If frequency counts towards stardom, peanut butter and bananas are the superstars of my breakfast routine.
I eat half a banana smeared with peanut butter more often than not, sometimes supplemented with a dollop of yogurt and granola, scrambled eggs with feta if my boyfriend feels like getting fancy, pancakes, toast with PB&J, or an apple with peanut butter. But I’m just obsessed with that creamy, sticky, healthy-sweet combination.
I’ve also developed a mild obsession with dutch babies ever since that basic dutch baby I posted a few weeks ago. I talked about the Wednesday Chef’s baked apple pancake, and wondered why I hadn’t made it again. This morning, I ate half a banana with peanut butter in my kitchen and wondered why I hadn’t made it again. And why no one, it seemed, had deemed a peanut butter and banana dutch baby worthy of recipe postage.
I was worried that this recipe just wouldn’t measure up to Luisa’s luscious apple pancake (I’ve never fried bananas before), but it totally does. Even with a few tweaks, it’s just as luscious with its wiggly, uneven puffs that lead into crisp edges and custard-y innards. Bananas, slightly caramelized and soft, provide pockets of intense sweetness amid a blanket of peanut butter-perfumed pancake. This is like a teeny-bopper, trendy version of the classic, rustic apple pancake. This is just the thing to serve as an easy, tasty brunch show-stopper.
I’m not afraid to say I like this better than my basic dutch baby. I like this better than anything ever, basically.
Notes
Changes: Luisa’s recipe is already neat and streamlined; apples are sauteed in butter in a skillet, batter goes on top and the skillet bakes for a trim half hour. I don’t know about you, but I like my pancakes even speedier.
I updated this recipe by using one less egg, less butter, a smidgen of whole wheat flour for health, adding peanut butter and bananas instead of apples. With a few other tweaks, I adapted the Wednesday Chef’s recipe and followed CookingLight’s method of baking the pancake for only 10 minutes, and mine was done in 12. Since I used my home home convection oven, I recommend baking a little longer if you don’t have a convection oven. No fancy pre-heating of the skillet in the oven required!
Tips: I’m embarrassed to say that I never understood what creating a well in the center of dry ingredients did for a recipe. In this recipe, it’s an essential step that allows you to slowly control the incorporation of dry ingredients into wet gradually so that your batter isn’t lumpy (a problem I encountered with the last dutch baby I made). With each swirl of the whisk, you should drag a little more flour into the wet mixture so that it comes in streaks of powder instead of lumpy clumps.
It’s better to slice your bananas on the thick side rather than thin, otherwise they’ll disintegrate into mush during the browning step. Err on the side of undercooking them (unless you want mush), because there’s plenty of time for them to get tender in the oven.
Peanut Butter & Banana Dutch Baby
Adapted from CookingLight and The Wednesday Chef
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1.5 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon natural peanut butter
3/4 cup 1% milk (I think almond milk and other types of milk should work)
1 tablespoon butter
1 large, firm banana (or two small), sliced width-wise into coins about 1/2″ thick
1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons brown sugar, divided
Powdered sugar, for serving
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Whisk together the flours, sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk the eggs and peanut butter into the milk. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the egg mixture into the center, whisking the dry into the wet as you pour. Slowly incorporate flour mixture until mixture is runny and smooth. Set aside.
Preheat a 9″ cast-iron skillet over medium heat. When you add the butter, it should should sizzle. Once the butter is melted, turn heat up to medium-high and add the sliced bananas. Let cook for about 10 seconds, then start flipping banana coins so that each side gets browned. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon brown sugar and gently stir so that the brown sugar melts and caramelizes. Avoid disturbing the bananas.
Pour the batter over the bananas, turn off oven heat, and sprinkle with remaining brown sugar. Transfer skillet into the oven. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until browned and puffed. Check for doneness with a fork or toothpick. Inside should be custardy, but not wet. Sift powdered sugar on top and serve hot!
More pancakes starting in 3…2…1…
Classic Buttermilk Pancakes: the best basic pancake best I’ve found, super fluffy, puffy and buttery even though there’s not a ton of butter. They get all crisp-toasty with a soft, buttery inside when reheated (that’s when I like them best!), one of my favorite vehicles for some PB&J.
Basic Dutch Baby: got a bare kitchen? This baby requires the bare minimum for pancake ingredients and turns out one heck of an oven-baked pancake!
Pie Pancakes: if you have leftover pie, you must make these fat, puffy pancakes!
