Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
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These moist and fluffy Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes combine the butteriness of a classic pancake with the fullness of bananas and the richness of chocolate.

Why You’ll Love These Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes

These banana pancakes with chocolate chips have become a family favorite. Here’s a few reasons we think you’ll love them too!

  • Great way to use up bananas. Forget banana bread, these banana chocolate chip pancakes are the perfect way to use up overripe bananas.
  • Light, fluffy texture. These pancakes cook up tall and fluffy, with a surprisingly light texture. Just the way homemade pancakes should be!
  • Bursting with flavor. Between the bananas, chocolate chips, cinnamon, and sour cream, these chocolate chip banana pancakes have a surprisingly complex (and satisfying!) flavor profile that’s sweet but not overly so.
A stack of chocolate chip banana pancakes topped with banana slices and chocolate chips

Are Banana Pancakes Healthy?

Banana pancakes with chocolate chips may be sweeter than other pancakes, but they’re also high in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. The bananas add potassium, Vitamins B and C, protein and fiber. The chocolate gives you important antioxidants.

Another thing that bumps up the health factor is the sour cream that replaces buttermilk or butter in these pancakes. Sour cream has a lower fat content and might also have probiotics that help with digestion. You can also use plain yogurt for the same reasons. If you want to try another healthy pancake recipe, try my low-carb keto pancakes.

Overhead view of banana chocolate chip pancake ingredients

What You’ll Need

These banana chocolate chip pancakes use simple, healthy ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen. Scroll down to the recipe card to find exact amounts for everything.

  • Flour
  • Baking Powder
  • Cinnamon: This classic spice adds warmth while also making other flavors pop.
  • Salt
  • Bananas: Make sure they’re slightly overripe.
  • Granulated Sugar
  • Egg
  • Vanilla Extract
  • Sour Cream: This keeps the pancakes light and fluffy. It also adds a subtle tanginess to offset the sweetness.
  • Vegetable Oil
  • Milk: Anything other than skim should work.
  • Chocolate Chips: I used milk chocolate, but feel free to go for a higher cacao content if you want your pancakes a little healthier, and a bit less sweet.
Pieces of banana chocolate chip pancakes on a fork

Tips for The Best Homemade Pancakes

These moist and fluffy pancakes are a quick and easy breakfast treat. Here are a few tips to make them perfect every time.

  • Moderate the Temp: If you put your burner on a setting that’s too high, your pancakes will get dark on the outside without cooking on the inside. This makes them impossible to flip, and you’ll end up with a burnt and gooey mess. You also want to start your first pancakes when the pan is already hot so that they all come out the same.
  • Don’t Over-Mix: Over-mixing the batter will mess up the texture of your pancakes, making them dense and chewy instead of light and fluffy.
  • Choice of Toppings: With chocolate chips and bananas cooked right into the batter, these pancakes are already sweeter than normal ones. Some might prefer them plain, so I suggest laying a big plate out on the table and letting people help themselves. Put out maple syrup, butter, whipped cream, extra banana slices and chocolate chips so everyone can have exactly as much or as little as they want.
  • Chocolate-Free Option: Have some friends or family who don’t like chocolate in their breakfast? Try making two bowls of batter, one with chocolate chips and one without. This recipe makes perfect plain banana pancakes as well.
A plate of banana chocolate chip pancakes topped with sliced bananas and chocolate chips

Mix-In Ideas

These pancakes are easy to tweak to make them work for you and your family. Try one of these ideas to shake things up.

