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Breakfast

Banana Nutmeg Pancakes

Fluffy pancakes flavored with nutmeg and topped with sliced bananas.

From the Wikibooks Cookbook · 13 ingredients
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Why it works: Milk and vanilla are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 5% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 19,187 recipes. Both carry ethyl caproate, which smells fruity, apple peel. The science ↓

Banana Nutmeg Pancakes

8 ea. 4-inch pancakes
Time2 to 3 minutes per side

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare

  1. Heat a large non‑stick skillet or griddle over low heat while preparing ingredients.

  2. Mix flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl.

  3. Whisk nutmeg into the dry ingredients.

  4. Microwave buttermilk and milk in a 2‑cup Pyrex measuring cup to room temperature, 20 to 30 seconds.

  5. Whisk in egg, butter, and vanilla.

  6. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and whisk until just mixed.

  7. Return batter to the measuring cup, stirring in a teaspoon or two of water if necessary, to make a thick but pourable batter.

Cook

  1. Increase heat to medium and generously brush the skillet or griddle with oil.

  2. When oil starts to spider but before it starts to smoke, pour batter about ¼ cup at a time.

  3. Work in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding.

  4. Drop 5 or 6 slices of banana over the uncooked side of each pancake as it cooks.

  5. When pancake bottoms are golden brown and tops start to bubble, 2 to 3 minutes, flip the pancakes.

  6. Cook until pancakes are golden brown on the remaining side.

  7. Repeat, brushing the skillet or griddle with oil.

  8. Serve hot.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

1081Calories
29 gProtein
41 gFat
149 gCarbs
What these numbers assume: 10 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Flour1 cup (125g) all-purpose455
Milk1 cup (244ml) whole149
Olive Oil1 tbsp (14g)119
Banana1 medium (118g)105
Butter1 tbsp (14g)102
Egg1 large egg (50g)78
Sugar1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated49
Nutmeg1 tsp ground (2.2g)12
Vanilla1 tsp extract (4ml)12
Salt1 tsp (6g)0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Wikibooks Cookbook.

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Milk + vanillatop 5% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together19,187 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethyl caproate (fruity, apple peel).

  2. Milk + buttertop 7% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together81,283 recipes

    Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).

  3. Flour + nutmegtop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together18,623 recipes

    Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

  4. Flour + buttermilktop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together3,721 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).

  5. Sugar + vanillatop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikelow
    Cooked together35,032 recipes

    Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).

Sugar and vanilla barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 35,032 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

All-purpose bleached flour
Provides the starch and gluten structure that holds the pancakes together.
Baking powder
Releases gas when heated, lifting the batter so the pancakes rise and stay light.
Baking soda
Reacts with the acidity of the buttermilk to produce gas and aid rising and browning.
Buttermilk
Adds tanginess and moisture, and its acid works with the baking soda to help rising.
Egg
Adds structure and richness, binding the batter as it sets on the griddle.
Bananas
Add sweetness and moisture, and their sugars caramelize and brown on the griddle.

The step that matters

Heat the oil until it shimmers, then pour the batter. If the griddle is too hot, the outside browns before the centre sets, leaving the pancakes raw inside; too cool and they absorb oil and stay pale and greasy. Pouring at the right moment gives an even golden crust.

Swap the nutmeg

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (flour, sugar, buttermilk, milk, egg, butter, vanilla):

  1. Cinnamonfits better
  2. Nutmegthe original
  3. Allspicefits less well
  4. Clovefits less well

Fit is the average pairing score against flour, sugar, buttermilk, milk, egg, butter, vanilla. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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