Banana Waffle Bites

5 from 1 vote

These banana waffle bites are such a fun way to switch up regular waffles! Fresh banana slices are dipped in a simple cinnamon waffle batter, cooked until golden, and coated in cinnamon sugar while they’re still warm. They’re soft and fluffy with a warm banana center and make a fun breakfast or snack for the whole family!

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Total Time25

Course: Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Author: Lily Payen

Equipment

Mini Waffle Maker

Ingredients

For Banana Waffle Bites

3 medium bananas
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp salt
3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 large egg
⅔ cup milk
1 tbsp mild-tasting oil
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract

For Optional Cinnamon Sugar Coating

3 tbsp granulated sugar
¾ tsp ground cinnamon

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Peel the bananas and slice them on a slight diagonal into slices about ½-inch thick. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
In a separate large bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, maple syrup, oil, vanilla extract, and melted, slightly cooled butter until well combined
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not overmix. Let the waffle batter rest for 5 minutes as you preheat the waffle maker.
After 5 minutes, give the batter a very gentle stir and dip each banana slice into the batter, making sure it is fully coated on both sides. Lift the slice and allow any excess batter to drip off for a few seconds.
Place the coated banana slices onto the preheated waffle maker, leaving a little space between each one if placing more than one slice at a time. Close the waffle maker, press down gently, and cook for about 4 minutes, or until the waffle bites are golden and cooked through. Repeat with the remaining banana slices.
For optional cinnamon sugar coating: Mix together the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl. As soon as the banana waffle bites come out of the waffle maker, toss or sprinkle them with the cinnamon sugar while they are still hot so that the coating sticks. If needed, brush a very small amount of melted butter on the waffles to help the coating stick.

Notes

Use ripe but firm bananas. You want the bananas to be naturally sweet but still sturdy enough to dip into the batter without falling apart. Very ripe, soft bananas can become too mushy once cooked.
Don't slice the bananas too thinly. About ½-inch thick works well so the banana slices are sturdy enough to dip and hold their shape in the waffle maker.
Make sure your waffle maker is fully preheated. A hot waffle iron helps the outside set quickly and gives the waffle bites that golden color.
Let the excess batter drip off. After dipping each banana slice, hold it over the bowl for a few seconds so the excess batter can drip off before transferring it to the waffle maker.
Add the cinnamon sugar right away. If you're adding the cinnamon sugar coating, tossing the waffle bites in cinnamon sugar while they're hot gives the sugar the best chance of sticking without needing additional butter. If it isn't sticking as much as you'd like, lightly brush the hot waffle bites with a little melted butter before coating them.
I used a Dash mini waffle maker, but if you prefer to make more than 1 - 2 banana waffle bites at a time, you can use a full-sized waffle maker and cook 1 banana slice in each corner (4 at a time) or use a multi-mini waffle maker to cook multiple slices at a time.

Nutrition

QR code

Scan this QR code with your phone's camera to view this recipe on your mobile device.