  • Go Nuts: Adding some toasted walnuts or pecans into your batter can really hit this breakfast out of the park. You can also try replacing the vegetable oil with all-natural peanut butter to give you that nutty flavor.
  • Replace the Bananas: If you want to replace the bananas in the batter without losing the fruit, try substituting apple sauce instead. One cup of apple sauce is enough to replace both bananas in this recipe. Try coating some apple slices in cinnamon and roasting them as a topping.
  • Replace the Chocolate Chips: Not only is it easy to replace the milk chocolate chips in this recipe with semisweet, dark or white chocolate morsels, but you can also take the chocolate out altogether. Try adding fresh whole blueberries to your batter instead. You could also go with another candy like M&Ms or Reece’s Pieces.
Pieces of banana chocolate chip pancakes on a fork

What to Serve with Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes

There are so many ways to serve these chocolate chip banana pancakes. Here are some toppings and sides to really round out this decadent breakfast.

  • Peanut Butter Topping: Whip up a quick peanut butter topping at home with just 2 ingredients. Mix together creamy peanut butter 1:2 with real maple syrup, pancake syrup, or honey. Microwave the mixture in 10-second intervals until it starts to bubble, then mix again and pour!
  • Add Other Fruit: Mix some strawberries, blueberries, raspberries or all 3 with the banana slices for the topping. This will add a bright and tangy flavor to cut through the richness of the pancakes.
  • Smoothie on the Side: Serve these pancakes with a refreshing fruit smoothie, like this Strawberry Banana Oatmeal Smoothie.
A fork holding pieces of chocolate chip pancakes next to a stack of pancakecs

How to Store and Reheat Extras

These chocolate chip pancakes taste just as great reheated!

  • Fridge. To store them, seal them tightly in a ziplock bag and keep them in the fridge for up to 3 days.
  • Reheat. Reheat them on a nonstick pan, flipping once, until both sides are warm.

Can I Freeze Chocolate Chip Banana Pancakes?

These banana pancakes are really easy to freeze. Stick them in the freezer on a baking sheet until they freeze completely, then close them tightly in an airtight container or double-lock freezer bag.

You can skip the baking sheet step if you freeze each pancake in its own bag, or if you stack them separated by parchment paper in a freezer-safe container. Keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months and reheat them directly from frozen in the microwave or toaster oven.

Syrup being poured over a stack of banana chocolate chip pancakes
4.8 from 6 votes
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Yield: 8

Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes

These moist and fluffy Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes combine the butteriness of a classic pancake with the fullness of bananas and the richness of chocolate.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup mashed banana, about 2 large bananas
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • ½ cup milk
  • ½ cup milk chocolate chips

Instructions 

  • In a small mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, beat mashed bananas, sugar, egg, vanilla extract, sour cream and vegetable oil together until smooth.
  • Add flour mixture, alternating with milk and stir until combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
  • Heat a non-stick skillet to medium heat. Using a 1/2 cup scoop, pour batter on to skillet.
  • Once you start to see little bubbles form, flip and continue to cook until pancake is browned on each side. Continue until you have used all pancake batter.
  • Serve pancakes with whatever you would like: butter, syrup or extra sliced bananas & chocolate chips!

Notes

To Store: Seal tightly in a ziplock bag and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To Freeze: Keep in the freezer on a baking sheet until frozen completely, then close tightly in an airtight container or double-lock freezer bag. To Skip Baking Sheet Step: Freeze each pancake in its own bag, or stack them separated by parchment paper in a freezer-safe container. Keep frozen for up to 3 months.
To Reheat: Reheat from the fridge on a nonstick pan, flipping once, until both sides are warm. Reheat from frozen in the microwave or toaster oven.

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 230kcal, Carbohydrates: 30g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 35mg, Sodium: 284mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 13g

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41 Responses
  1. Carolyn Murray

    These sound soo good!! I have to make these for my grandson because I think he will love these and so will his YaYa

  2. Al

    I have made these at least 30 times. They are the only thing my kids want for breakfast on the weekends. For taste and texture, we like Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, and I beat the bananas in a stand mixer on high speed until there are basically no chunks of banana left.

    Sometimes I use peanut butter chips instead of chocolate.

