Kid-friendly Kitschy Kitchen Sink Pancakes + All Shook Up Chocolate Butter + Banana Chocolate Milk Recipe - Sticky Fingers Cooking
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Family Meal Plan: Kitschy Kitchen Sink Pancakes + EGG-FREE + BANANA-FREE Kitschy Kitchen Sink Pancakes! + All Shook Up Chocolate Butter + Banana Chocolate Milk

Family Meal Plan: Kitschy Kitchen Sink Pancakes + All Shook Up Chocolate Butter + Banana Chocolate Milk

Kitschy Kitchen Sink Pancakes + EGG-FREE + BANANA-FREE Kitschy Kitchen Sink Pancakes! + All Shook Up Chocolate Butter + Banana Chocolate Milk

by Erin Fletter
Photo by JeniFoto/Shutterstock.com
prep time
40 minutes
cook time
8 minutes
makes
4-6 servings

Fun Food Story

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Kitschy Kitchen Sink Pancakes

Breakfast for Dinner! What's better, really? These pancakes remind us of Elvis Presley's favorite sandwich, mainly because that sandwich is composed of ingredients that work so well together. Still, you may not believe it until you try them for yourself: bananas, peanut butter, and bacon. They're kind of like our Kitchen Sink Pancakes, although there's no bacon or peanut butter in them (and no banana in our Egg-Free + Banana-Free version). Instead, we're tossing a whole lot of random ingredients into a simple three-ingredient pancake batter. Beyond that, it's up to you and your kid chefs to decide what you add to these! Potato chips, pretzels, chocolate chips, coconut, grated sweet potato, dried fruit—a pancake will take it all. Every culture has a pancake of some variety, and not all types are sweet. For example, the French have crepes, Koreans have pajeon, and the Japanese have okonomiyaki. In the United States, National Pancake Day is March 12. Have fun, and tell us what brilliant combinations you and your kids come up with!

Happy & Healthy Cooking,

Chef Erin, Food-Geek-in-Chief
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Shopping List

  • FRESH
  • 4 ripe bananas, 2 for freezing **(see allergy subs below)**
  • Kitchen Sink Fresh Add-ins (choose at least one):
  • 1 grated apple, carrot, zucchini, peeled red beet, small sweet potato, or pear
  • 1 orange or lemon (for zest)
  • 1/4 C fresh berries
  • DAIRY & EGGS
  • 2 large or extra large eggs **(see allergy subs below)**
  • 4 oz heavy whipping cream **(see allergy subs below)**
  • 2 C whole milk **(see allergy subs below)**
  • 2 T butter or vegetable oil to cook pancakes
  • PANTRY
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 to 2 T all-purpose flour, if needed **(see allergy subs below)**
  • 2 T + 2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder **(see allergy subs below)**
  • 2 heaping tsp honey/sugar/agave/maple syrup, or 1 stevia pack
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • Kitchen Sink Pantry Add-ins (choose 5 to 6 of what your budget will allow):
  • 1 C pretzels **(see allergy subs below)**
  • 1 C plain potato chips **(see allergy subs below)**
  • 1/2 C grated coconut **(see allergy subs below)**
  • 1/4 C chocolate chips **(see allergy subs below)**
  • 1/4 C raisins, dried cranberries, chopped dried apricots, or chopped dried bananas (depending on allergies)
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 pinch nutmeg
  • 1 pinch cardamom
  • 1 pinch pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract **(see allergy subs below)**
  • EGG-FREE & BANANA-FREE Kitschy Kitchen Sink Pancake Batter:
  • 1 1/4 C all-purpose flour **(see allergy subs below)**
  • 1 T baking powder
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 T sugar
  • 1 C whole milk **(see allergy subs below)**
  • 2 T vegetable oil
  • HAVE ON HAND
  • 2 T water

Fun-Da-Mentals Kitchen Skills

  • chop :

    to cut something into small, rough pieces using a blade.

  • crack :

    to break open or apart a food to get what's inside, like an egg or a coconut.

  • fold :

    to gently and slowly mix a light ingredient into a heavier ingredient so as not to lose air and to keep the mixture tender, such as incorporating whipped egg whites into a cake batter or folding blueberries into pancake batter; folding is a gentler action than mixing or whisking.

  • grate :

    to reduce food, like a carrot, to very small shreds or pieces of the same size by rubbing it on a tool with an outside surface that has holes with cutting edges (a grater).

