Banana Pancakes with Salted Caramel sauce

I have been using this pancake recipe for a while now, and I am very happy with how my pancakes turn out every time! It is a very basic recipe that is easy to follow. I had been on the hunt to find the perfect pancake recipe as I had tried some extremely bad ones before (it was a process of trial and error to find this one that I am currently using).

So if you are looking for a good pancake recipe, you're in luck, because I am going to be sharing the recipe I use and love to make these pancakes (or you could use your own recipe if you have already found your perfect pancake recipe and try the salted caramel sauce with bananas or your own preferred toppings for the pancakes). I am also sharing the recipe I used to make the salted caramel sauce, which is divine!

PANCAKES RECIPE

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 egg (beaten)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Oil (frying)

METHOD:

Combine the milk, melted butter, vanilla essence and egg in one bowl. Add the egg gradually while whisking the milk and butter together to prevent coagulation/cooking of the egg.
Sift flour, baking soda, sugar and salt in a separate bowl and stir together.
Heat the frying pan and add oil.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir briefly.
Use tablespoons, measuring cups or a measuring jug to pour some of the mixture into the hot frying pan (add a small amount to test if the pan is hot enough before pouring the batter into the pan).
Cook the pancake until air bubbles form on the top and then flip with a spatula/egg lifter.
Cook until nicely browned on both sides.

These pancakes go really well with Nutella, syrup, bananas and syrup or salted caramel sauce, or any toppings you desire. I like that these pancakes are also not too rich, they are light and fluffy. This recipe is also very easy to double up if you want to make a lot of pancakes at once, which is what I usually do.

Previously I have made shaped pancakes (mostly heart shaped) with this batter as it is not too thick. I used a squeeze bottle with a thin nozzle to make the shapes.

SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup brown sugar (you can use light brown or dark brown/treacle sugar - I used treacle sugar)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (sea salt)
2 tablespoons salted butter (you can also use unsalted if you don't have salted butter, I used unsalted butter and it still came out amazing)
1/4 cup cream or milk (I used milk because I was trying out the recipe for the first time and I felt that the milk was fine as the sauce still went quite thick, you can add cream if you want a more creamy sauce)
Dash of vanilla essence

METHOD:

In a small saucepan, over a medium heat, whisk together the butter, sugar, salt, cream/milk.
Bring to a boil (should take about a minute)
Reduce the heat and simmer for five minutes while whisking the mixture frequently (you do not want to burn caramel)
Whisk in the vanilla essence and then remove from the heat.
Pour the caramel into a heat proof jar and allow it to cool for a few minutes before using.

I am so glad that I tried this sauce because I am already in love with it! You can use it for anything - coffee, cupcakes and cakes, ice cream toppings and of course, pancakes. It is such an easy recipe and the result is amazing, the ratio of saltiness to sweetness is perfect (I have tried some horrible "salted caramel sauces", which are either just extremely salty or just taste like regular caramel), I will admit I am a sucker for a good salted caramel flavoured anything (it was even in my March favourites).

It is not a sauce that you can leave unattended, as it can burn easily, and it only takes about six minutes to make.

I will say that this recipe is quite small so you can double it up, or first try it out and see if you like it and then make another batch (that is what I did). The sauce does thicken once it has cooled.

It was a perfect topping for my pancakes, you don't have to add bananas but I felt like it all went so well together.