Banana Johnnies make a tasty alternative to traditional pancakes
Have you ever gotten up in the morning with the taste for pancakes for breakfast only to find you don’t have any pancake mix or any other ingredients to make traditional pancakes in your kitchen?
Well, I have an alternative recipe you can make that might just hit the spot. It’s simple and has a nice sweet taste all on its own without even adding syrup. I call it Banana Johnnies.
The secret ingredient is a ripe banana. This gives you the sweetness without having to add a lot of sugar or syrup.
I begin by peeling the banana, putting it in a bowl and mashing it up with a fork. Next, add 3 tablespoons of sugar, 1 large egg, 1/2 cup of sweet milk (I use whole) and a 1/2 teaspoon vanilla flavoring. I mix this together and then add the twist to the traditional pancake mix – 1 cup self-rising corn meal mix. That’s right, I’m using corn meal mix instead of flour or a Bisquick mix. Combining the corn meal mix with the banana mixture, I make sure it’s well incorporated.
I heat up a non-stick skillet on medium high and add about a tablespoon of Canola oil to cook the Johnnies in.
When the pan is hot, I carefully spoon the pancake batter into the skillet. You can make the pancakes any size you want. This can also be cooked on a griddle, if you prefer.
Adding a banana makes these pancakes sweet on their own
I cook the pancakes for about 2 to 3 minutes until they’re golden brown and not coming apart when I lift an edge up. Then I flip them over and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes on that side until it is golden brown.
I serve them hot right out of the skillet with a tab of butter on top. The pancakes have just a hint of sweetness on their own from the banana. If you like your pancakes sweet, you may want to add a splash of syrup on top. This makes about 6 or 7 pancakes depending on the size you desire.
These are called Johnnies after the old-fashion Johnnycakes that use corn meal instead of flour. I remember eating Johnnycakes in my youth. In searching the web, I learned Johnnycake is prepared from Newfoundland to Jamaica. New England cuisine still features a modern Johnnycake, while in the South (where I live) the cakes are sometimes referred to as hoecakes. To find out more about Johnnycakes, click HERE.
Have you eaten Johnnycakes before? Are they called something else where you live? Okay, now what’s your favorite item to pair with pancakes?
Thanks for stopping by.
Cucina felice!
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Cook time:
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Serves: 6 to 7 pancakes
- 1 Banana, ripe
- ½ Cup Milk
- 3 Tablespoons sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Canola oil
- 1 Large egg
- ½ Teaspoon vanilla flavoring
- 1 Cup self-rising corn meal mix
- Peel the banana, place in a bowl and mash with a fork. Add 3 tablespoons sugar, 1 large egg, ½ cup of milk, and ½ teaspoon vanilla flavoring. Mix well and add the twist to the traditional pancake recipe - 1 cup self-rising corn meal mix. Combine the corn meal mix with the banana mixture making sure to incorporate all the ingredients well.
- Heat a non-stick skillet on medium high. Add 1 tablespoon Canola oil and when the skillet is hot carefully spoon the batter into the skillet making them the desired size you want. This batter can also be cooked on a griddle.
- Cook the pancakes for about 2 to 3 minutes or until you can lift the edges without them coming apart and they are golden brown. Flip pancakes and cook 2 to 3 minutes on the other side until golden brown.
- Remove from pan. Add butter on top, if desired. These pancakes will be a bit sweet on their own so you may want to try them before pouring syrup over them.
