Serve a stack of these dairy free Banana Coconut Milk Pancakes For Two to start your morning off a little sweeter. Small batch recipe makes 6 pancakes.
Who loves brunch?
If you said yes, you’re in luck! Today I’m posting Banana Coconut Milk Pancakes For Two, a stack of sweet banana pancakes with coconut milk, making them dairy free.
To be honest, the line between breakfast and brunch is blurred for me.
I know brunch is more savory and later in the morning, but the truth is what I eat for breakfast is also what I eat for brunch. That usually involves being a little sweet.
These dairy free banana pancakes are more on the sweeter side with the bananas and syrup.
I got the idea to substitute coconut milk for dairy milk when a Twitter follower said something to me about it.
I absolutely love coconut milk, so I gave it a go. Sometimes I find myself eating vegan ice cream because it’s made with coconut milk.
These pancakes are not vegan due to the egg, but they’re still delicious. Nobody will notice there isn’t any dairy.
How To Measure Canned Coconut Milk
If you’ve never worked with canned coconut milk before, here are a few tips to keep in mind.
First you want to buy canned coconut milk, usually in the Asian ingredient aisle. I am not referring to thin coconut milk you find near the dairy aisle. You want canned because it’ll have more delicious cream in it.
Once you find the canned coconut milk, make sure the label actually says coconut milk. Not coconut water or cream of coconut.
When you open a can, it will appear solid. That’s because the solid and liquid separated. If you shake the can, you can hear the liquid in there.
To measure canned coconut milk: Shake the can well then open and add to a bowl. Stir the solid and liquid together until smooth and pourable.
Next measure 1/2 cup then save the rest for future use. Check out my recipes using coconut milk for ideas.
The coconut flavor is subtle, so it’s not in-your-face coconut pancakes; I don’t want to mislead anyone if you’re expecting a huge burst of coconut. The banana flavor will be more dominant.
How To Make Coconut Banana Pancakes From Scratch
Like everything else on this blog, these small batch pancakes for two are made from scratch. No baking mixes or Bisquick needed.
Just your basic flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, egg, milk, and melted butter.
To make the pancake batter, first you whisk together the dry ingredients. Then you whisk in the wet ingredients. Finally you stir in the mashed banana.
Before cooking, you want to let the batter rest for at least 5 minutes. This allows the gluten to relax so the pancakes don’t toughen up while cooking.
The batter will also thicken a little more because the flour absorbs the liquid. If you let it rest longer and the batter is too thick, whisk in a little more milk to loosen it.
Next, heat your skillet. Ideally you want a non-stick pan. I let mine heat up while dry (aka no butter or oil). To make sure it’s hot enough, I throw in a few drops of water. If they sizzle and evaporate quickly, the pan is ready.
However, if your pan isn’t non-stick or you want a little more butter flavor, you can melt about 1/4 tablespoon of butter first. You can then use the remaining tablespoon for serving.
Once your skillet is hot, pour about 1/4 cup of batter into the pan. Your pancake is ready to flip when the edges are set and bubbles form in the middle. The second side won’t need as much cooking time since it’s already halfway cooked.
The heat will fluctuate while cooking. If your pancakes are getting too brown, turn the heat down. If your pancakes are taking too long to cook, turn the heat up.
Once ready, serve them with lots of butter and syrup.
How To Freeze Pancakes
If you’re making small batch pancakes for one, pancakes do freeze well! Let the extras cool completely then store in a single layer in a freezer locked bag.
How To Rewarm Pancakes
Even though you’re only making 6 pancakes, they get cold quickly if you don’t serve them straight from the skillet.
If you’re making all six and waiting until the end to eat, preheat your oven to 200F. Once you’re done cooking, stick the pancakes in the oven for about 5 minutes or until warm.
Don’t feel like turning your oven on (or you forgot)? You can reheat them in the microwave in 15 second increments.
Pancake Tips And Tricks
Not happy with your pancakes? Here are some troubleshooting tips to keep in mind:
If your pancakes are thin and didn’t rise: make sure your skillet is hot before adding the batter; you need heat to react to the baking powder. If the pan is too cold, there is no heat. If there is no heat, the baking powder won’t rise properly.
