Coconut banana pancakes were a HUGE hit for us! The ripe banana sweetens the pancakes and the coconut makes them extra fun! Tastes like a vacation in every bite!

hand pouring syrup from spout over coconut banana pancakes

Vacation pancakes!

That’s what I’ve been calling these coconut banana pancakes over here! Because they remind me of the time, we went to Maui and ate the most delicious, flavorful banana and coconut flavored desserts. I had banana pancakes at our hotel one morning and topped them with freshly made coconut syrup, and thus the inspiration for these pancakes struck.

We’re taking my favorite quarantine pancake recipe (psst.. I shared that over on Instagram) that uses a couple of tablespoons of yogurt in the batter and yields the most amazing fluffy and tender pancakes you’ve ever had. The addition of the mashed banana and the sweetened shredded coconut takes it to a whole new level!

Top with your favorite sweet syrup and serve these hot off the griddle!

plate with pancakes topped with banana slice sand butter pat

Ingredients in homemade coconut banana pancakes:

  • All-purpose flour: I use the scoop and level method to measure it out. I use a smaller scoop/measuring cup and add flour to a larger one until it’s heaping full. In this case, I used the ¼ cup measuring cup to add flour to my 1 cup measure. Then, use a knife and run it across the top to level it out without applying pressure on the knife. This method works best when baking or using flour in recipes where you don’t want to measure by weight.
  • Shredded coconut: I like to use sweetened shredded coconut for this recipe. However, unsweetened shredded coconut will work too. Keep in mind you don’t want desiccated coconut or coconut powder. Instead, you want shreds of coconut.
  • Leavening agent + Flavorings: We’re using baking powder (not soda! I made that mistake during recipe testing.. EKK.) to leaven these pancakes. Baking powder helps these pancakes rise. You’ll need vanilla extract. I could never make pancakes or banana bread or most desserts without it. You’ll also need a big pinch of kosher salt to help balance the sweetness. 
  • Granulated Sugar: Adds just a hint of sweetness to the pancakes. The sugar in the pancakes will go through the Maillard reaction and help them brown when you cook them on a griddle.
  • Yogurt: just two tablespoons of regular whole milk yogurt is all you need. I learned that adding yogurt to pancakes when you’re out of buttermilk (quarantine lessons) works surprisingly well. And since I never have buttermilk on hand (but always seem to have yogurt), this works perfectly. I haven’t tested the recipe with Greek yogurt, but I do think it could work. You may want to whisk the yogurt and milk together first, so it isn’t as stiff when combining. Milk-substitute yogurts, like coconut or cashew yogurt, will also work.
  • Melted Butter: Just a couple of tablespoons of melted butter added to the batter keeps you from having to grease the pan constantly, and it also gives these pancakes the fat it needs.
  • An Egg: adds stability and structure. Those little bubbles that you see on pancakes when they rise? You can thank the egg for that. The yolk also provides fat and flavor here.
  • Banana: These coconut banana pancakes are the perfect solution for that lone overripe banana. Usually, I made my nutella banana bread when there’s enough, but when there’s one, these pancakes totally fit the bill!
  • Milk: You can use cow’s milk or other non-dairy milk as well. My suggestion would be to swap cow’s milk for coconut milk (you could even use light coconut milk from a can.) This will further enhance the coconutty flavor.
bowl with ingredients for pancakes

How to make coconut banana pancakes at home:

  1. Combine the dry ingredients. Start by adding all your dry ingredients like flour, shredded coconut, baking powder, and salt to a bowl and give it a good whisk.
  2. Combine the wet ingredients. I usually mash the banana on a cutting board with a fork, but you can also mash it in a bowl. Add the plain yogurt, sugar, melted butter, egg, vanilla extract, mashed banana, and milk to a measuring cup and whisk to combine. Remember, this is your chance to work all the wet ingredients really well. Once you combine it with the dry ingredients, you’ll create tough gluten in the pancakes if you work the flour too much.
  3. Make the batter. Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until *just* combined. Remember, a few lumps are fine (because of the mashed banana, you might actually see more than just a few.) Set a kitchen timer and allow the batter to rest for 10 minutes. This will allow some of the gluten to relax and for the flour to absorb the liquid in the pancake batter.
  4. Make Pancakes. Heat a griddle over medium heat (300ºF.) Add ¼ cup of batter to the griddle. Remember, the first pancake is rarely perfect. Cook until small bubbles start to appear on the surface. At that point, you can carefully flip the pancake using a silicone spatula. Cook on the other side until the pancake is done. 
prepared coconut banana pancakes with banana slices and shredded coconut on platter

Best tips for making better pancakes at home:

  1. Ensure the baking powder you’re using is fresh. It’s best practice to replace baking powder every 6-12 months. If you feel yours may be old, you can test it by adding 1 teaspoon of baking powder to ½ cup of water to see if bubbles appear immediately. Toss it if they don’t; it won’t make good pancakes!
  2. Make sure to whisk the dry ingredients separately first. You can work the flour and other dry ingredients as much as you need to before they come in contact with liquid; no gluten will develop until then. So make sure to really whisk it well so that the baking powder is evenly dispersed with the flour.
  3. Allow the batter to rest. Set a kitchen timer and allow the batter to rest for 10 minutes. This will allow some of the gluten to relax and for the flour to absorb the liquid in the batter too.
  4. Invest in an electric or cast iron griddle. I find using an electric griddle to make pancakes works best. I have an inexpensive one from when my husband and I got married, and it still works perfectly to this day. It also leaves the stove clear for frying up eggs, making diner-style skillet potatoes, and other yummy things! You can also use a cast iron griddle if you’d like. I find controlling the temperature on those things a tiny bit tricky, epecially when you’ve got 5-6 pancakes going at once.
syrup pouring over pancakes with banana slices and shredded coconut

If you like this pancake recipe, you might also like:

pancakes in shallow bowl with butter and syrup
Yield: 9-10 pancakes

Coconut Banana Pancakes

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Inactive Time 10 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes

Coconut banana pancakes were a HUGE hit for us! The ripe banana sweetens the pancakes and the coconut makes them extra fun! Tastes like a vacation in every bite!

Coconut Banana Pancakes

Ingredients

  • 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • ⅓ cup shredded sweetened coconut, plus more
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons EACH: granulated sugar, plain yogurt AND salted melted butter
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 large banana, peel and mashed
  • ¾-1 cup milk (any kind)

Instructions

    1. DRY INGREDIENTS: combine the flour, shredded coconut, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and whisk together.
    2. WET INGREDIENTS: Add the plain yogurt, sugar, melted butter, egg, vanilla, mashed banana, and milk to a measuring cup and whisk to combine.
    3. MIX: Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until *just* combined. DO NOT OVER MIX. Small lumps is fine! Set a kitchen timer and allow the batter to rest for 10 minutes.
    4. PANCAKES: Heat a griddle over medium heat. Add ¼ cup of batter per pancake and cook until bubbles start to appear on the surface. Flip and continue cooking for another minute or so. The whole thing shouldn’t take more than 3 minutes. Repeat with remaining pancakes!

Have you made this recipe?

If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and a comment below. You can also share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #LITTLESPICEJAR, I'd love to see what you made!