if you need a real pina colada, I got you). Or you could even chop some up and put it onto the pancake before flipping. Then it gets all caramelized. Make these for Mom on Sunday!
Key ingredients
- Salted roasted macadamia nuts are delicious, and they have a slight buttery crunch and just the right amount of salt to make all of the rest of the ingredients really pop.
- Use a very ripe banana here. The darker and spottier, the better. It’ll add plenty of natural sweetness and keep the pancakes moist and tender.
How to make banana macadamia nut pancakes
Start by giving the macadamia nuts a rough chop. I like using the food processor and pulsing them a few times so you get a mix of little pieces and bigger chunks. That crunch is exactly what we want.
Whisk the dry ingredients and macadamias together in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Mash the banana with a fork….you don’t need to get it perfectly smooth. A few banana chunks are a very good thing.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and gently stir until everything is just combined. Do not overmix. Lumpy pancake batter is happy pancake batter. Trust me.
Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat and butter it well. Scoop the batter onto the pan,cook until bubbles form on top and start to pop, then flip and cook them until golden brown.
If you’re adding pineapple, scatter a few small pieces over the uncooked side before flipping. Just don’t go overboard or you’ll end up with a soggy middle.
Keep the finished pancakes warm while you cook the rest, then pile them high and serve with fresh banana or pineapple. And here is the Coconut Syrup that you MUST eat with these pancakes!
If you’re asking yourself, but wait, Karen, wouldn’t roasted bananas be even better on top? Yes, you genius you. Slice the bananas, place them on a greased baking sheet, sprinkle with a little sugar, and broil for a couple of minutes until they’re caramelized. If you have a kitchen torch, even better. Or pan-fry them in a little butter and sugar until golden and gooey. Man oh man, you´ll be glad you did this.
How to store leftover pancakes
You can keep leftover pancakes in an airtight container in the fridge for 3–4 days. When you´re ready to reheat them, the microwave works in a pinch, but I like popping them in the toaster or toaster oven so the edges get a little crispy again.
Can I freeze leftover pancakes?
Sure! Great idea! That way you can have a little bit of Hawaii anytime you feel like it. Let the pancakes cool completely, then stack them with parchment paper between each one and tuck them into a freezer bag. They’ll keep for about 2–3 months. Reheat straight from frozen in the toaster, toaster oven, or microwave.
Banana Macadamia Nut Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup salted roasted macadamia nuts, 2 1/2 oz, chopped
- 1 & 1/2 cups flour, spooned and leveled
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled a bit
- 1 & 1/2 cups buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 ripe, or overripe large banana
- 1 batch Coconut Syrup, click for recipe
- more bananas, to garnish
- pineapple, to garnish
Instructions
- Chop the macadamia nuts. I used my food processor and pulsed it until there were some fine chunks and some larger ones.
- Add the macadamias to a large bowl, along with the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together.
- Melt the butter in a small bowl and set aside.
- Whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Whisk in the butter.
- In the bowl that you melted the butter, mash a banana with a fork. It doesn’t need to be perfect, some chunks are ok.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture, and add the mashed banana. Stir until JUST barely combined. Embrace the chunk.
- Heat a large frying pan or griddle over medium heat. Grease well with butter or nonstick spray.
- Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to form pancakes. Cook for a few minutes, until the top has formed bubbles and they have started to pop.
- At this point, you can add chopped pineapple to the raw side of the pancake. Make sure you spread it out otherwise the pancake won’t cook in the middle.
- Flip the pancakes and continue to cook until light golden brown.
- Turn your oven to the warm setting (170 degrees F) and put a cooling rack inside. Keep the pancakes on the rack until ready to serve.
- Serve with fresh bananas* or fresh pineapple and Coconut Syrup
Notes
Source: inspired by my mother-in-law Kris, adapted from Epicurious
Nutrition
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I’ve made this recipe twice. I tweaked it a little bit. I only chopped the bananas. I did not mash them. Instead adding a few drops of banana extract. Also made a simple glaze with powdered sugar,vanilla extract and milk instead of coconut syrup. They are so good. Very flavorful and sweet but not too sweet. Some whipped cream might be a good addition too.
Love the banana extract idea Kevin! Thanks for sharing your tips, I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Pina colada pancakes? I’ll take these. Plus all the extra brownies. Kthnx.
I wish I had a stack in front of me now! Love these flavors!
Where does your brother live? I sure could use a brownie right about now and it sounds like he has a boat load. Um, yeah, I’m not feeling too bad for you. Hells yes to all the ice cream, all day long! Love these pancakes so very much. Pinned.
Oh my gosh, I need to update this. In his haste to fix the oil situation, my nephew forgot to add eggs. CHALK BROWNIES. Yuck. (I ate 3)
Karen, you are making me long for Hawaii this week! First with the syrup then these pancakes. Man I wish I was sitting on the beach right now!! How fun that you got to eat ice cream all day! And I’ve heard that ice cream is goood!!! How cute that your nephew put 2 cups of oil, hehe. Your brother is cool to double the batch. I would call it quits. :)
I know, I should have been posting all these Hawaii recipes in the winter, when people really need a break right! And eating ice cream all day with Open Nature really was a blast, I loved it. That ice cream is LEGIT. And I have to tell you, my brother sent me a text later that Lincoln was so preoccupied with fixing the oil situation that he for got to add the eggs. Ha!!!
I want these for Mother’s Day, even if I have to make them myself. Pinned!
tape the recipe to the refrigerator door Saturdau night? :) :)
Nothing like banana pancakes to brighten a morning!
Thanks Erin! I agree! These certainly are bright :)
There are certain recipes that make me glad the Mr. can’t have pineapple. MORE FOR ME!
Ha! Amen. Although I ought to be in the same boat as your husband. It’s my favorite fruit but I pay for it every time.
If I can’t go to Hawaii, at least I can eat these yummy pancakes!
That’s what I’m saying Laura! Because people only go to Hawaii for the food, right? :)