Banana Bacon Pancakes

Buttermilk pancakes with slightly-caramelized slices of bananas and crumbled bacon. Top with butter and maple syrup for a savory-sweet brunch recipe that is pure perfection.

Welcome to Brunch Week, friends!

Yes, you just read that correctly: An entire week dedicated to brunch. Susan from The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen (I know you remember her from last week’s Friends First post) and Terri from Love and Confections have been working tirelessly to organize 32 bloggers and 11 sponsors to bring you a week’s worth of brunch recipes and one amazing giveaway.

In fact, make sure you pop over to today’s other post to check out the giveaway, which will be going on from now (Monday, May 5, 2014) until Mother’s Day (Sunday, May 11, 2014). There are tons of prizes that you could win courtesy of our amazing sponsors – this is one you don’t want to miss!

As soon as I decided to participate in Brunch Week, I knew immediately what recipe I wanted to share on the first day. When my parents came to visit back in February for my mom’s birthday, we went out to brunch at our favorite breakfast places and she ordered a stack of banana bacon pancakes. I have to admit, I wasn’t sure about them when I heard the description, but as soon as I took a bite, it was all over. I knew I had to remake them in my own kitchen as soon as possible.

What we’ve got here is a basic buttermilk pancake recipe. Once you pour the pancake batter onto the griddle (I was aided by this handy batter dispenser from the wonderful folks at OXO to get perfectly-sized circles), lay on slices of banana and sprinkle on some cooked, crumbled bacon. When you flip the pancakes, the bananas get a little bit caramelized – combined with the tangy buttermilk pancake and the smokey bacon? Heaven on a plate. All you need is a pat of butter, a drizzle of maple syrup, and you can send me straight to Heaven.

Be sure to check out all of the other amazing Brunch Week recipes that my fellow bloggers are bringing you today (fair warning, prepare to be very hungry after looking through links):

Beverages:

• Frozen Peach Bellini from Love and Confections
• Raspberry Tequila Sunrise from The Spiffy Cookie
• Mango Mimosa from My Catholic Kitchen
• Pineapple Peach Mimosa from Big Bear’s Wife
• Rosemary-Orange Mocktail from The Kitchen Prep

Brunch Eggs:

• Caramelized Onion Tart from Hungry Couple
• Polenta Cakes with Crab & Eggs from Foxes Love Lemons
• Sausage, Spinach and Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole from Neighborfood
• Loaded Veggie Frittata with Sweet Potato and Hatch Chile from The Little Ferraro Kitchen
• Mexican Omelete with Plantain, Avocado and Mango Hash from Take A Bite Out of Boca
• Veggie and Scalloped Potato Frittata from Hip Foodie Mom
• Apple and Sweet Potato Egg Muffin Cups from Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Frittata Muffins from Jane’s Adventures in Dining

Main Brunch Dishes:

• Muscat-Glazed Lamb Lollipops with Roasted Grapes from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Spinach & Mushroom Quiche from Real Housemoms
• Paleo & Chicken Waffles from Quarter Life (Crisis) Cuisine

Brunch Breads and Sides:

• Dutch Baby with Roasted Strawberries from The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
• Strawberry Mascarpone Stuffed French Toast from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Strawberry Lemon Crepes from Food Faith Fitness
• Carrot Cake Steel Cut Oatmeal from It’s Yummi!
• Banana Bacon Pancakes from Eat Your Heart Out
• Raspberry Oatmeal Pancakes from Healthy.Delicious.
• Mexican Chocolate French Toast with Spiced Blackberry Syrup from Cooking in Stilettos
• Brown Butter Peanut Butter Doughnuts with Mixed Berry Jelly Icing from Sarcastic Cooking
• Baked Chocolate Hazelnut Donuts from {i love} My Disorganized Life
• Banana Coconut Milk Pancakes from Chocolate Moosey
• Pumpernickel Bagels from Jen’s Favorite Cookies

Brunch Fruit and Vegetables:

• Honeycrisp and & Carrot Waldorf from The Vintage Cook
• Hazelnut Crepes with Rum Peaches from Savvy Eats

Brunch Desserts:

• Greek Yogurt Chocolate Cake from Roxana’s Home Baking
• Simple Oatmeal Cookie Jam Bars from Chelsea’s Messy Apron
• Raspberry Lemon Explosion Cake from White Lights on Wednesday

 

California Walnuts, Bob’s Red Mill, Oxo, Dixie Crystals, Whole Foods Market Doctor Phillips, Grimmway Farms, Woot Froot, Vidalia Onion, Baloian Farms, Stemilt and Bonne Maman are providing the prizes free of charge.  I have received product related to these brands to use for #Brunchweek. All opinions stated are my own.