Peter Island Banana Pancakes

These banana pancakes are inspired by the breakfast menu at Peter Island Resort in the British Virgin Islands, where they’re served with rum-laced syrup and fresh tropical fruit. The mashed banana goes right into the batter, perfuming every pancake from the inside out instead of just topping them with sliced fruit.

The ratio of two whole bananas to three cups of flour is what gives these their signature texture. Less banana and they taste like regular pancakes. More and the batter gets too wet and the pancakes don’t rise properly.

Use very ripe bananas, the spotty kind. The starches have converted to sugar by then, making for sweeter, more aromatic pancakes. Green or just-yellow bananas taste flat and dilute the batter without contributing flavor.

Two tablespoons of baking powder for three cups of flour might look like a lot, but the mashed banana adds weight to the batter that needs strong lift to keep pancakes light. Don’t reduce it or you’ll get dense, gummy results.

A hot griddle is non-negotiable. Test by flicking a few drops of water onto the surface, they should skitter and evaporate. Lower temperatures make pancakes that brown unevenly and stay raw in the middle.

Flip when bubbles form across the surface and the edges look set. Flipping early tears the surface and ruins the pretty golden top.

Kitchen Tips

• Mash the bananas with a fork, not a blender. Some texture is good. Pureed bananas disappear into the batter.
• The Caribbean rum syrup is the signature finish: warm 1 cup of pure maple syrup with 1 tablespoon of dark rum just before serving.
• Cook on a buttered griddle for crisp golden edges. Nonstick gives softer pancakes.
• Keep finished pancakes warm in a 200°F (95°C) oven on a wire rack while you finish the rest. Stacking on a plate steams them limp.

Variations

• Stir ½ cup of chopped pecans or macadamia nuts into the batter for tropical crunch.
• Add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg to the flour for warmer holiday flavors.
• Top with mango, pineapple and toasted coconut for the full resort breakfast presentation.