Cast-Iron Banana Oat Pancakes with Warm Peanut Butter Maple Drizzle
Mix a dry oat-and-flour blend with mashed banana, milk, eggs and melted butter, then cook the pancakes in a buttered 12-inch cast-iron skillet over a medium-low camp stove flame or a grate over medium coals. Cook 2 to 3 minutes per side in four batches, until the centers are set. Drizzle with warmed peanut butter and maple syrup. Total time is about 35 minutes.
These are thick, tender pancakes with oats for chew and banana for sweetness. Cast iron gives them a deep golden crust that a thin pan can't match. The dry mix packs ahead in one bag, so camp work is mashing, stirring and flipping.
The trick with cast iron is steady, gentle heat. Let the skillet warm up slowly, keep the flame low, and plan on four small batches. The peanut butter and maple drizzle takes two minutes in a pot and replaces the usual butter-and-syrup routine.
Cast-Iron Banana Oat Pancakes with Warm Peanut Butter Maple Drizzle
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Heat
- Medium-low flame or medium coals
- Pack weight
- 4 lb
- Campfire
- Camp stove
- Backpacking
- Cooler required
- One burner
- Low water
- A few dishes
- Prep ahead
Ingredients
Gear you'll need
- 12-inch cast-iron skillet
- Camp stove or fire grate
- Large mixing bowl
- Medium bowl
- Whisk or fork
- Spatula
- Small pot
- 1/3-cup measure
- Heat-proof gloves
- Pot lid or foil to keep pancakes warm
Steps
-
Mix the dry blend
In a large bowl or zip bag, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. If you mixed it at home, just shake it up.
-
Mash the bananas
In a second bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until mostly smooth. Whisk in the milk, then crack in the eggs and whisk again. Wash your hands with soap and water after handling raw eggs.
-
Make the batter
Pour the wet mix into the dry mix and add 3 Tbsp melted butter. Stir just until no dry flour shows, and leave a few lumps. Let it rest 5 minutes while the skillet heats.
-
Heat the skillet
Set a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over a medium-low flame, or on a grate over medium coals. Warm it for 3 to 4 minutes, then melt about 1/2 Tbsp of the skillet butter, swirling to coat.
-
Cook the first batch
Pour 1/3 cup of batter per pancake, 3 at a time. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, until bubbles pop and the edges look dry. Flip and cook another 2 minutes, until the center is fully set with no wet batter.
-
Keep them warm
Stack finished pancakes on a plate and cover with a pot lid or foil, set near the fire but not over it. Add more butter to the skillet and repeat for 3 more batches. If the pan smokes, pull it off the heat for 30 seconds.
-
Warm the drizzle
While the last batch cooks, stir the peanut butter and maple syrup together in a small pot over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Take it off as soon as it loosens and pours.
-
Serve and clean
Stack the pancakes on plates and drizzle with the peanut butter maple sauce. While the skillet is still warm, scrape out crumbs, wipe with a paper towel and rub in a thin film of oil.
Trail Notes
Mix the flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt at home and pack it in a zip bag. Mash the bananas at camp, because they turn brown and watery if mashed in advance.
Keep eggs and milk in a cooler at 40°F or below until you cook. Use the batter within an hour, and cook until no wet batter remains in the center, since the batter contains raw egg.
If you don't have a cooler, use shelf-stable boxed milk, or powdered milk mixed with water. To skip the eggs, add one more mashed banana and 1/4 cup extra milk. The pancakes will be softer.
Scrape food bits into a trash bag and pack them out. Strain dishwater and scatter it widely at least 200 feet from water, and keep soap out of streams and lakes.
Campers ask
How do you keep pancakes from sticking in a cast-iron skillet?
Preheat the skillet slowly for a few minutes and add a little butter before each batch. A well-seasoned pan and a thin, even layer of fat do the rest.
How hot should a skillet be for pancakes over a campfire?
Aim for medium-low heat. A drop of batter should sizzle gently and not smoke. If the outside browns in under a minute, move the pan off the hottest coals.
Can you make pancake batter ahead for camping?
Mix the dry ingredients ahead and carry them in a bag, but add the wet ingredients at camp. Mixed batter with raw egg needs to stay cold and doesn't keep well in a cooler.
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