As a dear friend of mine was nearing the due date of her fourth child, together we made a big batch of these banana waffles for her to freeze. After the baby arrived, her whole family enjoyed toasted banana waffles for days with little to no effort. Warm up some of the peanut butter maple syrup for a real treat. This combo is my husband's very favorite waffle condiment, though if you're in a hurry, a smear of peanut butter will do! If you're freezing the waffles, undercook them just slightly under crisp—then they’ll toast up perfectly from the freezer.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¹⁄8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 large eggs
- 2 ripe bananas, mashed (about ²⁄³ cup) (see note)
- 1 cup milk
- ¼ cup canola oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup peanut butter
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
Instructions
Make the waffles: In a bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, using a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the eggs until they are doubled in size. Add the mashed banana and whip for another minute. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the milk, oil, and vanilla. Mix just until combined, then fold in the banana mixture.
Use a waffle iron to cook the waffles according to the manufacturer’s instructions, but leave slightly underdone if you’re planning on freezing them.
Make the syrup: Heat the peanut butter and maple syrup together in a small saucepan over low heat.
To freeze: Let the waffles cool, then freeze on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Once frozen, transfer to a labeled gallon-size resealable plastic bag. Toast to reheat and serve.
Note: When you find ripe or overripe bananas on sale, you can mash them all and freeze them in an airtight container (in a portion size for your favorite recipe). Banana bread, muffins, or these waffles are all great uses for frozen ripe bananas.
