These Banana Foster Pancakes are extra fluffy, light, and they're so easy to make. They're topped with delicious caramelized bananas with brown butter rum sauce made with maple syrup and brown sugar. You'll love these for brunch but you can serve them as a dessert as well. They're also freezer-friendly which makes them great for meal prep!
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What is Banana Foster?
Banana Foster is a dessert of vanilla ice cream and bananas cooked in a caramel-like sauce made with butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, dark rum, and banana liqueur. At restaurants, after adding the alcohol, the sauce is often ignited (please never do this at home).
Origin: The dessert was created by chef Paul Plange in 1951 in New Orleans. It's called "Banana Foster" because the owner of the restaurant where chef Paul Plange worked named the dessert after his friend Richard Foster.
These banana foster pancakes are inspired by the famous dessert with a few small tweaks. I omit the banana liqueur to make the recipe simpler because it's not a very common ingredient. I also added walnuts or pecans for a little crunch and added maple syrup for extra flavor!
Why This Recipe Works
Buttermilk pancakes - Adding buttermilk to your pancake batter instead of milk makes them extra light, fluffy, and so soft. They have a similar texture as these Greek Yogurt Pancakes without needing to whip any eggwhites! See recipe card to learn how to make vegan buttermilk.
Easy and simple - The recipe is really simple to follow and totally foolproof. Both the pancake batter and the sauce are made with common ingredients you'll find in any grocery stores. I left out banana liqueur from the recipe to simplify it because I find dark rum adds enough flavor on its own.
Freezer-friendly - If you have leftover pancakes or you want to make a double batch to freeze them for busy weekdays, you totally can! They're just as delicious and fluffy defrostes as they are fresh. I recommend always making the sauce fresh.
Ingredients
- Flour - You can use all-purpose flour or a gluten-free alternative. I always make my pancakes gluten-free and I swear by Bob's Red Mill 1:1 gluten-free flour.
- Buttermilk - Buttermilk makes pancakes extra fluffy. You can make vegan buttermilk by mixing almond milk with lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. See recipe card for exaxct measurements.
- Baking powder and baking soda - I like using a combination of the two here. The baking soda reacts with buttermilk and helps raise the pancakes.
- Bananas - Avoid using extra ripe pancakes for the banana foster topping. I like using light yellow bananas with minimal black specks while they're still harder. They'll keep better shape after cooking than ripe bananas.
- Sweetener - I use a mix of maple syrup and brown sugar. If you don't have both, you can just double the maple syrup or brown sugar.
- Rum - Dark rum works best here. You can use spiced rum if you want to add more flavor.
Variations and Substitutions
- Banana liqueur - I left this out of the recipe to keep things simple but you can add some if you have it on hand for added banana flavor and sweetness.
- Pancake mix - If you want to save time, you can use boxed pancake mix.
- Apples - To switch things up, you can use apples instead of bananas in the sauce, similar to these Caramelized Apples but with dark rum sauce.
- No alcohol - The alcohol content evaporates as the sauce simmers but if you want to avoid the rum completely, you can use rum extract instead. Start with ¼-1/2 teaspoon and add more to taste.
- Coconut oil - If you want to keep the pancakes dairy-free, you can use vegan butter or coconut oil for the batter and to cook the pancakes.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Pancakes
- In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and ground cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, maple syrup, melted butter, vanilla extract, and sea salt until well combined.
- Whisk in buttermilk.
- Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined making sure not to overmix the batter.
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- Heat a large pan over medium-high heat.
- Add a little bit of butter to lightly coat the bottom of the pan.
- Spoon the batter into the pan making 2-3 large pancakes. I do about ¼ cup of batter per pancake. Don’t overcrowd the pan.
- Cook for 2 minutes on one side until the edges are slightly set and bubbles start to form.
- Flip and cook for another 2 minutes until golden brown on both sides.
- Repeat with the remaining batter adding more butter as needed. Lower the heat to medium-low if the butter starts burning.
- Keep the pancakes on a baking sheet or a large plate in a warm oven at 175F (80C) while you cook the rest of the batter. Try not to overlap the pancakes too much so they stay crispy on top.
Banana Foster Topping
- Melt butter in a large pan over medium heat.
- Add maple syrup, dark brown sugar, rum, cinnamon, and vanilla extract.
- Simmer the sauce for 2-3 minutes stirring often to make sure the sugar melts, the alcohol evaporates, and everything mixes together.
- Add sliced bananas and chopped pecans and gently coat with the sauce.
- Cook the bananas in the sauce for 2-3 minutes until soft.
Serving and Storing
The pancakes are best served right away while the sauce and bananas are still warm. The sauce will thicken as it cools.
Besides pancakes, you can also serve the banana topping on on french toast, oatmeal, or any desserts.
Fridge: Store any leftover pancakes or sauce in separate airtight containers in the fridge.