  • knife skills :

    Bear Claw (growl), Pinch, Plank, and Bridge (look out for trolls)

  • mash :

    to reduce food, like potatoes or bananas, to a soft, pulpy state by beating or pressure.

  • measure :

    to calculate the specific amount of an ingredient required using a measuring tool (like measuring cups or spoons).

  • peel :

    to remove the skin or rind from something using your hands or a metal tool.

  • purée :

    to blend, grind, or mash food until it is thick, smooth, and closer to a liquid.

  • shake :

    to rapidly and vigorously move a covered container filled with food up and down and side to side to combine ingredients and create a different consistency, such as shaking whipped cream to make butter.

  • stir :

    to mix together two or more ingredients with a spoon or spatula, usually in a circle pattern, or figure eight, or in whatever direction you like!

  • wet vs dry :

    to mix wet and dry ingredients separately before combining them: dry ingredients are flours, leavening agents, salt, and spices; wet ingredients are those that dissolve or can be dissolved (sugar, eggs, butter, oils, honey, vanilla, milk, and juices).

Equipment Checklist

  • Liquid measuring cup
  • Measuring spoons
  • Plastic jar + tight-fitting lid
  • Medium skillet
  • Mixing bowl
  • Cutting board + kid-safe knife
  • Dry measuring cups
  • Wooden spoon
  • Pancake turner or heat-resistant spatula
  • Potato masher
  • Grater
  • Dry measuring cup (1/4 C)
  • Blender (or pitcher + immersion blender)
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Ingredients

Kitschy Kitchen Sink Pancakes

  • 2 ripe bananas **(for BANANA ALLERGY use Egg-Free + Banana-Free Kitschy Kitchen Sink Pancake recipe)**
  • 2 large or extra large eggs **(for EGG ALLERGY use Egg-Free + Banana-Free Kitschy Kitchen Sink Pancake recipe)**
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 or 2 T all-purpose flour, if needed **(for GLUTEN ALLERGY sub gluten-free/nut-free all-purpose flour)**
  • 2 T butter or oil for cooking
  • Kitchen sink add-ins (choose at least 1 fresh fruit and 5 to 6 pantry items according to your budget):
  • 1 grated apple, carrot, zucchini, peeled red beet, small sweet potato, or pear
  • 1 orange or lemon (for zest)
  • 1/4 C fresh berries
  • 1 C pretzels **(for GLUTEN ALLERGY omit or sub gluten-free/nut-free pretzels)**
  • 1 C plain potato chips **(Choose a NUT-FREE brand without peanut or other nut oil)**
  • 1/2 C grated coconut **(omit for COCONUT ALLERGY)**
  • 1/4 C chocolate chips **(for CHOCOLATE ALLERGY sub carob chips and for NUT/DAIRY/SOY ALLERGY use Enjoy Life chocolate chips)**
  • 1/4 C raisins, dried cranberries, chopped dried apricots, or chopped dried bananas (depending on allergies)
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 pinch nutmeg
  • 1 pinch cardamom
  • 1 pinch pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract **(for GLUTEN ALLERGY use certified gluten-free brand, like McCormick)**

EGG-FREE + BANANA-FREE Kitschy Kitchen Sink Pancakes!

  • Dry ingredients:
  • 1 1/4 C all-purpose flour **(for GLUTEN ALLERGY sub gluten-free/nut-free all-purpose flour)**
  • 1 T baking powder
  • 1 pinch salt
  • Wet ingredients:
  • 1 T sugar
  • 1 C whole milk **(for DAIRY ALLERGY sub dairy-free/nut-free milk)**
  • 2 T water
  • 2 T vegetable oil + more for cooking
  • Kitchen sink add-ins:
  • 1 grated apple, carrot, zucchini, peeled red beet, small sweet potato, or pear
  • 1 orange or lemon (for zest)
  • 1/4 C fresh berries
  • 1 C pretzels **(for GLUTEN ALLERGY omit or sub gluten-free/nut-free pretzels)**
  • 1 C potato chips **(Choose a NUT-FREE brand without peanut or other nut oil)**
  • 1/2 C grated coconut **(Omit for COCONUT ALLERGY)**
  • 1/4 C chocolate chips **(for CHOCOLATE ALLERGY sub carob chips and for NUT/DAIRY/SOY ALLERGY use Enjoy Life chocolate chips)**
  • 1/4 C raisins, dried cranberries, or chopped dried apricots
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 pinch nutmeg
  • 1 pinch cardamom
  • 1 pinch pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract **(for GLUTEN ALLERGY use certified gluten-free brand, like McCormick)**

