Classic banana pancakes get extra crunch thanks to some streusel topping made with oats, brown sugar, and macadamia nuts. Serve them topped with some sliced bananas, more macadamia nuts, and a drizzle of maple syrup to shake up your morning routine.
- Prep Time:
30 mins - Cook Time:
45 mins - Total Time:
1 hr 15 mins
Better banana pancakes
How to improve upon fluffy, homemade banana pancakes? Top them with a crunchy, just sweet enough streusel topping to make your favorite pancakes even better.
Pancakes are a favorite breakfast item for us. Although, we usually opt for classic buttermilk pancakes these macadamia nut streusel topped banana pancakes were a big hit at the last big family gathering. So, we’ll definitely be working these into the pancake rotation.
These pancakes feel indulgent without actually being so. There are no over-the-top toppings like whipped cream, chocolate spread or caramel sauce. Instead, there are fresh banana slices to keep things healthy and the streusel topping is more like a granola. It barely even needs the maple syrup.
The secret is in the streusel
My sister-in-law’s husband LOVES banana macadamia nut pancakes and has had the opportunity to try many different ones. After he started sending me photos of his various pancake orders, I decided I needed to develop a recipe so we could start having them at family gatherings.
In restaurants, the pancakes are plain buttermilk pancakes served with banana slices and chopped macadamia nuts on top. However, I decided to up the ante. I swapped plain pancakes for banana pancakes and doubled down on the macadamia nuts by creating a streusel topping with them. It may feel like an unnecessary extra step but the streusel topping makes a world of difference. So be sure to be generous with that topping.
Banana Pancakes with Macadamia Nut Streusel
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: About 12 (3 inch) pancakes + 1 1/2 cups of streusel topping 1x
- Category: Breakfast, Brunch
- Method: Stovetop, Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Classic banana pancakes get extra crunch thanks to some streusel topping made with oats, brown sugar, and macadamia nuts.
Ingredients
For the streusel
- 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
For the pancakes
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, slightly cooled
- 1 cup mashed bananas (about 2-3 overripe bananas)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Vegetable oil or butter (for cooking the pancakes)
- Sliced bananas, for serving
- Chopped macadamia nuts, for serving
- Maple syrup, for serving
Instructions
For the streusel
- Prep. Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a small rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking liner.
- Mix dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, stir together oats, flour, brown sugar, and salt until evenly mixed.
- Add wet ingredients. Add coconut oil and vanilla extract to the oat mixture and stir until evenly mixed and no dry flour is visible.
- Bake. Pour oat mixture on to a small rimmed baking sheet. Press the mixture into an even layer using a spatula or the back of a big spoon. Bake until golden brown, 15-20 minutes, rotating pan about half way through. Let cool slightly and then break up into chunks (see Note 1).
For the pancakes
- Mix dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly mixed. Set aside.
- Mix wet ingredients. In another medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, melted butter, mashed bananas, and vanilla extract.
- Mix together. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk together until just mixed. There will be lumps in the batter which is perfectly fine. Don’t over mix.
- Cook pancakes. Heat a heavy non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until hot (To test it, flick a little water into the pan. The water should skitter across the surface.) Lightly coat the skillet with oil or butter. Working in batches, for each pancake, pour a scant ¼ cup of the batter into the skillet and cook until bubbles form on the surface, the edges are a little dry and the underside is nicely browned, 2-3 minutes. Flip the pancakes and cook until the bottoms are browned, 1 to 2 minutes more. Repeat with the remaining batter.
For serving
- Serve. Serve pancakes warm. Top each one with 1-2 tablespoons of streusel, some banana slices, chopped macadamia nuts and a drizzle of maple syrup.
Notes
- For larger chunks of streusel, wait until it is completely cool (about 30 minutes) before breaking into chunks. For smaller chunks, stir the streusel when it is still slightly warm.
- The streusel will not be crunchy when it first comes out of the oven but will crisp up as it cools.
- Streusel can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week at room temperature or frozen for up to 1 month.
- Recipe for pancakes adapted from New York Times Cooking and Natasha’s Cooking.
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