Banana Bread Pancakes and Banana Compote

Perfectly fluffy and infused with mashed bananas, these Banana Bread Pancakes with Banana Compote bring all the cozy goodness of homemade banana bread to your breakfast table. The sweet banana topping adds an extra layer of richness, making each bite irresistibly decadent.

A stack of pancakes with bananas on top placed on grey plate over a blue surface.

For this recipe, we are going bananas-and we mean bananas! We are topping deliciously fluffy, buttermilk banana pancakes with a sweet, gooey banana compote. This creates a rich, spoonable topping that soaks into the pancakes, delivering a melt-in-your-mouth experience with every bite.

If you love banana bread these pancakes will surely satisfy that craving without turning on the oven! They are so flipping good (see what we did there)!

What you will need

The ingredients are simple and easy to find and you won't need fancy equipment, your favorite electric griddle or a non-stick skillet.

Overhead close-up of banana compote on top of a stack of pancakes.

Flour All-purpose.
Baking powder and baking soda Leaveners for the pancake batter.
Sugar and salt A little sugar to sweeten the batter and salt to balance out the sweetness.
Cinnamon Adds warm spice and helps to bring out the banana flavor.
Unsalted butter For the pancake batter, and to make the banana compote.
Buttermilk For the fluffiest pancakes, we always use buttermilk.
Eggs For richness and to help the pancakes rise.
Bananas ripe bananas for the pancake batter, and firmer bananas for the topping.
Brown sugar For the banana compote.

Full ingredient list is located in the recipe card.

Step-by-step instructions

Here is a quick overview of how to make banana bread pancakes.

A collage of four directions showing how to make banana pancakes.

For the Banana Bread Pancakes

Step 1. Whisk together the dry ingredients. Step 2. Mix the buttermilk and eggs. Step 3. Add the butter, and bananas, and stir until flour is incorporated. Step 4. Heat a skillet or electric griddle on medium, add butter, and cook until bubbles start to poke through the batter. Flip and cook on the other side.

A collage of four images with instructions for making banana compote.

For the Banana Compote

Step 1. In a medium pot add the brown sugar, salt, water and, cinnamon. Step 2. Boil for 2.5 minutes. Step 3. Remove from the heat and swirl in the butter until melted. Step 4. Add the bananas and allow to sit to thicken slightly. Serve warm over pancakes.

Expert tip

For all our best pancake tips and tricks (and waffles too), please visit our Ultimate Guide for Making the Fluffiest Pancakes.

Substitutions and variations

Don't have an ingredient? Check out these variations.

You can use milk or Greek yogurt thinned with a splash of milk in place of the buttermilk.
Play around with spices such as nutmegcloves or allspice.
Add fruit such as blueberries or cut-up strawberries to the batter.
Toss a few chocolate chips onto the pancakes as they are cooking.

Banana compote in a blue skillet on a blue surface.

Storage and prep

Banana bread pancakes are best eaten right away. If you have any leftovers, allow them to cool completely and store them in the fridge (separated by wax or parchment paper).

To store the banana compote, allow it to cool completely, then transfer it to a lidded glass container and place it in the fridge for up to five days. Keep reading below to find good ways to use up banana compote!

If you have leftover buttermilk, use it to make this good French toast!

Serving suggestions

If you don't feel like making the banana compote, you can still serve these good banana pancakes plain, or topped with fresh fruit. Add maple syrup, butter, or whipped cream for a classic pairing.

For a similar sweet topping, serve the banana pancakes with the sauce from our brown sugar pancakes.

Other ways to use banana compote

Make a double batch of the banana compote and use it in breakfasts all week long!

Stir banana compote into warm oatmeal for natural sweetness and a rich texture.
Layer it in a yogurt parfait with granola and nuts for a balanced breakfast.
Serve over vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt.
Spread over buttered toast scones or croissants for a quick, sweet snack.
Instead of ricotta, fill these crepes with banana compote.
Spoon over banana bread or muffins for an extra burst of banana goodness.
Blend into a banana smoothie for extra caramelized flavor.

A stack of banana bread pancakes cut open to see inside with bananas on top.

Kitchen questions

Can we use frozen bananas?

While frozen bananas are great for smoothies we don't recommend them for pancakes. The water from the thawed bananas will make the pancake batter quite dense. Fresh, ripe bananas will yield the best banana taste.

We are bananas for all things fruit!