All Shook Up Chocolate Butter

  • 4 oz heavy whipping cream **(for DAIRY ALLERGY omit butter recipe and sub mixture of 1 T powdered sugar + 1/2 tsp cocoa powder, or top with extra chopped fruit)**
  • 1 to 2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder **(for COCOA/CHOCOLATE ALLERGY sub carob powder)**
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 2 heaping tsp honey/sugar/agave

Banana Chocolate Milk

  • 2 frozen ripe bananas or 2 fresh ripe bananas + 1/2 C ice **(for BANANA ALLERGY omit banana and add sugar to taste)**
  • 2 T unsweetened cocoa powder **(for CHOCOLATE ALLERGY sub carob powder)**
  • 2 C whole milk **(for DAIRY ALLERGY sub dairy-free/nut-free milk)**

Food Allergen Substitutions

Kitschy Kitchen Sink Pancakes

  • Banana: Follow Egg-Free + Banana-Free Kitschy Kitchen Sink Pancake recipe.
  • Egg: Follow Egg-Free + Banana-Free Kitschy Kitchen Sink Pancake recipe. 
  • Gluten/Wheat: Sub gluten-free/nut-free all-purpose flour for optional (as needed) flour. Omit pretzels or sub gluten-free/nut-free pretzels. Use certified gluten-free pure vanilla extract, not imitation vanilla flavor. 
  • Chocolate: Substitute carob chips for chocolate chips. 
  • Nut/Dairy/Soy: Use Enjoy Life chocolate chips. Use plain potato chips without peanut or other nut oil.

EGG-FREE + BANANA-FREE Kitschy Kitchen Sink Pancakes!

  • Gluten/Wheat: Substitute gluten-free/nut-free all-purpose flour. Omit pretzels or sub gluten-free/nut-free pretzels for add-in. Use certified gluten-free pure vanilla extract, not imitation vanilla flavor. 
  • Dairy: Substitute dairy-free/nut-free milk. Use Enjoy Life chocolate chips for add-in.
  • Coconut: Omit grated coconut for add-in.
  • Chocolate: Substitute carob chips for chocolate chips for add-in.
  • Nut: Choose a potato chip brand for add-in without peanut or other nut oil. Use Enjoy Life chocolate chips for add-in. 
  • Soy: Use Enjoy Life chocolate chips for add-in. 

All Shook Up Chocolate Butter

  • Dairy: Substitute 1 T powdered sugar + 1/2 tsp cocoa powder mixture for heavy whipped cream, or top pancakes with extra chopped fruit.
  • Cocoa/Chocolate: Substitute carob powder for cocoa powder.

Banana Chocolate Milk

  • Banana: Omit banana and add sugar to taste.
  • Cocoa/Chocolate: Substitute carob powder for cocoa powder.
  • Dairy: Substitute dairy-free/nut-free milk for whole milk.

Instructions

Kitschy Kitchen Sink Pancakes

1.
crack + peel + mash

Crack 2 eggs and add them to a mixing bowl. Then peel and chop 2 bananas and add them to the eggs. Mash until bananas and eggs are combined.

2.
stir + chop + add + stir

Stir in 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder to your pancake mix. Chop, slice, grate, zest, crumble, or break apart whatever add-ins you've chosen, then add them to your banana and egg mixture and stir again until well combined.

3.
recipe tip

If the batter needs a little more substance, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of flour.

4.
melt + pour + flip

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter or oil in a medium skillet over low heat. Add 1/4 cupfuls of batter to your skillet and cook pancakes for 2 to 3 minutes on one side until golden brown on the bottom, then carefully flip and cook the other side until golden brown. Serve pancakes with All Shook Up Chocolate Butter (see recipe)!

EGG-FREE + BANANA-FREE Kitschy Kitchen Sink Pancakes!

1.
measure + add

Measure and add the dry ingredients to a mixing bowl: 11/4 cups flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, and 1 pinch of salt. Then measure and add the wet ingredients to a separate mixing bowl: 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 cup milk, 2 tablespoons water, and 2 tablespoons oil.

2.
add + fold

Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients and fold until the flour disappears.

3.
chop + add + stir

Chop, slice, grate, zest, crumble, or break apart whatever add-ins you've chosen, then add them to your pancake mixture and stir again until well combined.