If your pancakes are too doughy and/or raw in the middle: they are too thick. Make sure they aren’t more than 1/4 inch thick in the skillet.
If your pancakes aren’t fluffy: you overmixed your batter. The more you stir your flour, the more the gluten develops. And overdeveloped gluten will result in chewy pancakes rather than fluffy. It’s ok if your batter is a little lumpy, as long as there are no dry spots of flour left.
More Pancakes For Two Recipes
- Chocolate Chip Pancakes For Two – A classic pancake recipe using dairy milk and chocolate chips
- Apple Sausage Pancakes For Two – A more savory way to eat pancakes for breakfast.
Banana Coconut Milk Pancakes For Two (Dairy Free)
Serve a stack of these dairy free Banana Coconut Milk Pancakes For Two to start your morning off a little sweeter. Small batch recipe makes 6 pancakes.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 1/2 cup canned coconut milk, room temperature* (read Note before measuring)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup mashed banana (roughly 1 overripe banana)
- Maple syrup, for serving
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
- In a large measuring cup, whisk together the egg, coconut milk (should be liquid - see Note), and oil.
- Gradually pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients while whisking until everything is moistened (do not overmix - lumps are ok but there should be no pockets of flour). Stir in the mashed banana. Let the batter rest for 5 minutes.
- Optional: If you're not serving the pancakes immediately after cooking, preheat the oven to 200F. They will get cold quickly if you make them all before eating.
- Heat a dry small non-stick skillet large enough to flip one pancake. If your skillet is not non-stick, brush your pan with a little bit of vegetable oil.
- If using a dry skillet, add a few drop of water to make sure your pan is hot enough (they should sizzle then evaporate quickly). If using oil, it should be hot. Once hot, pour in 1/4 cup of batter, making sure it's no more than 1/4 inch thick.
- Cook until bubbles form on top and edges are set, about 1-2 minutes. Flip and cook the other side until brown, about 1 more minute.
- Remove and place on a cooling rack. Repeat with the remaining batter. You may need to adjust your heat if your pancakes are getting too dark.
- If pancakes are cold, warm in the oven for 5 minutes. Serve with maple syrup. Freeze any leftovers in a freezer-safe plastic bag.
Notes
- To measure canned coconut milk: Shake the can well then open and add to a bowl. Stir the solid and liquid together until smooth and pourable. Measure 1/2 cup then save the rest for future use. Check out my recipes using coconut milk for ideas.
- If using leftover coconut milk stored in the refrigerator, it needs to be room temperature. Don't have time to wait? Microwave in 10 second increments until smooth then measure.
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How to Philosophize with Cake says
Mmmm, pancakes! I wish I had a stack of those right now on this Monday morning! :)
Liz says
Oh, how I’d love a stash of these banana pancakes to have for my breakfast all week long. They look spectacular!!!
Erin @ The Spiffy Cookie says
Pancakes are one of my favorite breakfast items and these look great!
Susan says
You are hitting me with a double whammy here coconut and bananas! LoL! I’m just teasing, they look fantastic and thanks for joining us this week.
[email protected] {i love} my disorganized life says
Oh these look fabulous! We love pancakes and these look perfect :)
veronica gantley says
MMMM Looks like some awesome pancake goodness to me!
Carol at Wild Goose Tea says
I love brunch and I love breakfast. Who cares about blurry lines! That just means I am reading a recipe without my reading glasses. Lol. I am sure I am the only one laughing at that lame joke. BUT I am also sure that I wouldn’t be the only one snarfing down these pancakes. I can eat dairy, but I am also quite willing not to eat dairy. No this is not a lead in to another lame joke.
Michele says
I love Huevos rancheros with over hard egg and tons of queso!
Samantha @FerraroKitchen says
I LOVE coconut…those pancakes look amazing, Carla!!
Anita at Hungry Couple says
I LOVE banana with pancakes!
Alice // Hip Foodie Mom says
Carla, these pancakes are perfection and hello?!!! oh my gawd, your Apple Butter French Toast Roll Ups with Apple Butter Cream Cheese Dipping Sauce!!! What? amazing. . pinning both!
