Plantain Pancakes Recipe

By
Ozoz Sokoh
headshot for recipe developer ozoz sokoh
Ozoz Sokoh
Ozoz Sokoh has more than a decade of experience writing about food and culture for Food52, Parts Unknown, and more. She runs the blog Kitchen Butterfly, using it to document Nigerian recipes.
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Updated on 05/26/22
Plantain Pancakes with chocolate syrup

The Spruce / Ozoz Sokoh

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 35 mins
Total: 50 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Yield: 10 to 12 pancakes

These sweet, fluffy plantain pancakes take well to warming spices and make a delicious addition to breakfast and brunch menus as well as delightful desserts.

The batter has no added sugar because of the sweetness of the ripe plantain—the riper they are, the sweeter and more tender the pancakes.

They are delicious with a chocolate sauce, but also work well with maple syrup or caster sugar—sprinkled over the top or a squeeze of lime or lemon juice.

Ingredients

For the Pancakes:

  • 1 medium ripe plantain, soft with blackened skin

  • 1 1/2 cups milk

  • 1 large egg

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, browned, or oil

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted

For Garnish:

  • 1/2 cup chocolate sauce

  • 1/2 cup strawberries, chopped

  • Fresh mint, chopped

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for Plaintain Pancakes
    The Spruce / Ozoz Sokoh 

  2. Peel the plantain.

    Peel the plantain
    The Spruce / Ozoz Sokoh 

  3. Cut it into small chunks.

    Cut into small chunks
    The Spruce / Ozoz Sokoh 

  4. In a blender, combine the plantain, milk, eggs, butter or oil, vanilla extract, ground ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, baking powder, and sea salt. Pulse until well combined, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.

    combine ingredients except flour in blender
    The Spruce / Ozoz Sokoh  

  5. Add the flour and blend again. Stop and scrape down the sides and blend again.

    Add flour
    The Spruce / Ozoz Sokoh  

  6. Pour the batter into a bowl and let it stand for 10 minutes.

    Pour batter into bowl
    The Spruce / Ozoz Sokoh 

  7. Place a large non-stick pan over low-medium heat. Grease with a little oil or butter.

    Grease pan
    The Spruce / Ozoz Sokoh 

  8. With a 1/4 cup measuring scoop, measure out pancakes into the pan to cook. Allow the pancakes to cook until the edges are set and you see bubbles on the surface, about 2 to 3 minutes.

    Cook until see bubbles
    The Spruce / Ozoz Sokoh

  9. With a fish slice or spatula, flip and cook the other side till brown, another minute or so. Keep pancakes warm in a 200 F oven or cover with a kitchen towel.

    flip and brown other side
    The Spruce / Ozoz Sokoh

  10. Repeat with the rest of the batter till you’re done and have a stack.

    Place in a stack
    The Spruce / Ozoz Sokoh

  11. Serve with chocolate sauce, strawberries, and mint. Enjoy!

    Plantain Pancakes
    The Spruce / Ozoz Sokoh

Recipe Variations

  • You can make them thick—as is here, or thin the batter with milk for more crepe-like ones. Feel free to substitute with your favorite alternative milk.
  • Want some heft? Blend with 2/3 cup of flour, pour into a bowl, and fold in 1/4 cup of fine yellow cornmeal. Feel like using whole grain flour instead? Go ahead, but note you might need to increase the amount of milk as whole grain flours tend to absorb more liquid.
  • Fancy making them savory? Go ahead and explore your favorite blends from Nigerian suya spice to Chinese five spice.
  • Turn a thinner version of these pancakes into a crepe cake, layered with whipped Mexican crema, toasted cumin seeds and chopped cilantro. Whatever you decide, enjoy them.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
389 Calories
7g Fat
74g Carbs
9g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 389
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7g 8%
Saturated Fat 2g 8%
Cholesterol 51mg 17%
Sodium 343mg 15%
Total Carbohydrate 74g 27%
Dietary Fiber 4g 14%
Total Sugars 33g
Protein 9g
Vitamin C 20mg 98%
Calcium 209mg 16%
Iron 3mg 18%
Potassium 599mg 13%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)