Traditional Jamaican fritters are deep-fried, have a cup or two of white flour, and often a bit of sugar. Here we take the delicious traditional island recipe and simplify it by cutting down the flour, butter/oil, and sugar.  What makes these fritter pancakes moist and delicious is the sweet banana and the spices.  This recipe is perfect for when you have ripe bananas but aren’t ready to commit to a loaf of banana bread.

If you’ve been following me here for a while you know that what first inspired me to start a food blog was the students and families I coach as a family nutritionist.  This one of the older recipes we decided to bring back to the table.  Jamaican fritters were introduced to me by one of the first students I coached several years back.  This young gal had a tradition of making fritters with her dad (he was Jamaican) on weekend mornings.  I loved hearing how she taught him how to lighten things up so that they could continue enjoying the tradition while being more mindful of their health.

What makes these pancakes lighter than fritters:

• less oil
• Less sugar
• Less flour
• Smaller

Save your ripe and even overripe bananas for this recipe – the riper the sweeter.  Smash them with a fork and add cinnamon and nutmeg. 

You can’t go wrong with the spice mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla on sweet, ripe bananas.  Trust me, you won’t miss the added sugars a bit but if u are wanting a special treat, go ahead and sprinkle a pinch of powdered or decorating sugar after cooking them. 

For an easy step by step demo on  making these banana fritter pancakes watch this How-To video:

We like to make tiny, silver dollar-sized pancakes.  They are fun and easy to pop plus portion control is a snap. 

One of the nice things about these mini pancakes is that they are delicious plain.  To keep things light, avoid drowning your pancakes in syrup.  Instead, stack them up, layer more bananas between each one, and add some colorful berries on top.

If you are wanting a little drizzle of something, try Ava’s favorite pancake topper – a mixture of almond butter, maple syrup, and vanilla yogurt.  I enjoy them with a spoonful of Greek vanilla yogurt and a sprinkle of extra cinnamon.  You can also slice up more bananas and add a dusting of confectioner’s sugar over the fritter pancakes.

For more healthy, light breakfast recipes click on over to this Better Breakfasts index. 

Yield: 16

Jamaican Banana Fritter Pancakes

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Traditional Jamaican fritters are deep-fried, have a cup or two of white flour, and often a bit of sugar. Here we take the delicious traditional island recipe and simplify it by cutting down the flour, butter/oil, and sugar.  What makes these fritter pancakes moist and delicious is the sweet banana and the spices.  This recipe is perfect for when you have ripe bananas but aren't ready to commit to a loaf of banana bread.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 large, ripe bananas or 3 small bananas
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup nonfat milk or unsweetened almond milk
• 1 cup flour of your choice (I use whole wheat pastry flour)
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
• Canola spray oil

Instructions

1. Mash ripe, peeled bananas in a shallow bowl with a fork
2. Add the spices and vanilla
3. Transfer the banana mixture to a bigger bowl
4. Stir in the eggs until well combined
5. Add milk and mix
6. Add flour and mix just until absorbed and wet
7. Heat a skillet sprayed with spray oil to medium heat
8. Spoon 1/4 cups full of batter for small pancakes
9. Wait until bubbles form, about 2 to 3 minutes per side
10. Flip and cook the other side
11. Serve plain or topped with Greek yogurt and fresh fruit or a drizzle of nut butter

Notes

The yield is for 16, 1/4 cup-sized mini pancakes

Optional: leave the mashed bananas out for an hour or two to oxidize and sweeten naturally (works well if bananas are not already over-ripened and sweet)

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 215Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 62mgSodium: 30mgCarbohydrates: 39gFiber: 3gSugar: 12gProtein: 6g

✨✨ Bita