You can reheat the pancakes either in a skillet, in the oven at 300F, or in a toaster until warmed through. Warm up the sauce in a small saucepan over low-medium heat until it bubbles.
Freezer: You can freeze the pancakes in a freezer-safe container or a freezer bag. Defrost in the fridge overnight or warm up from frozen in the oven or in a skillet on the stove until warmed through.
FAQs
You can try using flax egg instead of eggs but I haven't tested it so I can't guarantee it's going to work.
The sauce is made with rum but the alcohol content is cooked off as the sauce simmers. If you want to avoid the alcohol completely, you can use rum extract instead.
More Pancake Recipes
If you're looking for more delicious pancakes to make, check out the four recipes below! The peach and apple pancakes are my all time favorites, definitely give those a try for your next brunch! You can top them with these Caramelized Peaches to make them extra special. See Pancakes and Waffles to find all the latest pancake recipes.
Print📖 Recipe
Banana Foster Pancakes
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4-5 (14 pancakes) 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
These Banana Foster Pancakes are extra fluffy, gluten-free, and topped with caramelized bananas with rum and pecans.
Ingredients
Pancakes:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (or gluten-free flour blend, I use Bob's Red Mill 1:1 blend)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 3 tbsp melted butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 2 cups buttermilk (see notes for vegan buttermilk)
- Butter or cooking oil for cooking pancakes
Banana Foster Topping:
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar or more maple syrup
- ¼ cup dark rum
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 bananas, sliced
- ¼ cup chopped raw pecans or walnuts
Instructions
Pancakes:
- In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and ground cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, maple syrup, melted butter, vanilla extract, and sea salt until well combined.
- Whisk in buttermilk.
- Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined making sure not to overmix the batter.
- Heat a large pan over medium-high heat.
- Add a little bit of butter to lightly coat the bottom of the pan.
- Spoon the batter into the pan making 2-3 large pancakes. I do about ¼ cup of batter per pancake. Don’t overcrowd the pan.
- Cook for 2 minutes on one side until the edges slightly set and bubbles start to form.
- Flip and cook for another 2 minutes until golden brown on both sides.
- Repeat with the remaining batter adding more butter as needed. Lower the heat to medium-low if the butter starts burning.
- Keep the pancakes on a baking sheet or a large plate in the oven at 175F (80C) while you cook the rest of the batter. Try not to overlap the pancakes too much so they stay crispy on top.
Banana Foster Topping:
- Melt butter in a large pan over medium heat.
- Add maple syrup, dark brown sugar, rum, cinnamon, and vanilla extract.
- Simmer the sauce for 2-3 minutes stirring often to make sure the sugar melts, the alcohol evaporates, and everything mixes together.
- Add sliced bananas and chopped pecans and gently coat with the sauce. Cook the bananas in the sauce for 2-3 minutes until soft.
- Serve the pancakes topped with the hot bananas and sauce or other toppings of your choice.
Notes
Storing: Store the pancakes in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can store them in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 3-4 months.
Reheating: Reheat the pancakes in a pan on the stove over medium heat until warmed through, in the oven at 300F for a few minutes, or in a toaster. If they’re frozen, you can defrost them in the fridge overnight or cook them from frozen.
No alcohol: The alcohol content evaporates as the sauce simmers but if you want to avoid alcohol completely, add some rum extract instead. Start with ½ teaspoon and add more to taste.
Vegan buttermilk: Measure 2 cups of almond milk, remove 2 tablespoon of the milk, and add 2 tablespoon of lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, or white vinegar. Gently stir and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. It's ready when it curdles and thickens slightly.
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Colleen says
These pancakes look amazing and will be a perfect addition to our Christmas brunch. Thank you!
Yu says
I made this today, and it turned out amazing! Surprisingly, it is straightforward to make, and I can not have enough! Thank you for this beautiful recipe!
Alexandra says
I love regular pancakes, but these Banana Foster Pancakes are a whole new level of deliciousness. The pancakes are so light and fluffy and that sauce - divine! The nuts add great texture.
Tammy says
These are some of the best looking pancakes I've seen. My mouth is watering...such a fabulous treat for the weekends. I definitely need to make them!
Sean says
I love bananas foster and this is a perfect way to make the dessert into a wonderful brunch item.
Jacqueline Debono says
This is my new favourite pancake breakfast recipe. It's easy to make even though more complex than plain pancakes but boy so delicious!
Tristin says
I’ve had banana fosters pancakes at a local restaurant and loved them. Excited that I can now make them at home!
Erin says
These pancakes were so fun and delicious! My son and husband just loved them. I did, too! Thanks!
Lori | The Kitchen Whisperer says
Talk about a showstopper! These not only look amazing but they taste incredible! I host Christmas brunch for the ladies and this will definitely be on the menu! Thank you so much for sharing!
Hayley Dhanecha says
We really enjoyed banana foster pancakes in USA a few years back, so glad we have your recipe. Had great fun making it over the weekend for our brunch. So delicious!