This banana waffle recipe turns two overripe bananas into soft, golden waffles with a naturally sweet, banana-bread flavor, in about 20 minutes. The batter takes one bowl and a whisk, uses pantry staples, and makes a good use for the spotty fruit sitting on your counter. They’re lighter and a bit more tender than plain waffles, with crisp edges if you follow a couple of simple tricks.
Banana Waffle Recipe: What Makes Banana Waffles Different
Mashed banana does three jobs in a waffle. It sweetens the batter, so you need very little added sugar. It adds moisture, which makes the inside tender. And it replaces some of the fat and structure you’d normally get from more eggs or butter. The trade-off is that banana waffles are softer and less shatteringly crisp than plain ones, because the fruit’s sugar and water slow down the crisping. You can get around that, and I’ll show you how below.
How Ripe Should the Bananas Be?
| Banana stage | What to expect in waffles |
|---|---|
| Yellow with a little green | Mild flavor, less sweet, harder to mash; not ideal |
| Yellow with brown freckles | Good balance of sweetness and banana flavor |
| Heavily spotted or mostly brown | The best: very sweet, mashes into a smooth purée, strongest flavor |
| Black and leaking | Use only if there’s no mold or sour smell, and expect a stronger, fermented taste |
Keep a bag in the freezer for bananas that get too ripe. Peel them, freeze them whole, and thaw them at room temperature (draining off any extra liquid) when you want waffles.
Banana Waffle Recipe Ingredients
- 2 ripe bananas, mashed
- 2 large eggs
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour (or a gluten-free blend)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
- 1 tablespoon sugar or honey (optional)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1¼ cups milk (dairy or non-dairy)
- ¼ cup melted butter or coconut oil
- A pinch of salt
Making the Waffles
- Heat the iron according to its instructions, and grease it lightly. Banana waffles are sugary, so a lightly oiled surface really helps.
- Mash the bananas in a large bowl until mostly smooth. A few tiny lumps are fine.
- Add the wet ingredients. Whisk in the eggs, milk, vanilla and melted butter. If the butter is very hot, let it cool for a minute so it doesn’t cook the eggs.
- Mix the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, cinnamon, sugar and salt) in a separate bowl.
- Combine the two, stirring only until no dry flour is visible. The batter is thick and a little lumpy. Overmixing makes tough waffles. Let it rest for 5 minutes.
- Cook. Pour in about ½ cup of batter (or the amount your iron calls for), close the lid, and cook until the steam stops escaping and the waffle is golden brown, usually 3 to 5 minutes.
- Keep warm. Put finished waffles on a wire rack in a 200°F (95°C) oven while you cook the rest. Stacking them traps steam and makes them soggy.
Banana Waffle Recipe Card
Classic Homemade Banana Waffle Recipe
Equipment
- Waffle iron
- Mixing bowls (1 large, 1 medium)
- Whisk or hand mixer
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Rubber spatula
- Ladle or measuring cup (for pouring batter)
Ingredients
- 2 ripe bananas mashed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour or gluten-free alternative
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon optional
- 1 tablespoon sugar or honey optional
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups milk dairy or non-dairy
- ¼ cup melted butter or coconut oil
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat your waffle iron according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- In a large bowl, mash the bananas until smooth.
- Add eggs, milk, vanilla, and melted butter. Whisk until combined.
- In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon, sugar, and salt.
- Gradually add dry ingredients to wet mixture, stirring just until combined. Do not overmix.
- Lightly grease waffle iron and pour in batter. Close lid and cook until steam subsides and waffles are golden brown.
- Remove and serve immediately with desired toppings.
Notes
Choose Your Waffle
| If you want | Try this |
|---|---|
| Crispier waffles | Replace 2 tablespoons of the flour with cornstarch, and keep them on a rack, not stacked |
| Fluffier waffles | Separate the eggs, whip the whites to soft peaks, and fold them in at the end |
| Vegan waffles | Replace each egg with 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with about 3 tablespoons water, and use plant milk and oil |
| Gluten-free waffles | Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend, and let the batter rest 10 minutes |
| More protein | Add a scoop of protein powder, and a little extra milk, since it thickens the batter |
| Whole grain | Replace up to half the flour with whole wheat or oat flour |
Add-Ins and Toppings
Sprinkle mini chocolate chips, chopped walnuts or pecans, or blueberries into the batter, about ½ cup in total. A swirl of peanut butter works too. On top, sliced bananas with maple syrup is the classic, and Greek yogurt with berries makes a lighter plate. For crunch, add a spoonful of homemade apple granola. Nut butter, honey, whipped cream or a little caramel suit a weekend brunch. Add toppings just before serving so the waffles stay crisp.
What Can Go Wrong
They stick to the iron. The batter is sugary and the iron wasn’t oiled. Grease it before each waffle, or use non-stick spray. They’re gummy in the middle. Pulled out too early. Wait until the steam stops. They’re dense. Overmixed batter, or too much banana. Fold gently and measure the bananas by size, since two very large ones can weigh the batter down. They brown too fast. The sugar in banana caramelizes quickly, so use a medium setting. They’re soggy after a few minutes. They were stacked or covered. Use a rack.
Kids, Freezer and Leftovers
Kids tend to like banana waffles, especially made in a mini iron or cut into strips for dipping in yogurt and honey (keep honey away from children under one year old). For a family breakfast, you can also serve them with the Bisquick crepes or the soft Belizean johnny cakes on the same table.
Cooked waffles should be refrigerated within 2 hours (they contain eggs and milk), and kept in an airtight container for up to 3 days. For the freezer, cool them completely, stack with parchment between, and freeze in a bag for up to 2 months. Reheat straight from frozen in a toaster, a 350°F oven for about 5 minutes, or an air fryer at 375°F for 4 minutes. Don’t microwave them, since they turn rubbery.
The recipe card lists about 230 calories per serving. The exact number depends on the size of your waffle and how many each serving counts as. They contain wheat, eggs and dairy unless you swap them. Bananas add natural sugar, so this is a lighter breakfast than a sugary store-bought mix, but toppings like syrup, whipped cream or chocolate chips raise the totals.
Questions About This Banana Waffle Recipe
Can I make the batter ahead? You can mix it the night before and refrigerate it, but baking powder loses strength over time, so the waffles may be a bit flatter. For best results, mix the wet and dry ingredients separately and combine them in the morning.
Can I use a regular waffle iron instead of Belgian? Yes. A Belgian maker needs more batter per waffle and may take a bit longer.
Can I use frozen bananas? Yes. Thaw them and pour off any excess liquid before mashing.
Can I cook the batter as pancakes? Yes. Pour onto a lightly greased griddle, and flip when bubbles form.
What type of milk works best? Any milk works. Whole milk gives a richer waffle, and oat milk adds a faint sweetness.
If you make these, tell me how ripe your bananas were and whether you went for crisp or fluffy. Those details help other cooks more than any rule I can give.
Related reading: Banana Waffles on Allrecipes