4.
melt + pour + flip

Melt butter or oil in a medium skillet over low heat. Add 1/4 cupfuls of batter to your skillet and cook pancakes for 2 to 3 minutes on one side until golden brown on the bottom, then carefully flip and cook the other side until golden brown. Serve pancakes with All Shook Up Chocolate Butter (see recipe)!

All Shook Up Chocolate Butter

1.
measure + add + shake + emulsify

Measure and add 4 ounces of heavy whipping cream, 1 to 2 teaspoons cocoa powder, 1 pinch of salt, and 2 heaping teaspoons of honey to a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Screw the lid on to secure it, then shake until the ingredients are emulsified and you no longer hear a "sloshing" sound! The butter forms after vigorous shaking, and it will be thick and creamy when it does! Taste and add more cocoa powder or honey if needed.

Banana Chocolate Milk

1.
peel + add + purée

Measure and add 2 cups of milk and 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder to a blender. Add 2 bananas and 1/2 cup ice (if not using frozen bananas) to the blender, then purée until milk is thick and smooth. Divide into cups and enjoy!

Surprise Ingredient: Banana!

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Photo by Daria Lixovetckay/Shutterstock.com

Hi! I'm Banana!

“I'm such an 'a-peeling' fruit, I'm just going to have to tell you a little about myself! Bananas are very popular. We're long and curved, and we typically have a yellow outer layer (like some raincoats!) called a peel or skin. After peeling a banana, you can eat it whole; slice it into cereal, salads, or desserts; and mash it and put us on toast or add us to pancake or banana bread batter. Be careful not to throw your banana peel on the floor, or someone might slip on it!"

History

  • The Latin scientific name for banana is "musa sapientum," or "fruit of the wise men."
  • The first recorded mention of bananas is from the 6th century BCE. They were represented in Egyptian hieroglyphs.
  • Bananas may have been Earth's first fruit and the first fruit cultivated by people. The first banana farms were in southeast Asia.
  • The phrase "going bananas" came about because monkeys love bananas!
  • India produces over 26 percent of the world's bananas. In the United States, Hawaii grows the most bananas.
  • There are a few cultures, especially Japan's, where the fiber from the banana plant is used to make fabric and sometimes even paper.
  • The world's record for the longest banana split is 4.97 miles. In March 2017, Innisfail, Australia, residents made it using 40,000 bananas, 660 gallons of ice cream, and 528 gallons of topping. It took hundreds of volunteers 12 hours to prepare the banana split. 
  • People like their bananas! Worldwide we eat more than 100 billion bananas each year! Of those, Americans annually eat about 27 pounds of bananas per person. But we don't eat as many bananas as the Ugandan people. Their average consumption each year is 500 pounds per person!

Anatomy & Etymology

  • What appears to be a banana tree is actually an herbaceous flowering plant (the world's largest). 
  • A banana plant can grow an inch or more while you sleep at night, eventually growing from 10 to 25 feet high.
  • Botanically, a banana is a berry.
  • Since commercially-grown bananas do not contain seeds, you cannot grow a banana from seed unless you can find someone who sells seeds from the wild fruit. Otherwise, new plants are grown from offshoots or suckers of the banana plant.
  • A single banana fruit is called a finger, and a cluster of fruit is called a hand. There are 10 to 20 fingers on each hand.
  • About 75 percent of a banana's weight is water. 
  • Because bananas are less dense than water, they are able to float.
  • Wild banana varieties include bubblegum pink bananas with fuzzy skins, green-and-white striped bananas with orange sherbet-colored flesh, and bananas that taste like strawberries when cooked.
  • The word "banana" may have come from the West African Wolof word "banaana," through late 16th century Portuguese or Spanish. However, it could have come from the Arab word "banan," meaning finger. 

How to Pick, Buy, & Eat

  • Bananas ripen best if growers pick them when they are still green.
  • Don't separate a banana from the bunch if you want it to ripen more quickly. 
  • Putting bananas in a sealed container, like a brown paper bag, will hasten them to ripen, especially if you add another type of fruit to the bag. 
  • You may have noticed that organic bananas often come with plastic wrap around the top stems of a bunch, but you can also wrap yours at home. Tightly wrapped stems will help bananas last three to five days longer. 
  • Try peeling a banana from the bottom up toward the stem to avoid dislodging the stringy vascular tissue running down the length of the fruit inside. Those strings are called "phloem" (pronounced "flom").
  • Banana peels are actually edible if cooked.
  • Once you peel a banana and it comes in contact with air, it can begin to turn brown. Sprinkling lemon or pineapple juice on a cut banana will prevent this.
  • Don't be surprised that the banana peel turns brown or black after being refrigerated—it won't affect the fruit inside. This darkening happens because the cold breaks down the skin's cell walls and causes compounds in it to oxidize.
  • You can put ripe or overripe bananas in the freezer and then add a frozen banana to your blender when making a smoothie instead of ice. You can also insert a popsicle stick into one end of a banana, freeze the banana, then dip the frozen banana in chocolate melted with a little oil. If desired, roll the coated banana in toppings like nuts, coconut flakes, or sprinkles, then refreeze for a chocolaty, nutritious frozen dessert. 