Yii-Huei
That looks so nice! I have peanut butter pretty much everyday for breakfast 🙂 And it is seriously the best combination with banana. I think the powdered sugar picture looks very cute!
luvsclassics
WE made an simple Oven pancake for the first time a couple of weeks ago, tasted great w/ powdered sugar. This recipe and your “Healthy tips” sound great. Sharing on pintrest.
erika
That sounds great! Powdered sugar is definitely a winner with these types of pancakes. Thanks so much for visiting and sharing 🙂
girlinafoodfrenzy
Pancake perfection is the best. Way to describe these and the moreish combo of peanut butter& banana is a new must try. As for the simply sugar star sifted over a perfect buttermilk stack, they’re also a perfectly festive and a wonderful way to ring In the new year! Gorgeous 🙂
erika
Aw thanks Alice 🙂 Dutch babies are definitely a must for anyone who loves breakfast foods, I’ve decided. So much easier than flipping a bajillion pancakes! And super delicious, of course 🙂
petit4chocolatier
I love peanut butter and bananas! Love this recipe 🙂
Yummy!!
elizabethranger
yea, peanut butter and banana! Guess what I just finished, on toast? I was just waxing poetic to myself over the combination not 20 minutes ago… and I have to say this application is inspired and makes total sense. I’ve never made a dutch baby, either…. must try this sometime!
erika
Hahaha your comment made me laugh…waxing poetic about food is the best 🙂 I really hope you try it–if you do, you must let me know what poems they inspire! 😉
christina @ smallkitchenchronicles
Gorgeous and delicious! And really, can you beat the awesome combo of peanut butter and banana? No, no, and no! Great post, Erika, thanks for sharing as always!
erika
Thank you Christina! Seriously, peanut butter + banana = heaven made match. Hope you had a fantastic holiday season lady!
cookingactress
Aaaand I love this. I am putting this in my to-make list and pinning it. OMG it sounds so good! (Although boyfriend is stupid and doesn’t like bananas *sigh* more for me I guess!)
erika
Yay 🙂 So glad! Force feed it to your bf! (Jk!)
gottagetbaked
Girl, you outdo yourself every time! Peanut butter and banana is one of my all time favourite flavour combos – if it was good enough for Elvis, it’s good enough for me! This dutch baby looks like luscious, decadent perfection. I’m pledging to eat better in January (yeah right!) so I’d better make this before the end of the month 😉 Although you did say there’s whole wheat flour in here so technically, it’s a health food, right?
erika
Oh stop 🙂 And um, you should definitely make this before the end of the month AND in January. Whole wheat = the picture of health. Plus natural peanut butter! And skim milk! Hello, this is health food at its finest.
Speaking of Elvis, didn’t he put chocolate chips on his sandwiches? I feel like that would be a great addition to this pancake action, don’t you?
gottagetbaked
Chocolate chips are a welcome addition to almost all foods! And you’re right, this is totally a nutritious recipe 😉 Definitely good for my mental health!
your secret admirer
mmmmyummm foooooood. I miss you!
erika
Simone. I thought you were my roommate. Eat my pancakes!
The Healthy Flavor
Oh goodness Erika that looks heavenly!! I actually don’t like bananas…I know…I’m a weirdo! Does it have a strong banana flavor? I get excited everytime I see a new post from you, lol! Because I know it’s going to be good. I looked at the grocery last night for chocolate wafers but wasn’t in love with any of them, so I think I’ll just make my own, so I can make your cookies ‘n’ cream pancakes!
erika
Hahaha I totally know other people who don’t like bananas too…totally fine 🙂 So let’s see…the pockets of baked banana definitely have an intense banana flavor, but the rest of the batter does not taste like banana! So you could always make just a peanut butter baby. Or with apples. I even wanted to try persimmon! Actually, maybe not since I think eggs are a crucial component of dutch babies 🙁 I was wondering if there’s a way to make a vegan version of these…
And thank you, that comment totally made my day 🙂 I definitely look forward to your blog posts too and I hope you like the pancakes!!!
myhealthyohana
I love dutch babies! There’s something about that custardy pancake that makes me feel like I’m eating dessert for breakfast 🙂 We’ll be having this for our Sunday morning breakfast!
erika
Yes yes and doesn’t everyone love dessert for breakfast?? I would love to hear from you if you end up trying it out!! 🙂
3pastriesaday
LOVEEE that powdered sugar pic!!! Also, peanut butter + banana = the best
erika
Hahaha WHO ARE WE. I just commented on your blog and then saw this. Miss you and crazy baking antics!!!