Banana Pancakes with Pineapple and Crème Fraîche

From the kitchen of Carly

Fluffy pancakes topped with jammy pineapple and lemon compote that's been simmered until the fruit turns glossy and soft. A dollop of sweetened crème fraîche melts into the warm cakes, creating something that tastes like breakfast but feels like dessert.

Banana Pancakes with Pineapple and Crème Fraîche

Soft, tender pancakes with jammy caramelized lemon and pineapple on top and crispy golden bananas embedded in every bite. The trick is letting the fruit cook low and slow until it breaks down into a thick, glossy marmalade, then whipping crème fraîche into billowing clouds. Breakfast that tastes like you labor for hours.

Prep
n/a
Cook
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Total
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Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 1/2lemon, thinly sliced, seeds removed
  • 3 cupfinely chopped pineapple
  • 1 cupsugar
  • 1 cupcrème fraîche
  • 1 tbspsugar
  • 2 cupall-purpose flour
  • 1 tspkosher salt
  • 2 largeeggs
  • 2 cupwhole milk
  • 12 tbspunsalted butter, melted
  • 4ripe bananas
  • 1peeled
  • 1sliced 1/4" thick

Instructions

  1. Combine the lemon, pineapple, sugar, and 1/2 cup water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Drop the heat to a simmer and cook until both the pineapple and lemon are completely soft, 35 to 45 minutes. Set aside to cool completely before using.

  2. Pour the crème fraîche and sugar into a medium bowl and whisk vigorously until the mixture thickens, about 2 minutes. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

  3. Preheat the oven to 200°F. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, eggs, milk, 4 tablespoons of butter, and 1 cup water until smooth.

  4. Set a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and melt 1/2 tablespoon of butter, swirling to coat the surface. Pour in 1/4 cup of batter, then press 5 to 6 banana slices onto the top. Cook until the bottom is golden brown and the surface looks nearly dry, about 2 minutes, then flip and cook 1 minute more until the pancake is just set and the bananas are golden. Slide it onto a baking sheet, cover loosely with foil, and keep warm in the oven. Continue with the remaining butter, batter, and banana slices, moving each finished pancake to the oven as you go.

  5. Plate the pancakes and spoon the pineapple marmalade and whipped crème fraîche alongside.

  6. The marmalade can be made up to 2 weeks in advance; cover and refrigerate until needed.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Cook the pineapple marmalade the day before or even two weeks ahead, chilled, so you can wake up and just reheat. It also gives the flavors time to deepen.
  • Don't flip too early. Wait for the top to look almost dry and the edges to pull away slightly from the pan, or your pancake will tear and the banana won't stay embedded.
  • Keep finished pancakes in a 200°F oven while you work through the rest of the batter. This keeps them warm and actually helps the bananas caramelize a little more without the pancakes drying out.
  • Slice your bananas just before cooking. They oxidize fast and brown spots matter less once they're golden in the pan, but starting with fresh, pale slices gives you better control over the color.

Variations

  • Swap the bananas for stone fruit (peaches or apricots, sliced thin) if pineapple season has passed. The soft fruit will caramelize the same way against the hot pan.
  • Make it rum-spiked by adding 2 tablespoons of dark rum to the pineapple marmalade after it cools slightly. Serve with a dollop of cinnamon crème fraîche instead of plain.
  • Go tropical and use coconut milk in the pancake batter instead of whole milk for a subtle nuttiness that pairs better with the pineapple than regular dairy.
  • Finish with candied lemon slices on top if you love the bitter-sweet edge. Pick out the tender pieces from the marmalade and arrange them over the whipped crème fraîche.

Make ahead and storage

Pancakes keep refrigerated for up to 2 days, wrapped loosely. Reheat gently in a 300°F oven for about 8 minutes. The marmalade is better made ahead and keeps chilled for 2 weeks, so you've got flexibility on assembly.