Nutrition

  • Bananas contain vitamin C, potassium, fiber, and vitamin B6.
  • Bananas have 31 percent of the daily value of vitamin B6! This vitamin strengthens your nervous and immune systems. It also is needed for your body to make serotonin, a hormone that elevates mood.   
  • About half of all people allergic to latex may also be allergic to bananas.

 

History of Pancakes!

Photo by Ahturner/Shutterstock.com
  • Archaeological evidence suggests that pancake varieties are probably the earliest and most widespread foods made from cereal grains. Prehistoric societies mixed dry, carbohydrate-rich seed flours with available protein-rich liquids, usually milk and eggs, and baked the resulting batters on hot stones or in shallow earthenware pots over an open fire. These early pancakes formed a nutritious and highly palatable foodstuff.  
  • Pancakes are a universal food found in some variations from Africa to Asia to Europe and South America. 
  • Globally, there are at least 100 types of pancakes. To name a few, they include crepes, blinis, latkes (potato pancakes), pajeon, æbleskiver, crumpets, galettes, okonomiyaki, milcao, and Dutch baby pancakes.
  • A pancake is usually a flat, round cake prepared from a batter and cooked on a hot griddle or frying pan. In some countries, it's thinner, more like a crepe, and in the United States, it's usually thicker and more fluffy. 
  • Most pancakes are quick breads; however, some use a yeast-raised or fermented batter.  
  • Pancakes can be sweet or savory. Depending on the region, pancakes may be served at any time, with various toppings or fillings, including jam, chocolate chips, fruit, syrup, or meat. 
  • In different parts of the US, pancakes may be called flapjacks, griddle cakes, hotcakes, or slapjacks. 
  • One man (and giant pancake fan!) ran a marathon while tossing a pancake every 2 seconds for a continuous 3 hours, 2 minutes, and 27 seconds!

Let's Learn About "Kitschy" and "Everything but the Kitchen Sink!"

Photo by InnaFelker/Shutterstock.com

Kitschy

  • "Kitschy" is an adjective that describes items generally considered tacky, overly popular, too sentimental, or low in quality.
  • Examples of kitschy things might include a large pair of dice hanging from a car's rearview mirror, a dashboard hula dancer, and paintings of Elvis Presley on a black velvet background. 

"Everything but the Kitchen Sink!"

  • The saying "Everything but the Kitchen Sink" refers to a much larger number of things than is necessary.
  • It originated from a very similar late 19th-century phrase, "everything but the stove." A version swapping out "stove" for "kitchen sink" was included in an article in a New York newspaper, "The Syracuse Herald," in 1918. 
  • Similar expressions are: "everything under the sun" and "the whole kit and caboodle." 

To Sum it All Up

  • Our Kitschy Kitchen Sink Pancakes (see recipe) are very popular because kids can choose and prepare all their "kitchen sink" add-ins. They might even use some as toppings to create a sentimental picture on their pancakes. However, although the choice of add-ins seems like "everything but the kitchen sink," they are high in quality, tasteful, and fun!

That's Berry Funny

What kind of key opens a banana? 

A mon-key!

The Yolk's On You

Why does a milking stool have only three legs?

Because the cow has the udder!

THYME for a Laugh

What did mama cow say to baby calf?

It’s pasture bedtime.

THYME for a Laugh

Why are bananas never lonely? 

Because they hang around in bunches!

Lettuce Joke Around

How do you make a pancake smile? 

Butter him up!

Lettuce Joke Around

Don't ask me to tell you that joke about butter. 

I refuse to spread it.

Lettuce Joke Around

My friend hurt herself while making butter on her farm. 

It was an unfortunate churn of events.

That's Berry Funny

What do you call stolen cocoa? 

Hot chocolate!

That's Berry Funny

What dinosaur loves pancakes? 

A tri-syrup-tops!

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