Plantain Pancakes with Spicy Maple Syrup and Peanuts

These delicious plantain pancakes are inspired by Nigerian flavors that are typically eaten natively with plantain. Plantains are a major food staple of Nigerian and West African cuisine. In fact if you were to question a Nigerian about their favorite food, a lot of the answers might include a variation of rice, jollof rice or beans with one thing in common: a side of fried plantains locally called dodo. As one of the favorite staples in the Nigerian kitchen, plantains are prepared in various ways to cater to the local diet; they are blended into a dry flour which forms the base of swallows like ‘amala‘, they are roasted whole as a snack commonly known as ‘Boli’, diced and fried and eaten with a sauce, stew, or as a side called ‘dodo’ or prepared as a pottage. One of the more recent ways to enjoy plantains is to make it into a pancake and thus we have this delicious twist on the classic pancake.

Ingredients

Here’s an overview of the ingredients. A concise list of ingredients with exact measurements and instructions can be found in the recipe card below.

• Extra ripe plantains: I recommend using extra ripe plantains to add sweetness and softness to the plantain pancakes. This is another reason I love this recipe because it offers me a way to use extra ripe plantains instead of tossing them.
• Milk: I used plant based milk but feel free to use any milk of your choice.
• Lime Juice: Juice from a half cut of lime should be enough.
• Vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
• All purpose flour: I used the white, unbleached version
• Corn meal: I recommend medium grind
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Butter for frying

How to Make Plantain Pancakes

Step 1: Blend the plantains in a bowl until smooth using a normal blender or an immersion blender like I’m using.

Step 2: Mix in and whisk two and a half cups of milk, lime juice and a teaspoon of vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste Into the blended plantains.

Step 3: In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients, the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt with a whisk. Combine the wet and dry ingredients until it is just mixed. Try not to overmix the batter.

Step 4: On a hot griddle or frypan, add a small knob of butter to the pan, then cook the pancakes on medium heat for 3-4 minutes on each side.

When many Nigerians eat fried plantain, it is not uncommon for them to eat it with a spicy sauce, so I represented that flavor combination with the addition of chili oil to the maple syrup to top off the plantain pancakes. As a nod to the other common street food in Nigeria: Boli and groundnuts, I also topped these plantain pancakes with crushed peanuts. All of these made for a delicious combinations of flavors that are very reminiscent of Nigerian cuisine.

Common Questions and Tips

Print Recipe

Plantain Pancakes with Spicy Maple Syrup and Peanuts

These delicious plantain pancakes are topped off with a spicy mix of chili, maple syrup and crushed peanuts to produce a delicious treat!

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time35 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: West African

Servings: 6

Calories: 455kcal

Ingredients

• 3 extra ripe plantains
• 2.5 cups of milk I used a plant-based milk
• Juice from ½ a lime
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
• 2.5 cups all purpose flour
• ½ cup corn meal
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 Pinch of salt
• Butter for frying

Instructions

• Blend the plantains until smooth.
  3 extra ripe plantains
• Into the blended plantains, mix in the milk, lime juice and vanilla, then set aside.
  2.5 cups of milk, Juice from ½ a lime, 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
• In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients, the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  2.5 cups all purpose flour, ½ cup corn meal, 2 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, 1 Pinch of salt
• Combine the wet and dry ingredients until it is just mixed. Try not to overmix the batter.
• On a hot griddle or frypan, add a small nug of butter to the pan, then cook the pancakes on medium heat for 3-4 minutes on each side.
  Butter for frying
• Once the pancakes are golden brown on both sides, they are ready to serve. I topped my pancakes with a mixture of maple syrup and chili oil and finished with crushed peanuts.

Video

@yummymedley

Plantain pancakes are a new staple in my house, and after I had it with the maple mixed with chili oil from @Adùn it’s become somewhat of a legend. The full recipe for pancakes is on the yummy medley website, so check out out for measurements. Shout out to @Benny Mk for putting the idea in my head. Enjoy!

♬ original sound – Yummy Medley

Notes