Stacy says
I’ve got a good friend who can’t eat anything with dairy so I am pinning these to make for her, Carla. As usual, beautiful photos and great recipe!
Jennie @themessybakerblog says
Carla, I’m droolingover this stack of pancakes. I love the combo!
Courtney @ Neighborfood says
I wouldn’t mind starting any day with a giant plateful of these. Extra bananas on top please!
Brianne @ Cupcakes & Kale Chips says
Oh Carla, I could eat the entire batch!
Kayle (The Cooking Actress) says
That syrup sounds CUHHHHRAZY. Like…in the best way.
On to the main event: these pancakes look so delicious and I would def. gobble up a huge stack!
fanny says
this recipe didn’t work, the pancakes were uncooked and crumbled, barely resembling pancakes
Carla says
Sorry to hear that, but I assure you this batter is far from crumbly. You can see the batter in the photo. It’s a bit thick but not crumbly. As far as being uncooked, it sounds like you didn’t cook it long enough. As far as being crumbled, it sounds like ingredient error. Can you walk me through what you did? Did you make any substitutes? Were your bananas mashed and not chunky? What did you use for the canned coconut milk? Some cans require shaking/stirring together as the solid and liquid may separate (there are usually instructions on the can as brands may vary).
vanessa says
Just made this today. Wow, I was skeptical after the last comment but they were soon good. My picky 1 year old ate 3 of them. Oh I did add a few chocolate chips too :) but even without those this was so yummy.
Carla says
Glad to hear you were successful! (and secret – I often add chocolate chips to mine too. Habit :) )
LM says
I just made these pancakes for breakfast this morning. I’m not sure why people were having trouble as the batter came out no problem. I am new to working with coconut milk, so thank you for the note about mixing the can together.
Carla says
Glad they worked for you!
Kremy says
I made them with buckwheat flour,without sugar.They came out perfectly,didn’t fall apart and were DELICIOUS. You just have to try until you find the right consistency.
Carla says
Oh good to know it works with buckwheat flour! Thanks for letting me know :)
Stacy @Stacy Makes Cents says
These were so good! My kiddos loved them. I only used one tablespoon of baking powder and they were still very fluffy. I used fresh ground wheat flour for the win….and Trader Joe’s coconut milk. Thanks for a great Saturday breakfast!
Carla says
Thanks for your feedback! Glad they were a hit for your family :)
Rita says
I had some coconut milk left over from another recipe, so I went looking for a way to use it and stumbled on this recipe. It turned out great! Very tasty pancakes. Of note, my bananas were not overripe and it was just fine. In fact, I think it was probably better, but I prefer a less sweet pancake and a less ripe banana. I’m not sure why you instruct to put the pancakes on a cooling rack; pancakes are supposed to be consumed hot, fresh off the griddle. I obviously skipped that step. Thanks for the recipe!
Carla says
Glad you enjoyed the recipe! If you’re serving the pancakes right away, then absolutely you can skip the cooling rack. It’s for people like me who won’t eat all of them right away (maybe it’s only you, maybe it’s only you and one other person). The cooling rack allows air to circulate underneath and not get soggy on the bottom before you freeze them for future breakfasts.
Margaret says
I made the batter in my blender (half the amount of making powder, added a little ginger powder) super delicious. The batter was smooth and thick, and the pancakes were nice and fluffy.
Carla says
Glad the blender method worked for you!
Leanna says
These are our favorite pancakes in the entire world lol i used coconut banana milk omggggggggg i have to triple the recipe as my family devours them.
Carla says
Wonderful! Happy to hear everyone enjoys the pancakes.
Lara says
I just made these. Delicious! Really soft and tasty. I used wholemeal flour and added hazelnut meal probably 3/4 of a cup all up so then used a little extra milk. I also used olive oil instead of vegetable. I will most definitely make again.
Carla says
Love the idea of using hazelnut meal!
Mariana Davila says
Thank you so much, I’m a chef doing research for my new menu and these look awesome!
Carla says
Always a favorite!