  3. Marisol Guerrero

    WOW! I just made these pancakes! They are AMAZING! I’ve tried lots of different recipes. This one is now one of my fav banana pancakes! I used Greek yogurt instead of the sour cream and butter instead of oil, and chopped up some dark chocolate instead of the chips. It was like eating a fluffy, moist, slice of banana bread! Thank you for this recipe! Ill be following u in Instagram! :)

    1. A woman holding a camera standing in front of some shelves.
      Jessica

      I think it would – but I am not 100% sure. If you try it, make sure and come back and share how it worked out!!

  4. Melanie @ Carmel Moments

    Made these this morning. They were so delicious! I’m so glad I decided to try them. Thanks for sharing! :)

  5. Robin

    saw your other pancake recipe, and they look identical except for the other recipe has more vanilla, more sugar, and uses buttermilk instead of sour cream/milk combo. so which version is better? I am thinking of using the other version using buttermilk, more sugar/vanilla, with the mashed bananas & chips? what is the difference in the pancakes between the 2 versions (buttermilk vs. sour cream/milk)?

    1. A woman holding a camera standing in front of some shelves.
      Jessica

      Hi Robin,

      It’s really a personal preference type of thing…also depends on what I have on hand. I usually have sour cream, but I don’t always have buttermilk. Both ways are delicious – so just try which ever works for you!

  6. Laura (Blogging Over Thyme)

    Your pictures are so great, I feel like I can taste these just looking at them…almost of course, not quite as good as the real thing ;)

    I absolutely have to have a lazy day at home on the weekends as well, so glad that you stayed in and made these! Banana + chocolate + pancakes = my kind of breakfast.

  7. Joanne

    Well if there’s one flavor I can’t get enough of it’s chocolate! Especially for breakfast. I choose your pancakes over brunch out any day!

  8. Monica

    These pancakes look amazing! I wish I weren’t so lazy in the mornings so that I could actually get up at a respectable time to make these! Bananas and chocolate chips are one of my favorite combos. The only other combination that could possibly rival this one is banana pancakes with strawberries and blueberries. Yummy (:

  9. Beth @ bethcakes

    I’m not a huge fan of bananas, but I’m sure if they were in pancakes with melty chocolate chips I would eat all of them. Because I kind of wish I could do that right now. :)

  10. Traci

    I feel really dumb, but I’ve never tried bananas and chocolate together in a bread form. So going to. Those pictures are worth every calorie. :)

  11. Allison @ Celebrating Sweets

    Thank you for introducing me to what I’ll be making for dinner tonight. :) There’s nothing like breakfast for dinner! Yum!

  12. Marcie@FlavortheMoments

    These look so good! I grew up eating banana pancakes and somehow have gotten away from making them. Chocolate and banana is one of my favorite flavor combos!

  13. Leah | So, How's It Taste?

    I have been craving pancakes for days now and you’ve just pushed me over the edge! Love the combination of banana and chocolate. I need these in my life!

  14. Kristi

    These look so good. I have never made pancakes with sour cream. Can you substitute Greek yogurt instead or would that affect the texture of the pancake?

  15. Gerry @ Foodness Gracious

    This would last about 10 seconds on our table, the kids go bonkers after banana and chocolate!

  16. Averie @ Averie Cooks

    Oh my goodness. I normally skip breakfast but if I can have these for breakfast, I’m so there! Pinned!

    And that french toast of yours. I see it pinned everywhere and it gets me, every.time.

  17. Tieghan

    LOVE!! These are so awesome and a lot like my staple pancakes. See, my pancakes ALWAYS have chocolate chips in them. Always. It’s the way my mom did it growing up and I just love it! I like to throw in banana too when I have ripe ones and those always turn out to be my favorite!!

    Such an amazing stack and I think that extra sprinkle of chocolate chips is and awesome thing!

Thank You For Being Here!

Jessica
For the past 15 years, Jorge & Jessica have loved getting to share their families' favorite recipes with all of you. They live in Florida with their 3 kids.