Banoffee stack or fruity granola? Here's two very different Pancake Day options - we can't decide which we love the most

Banoffee pancake stack with bananas and caramel and a granola pancake platter with fruit — (Image credit: Future)

It’s almost Shrove Tuesday, which means one very important decision: are you going to totally indulge or keep things a little lighter (while still feeling like a treat)? This year, we’re serving up two very different but equally tempting pancake ideas.

On one hand, there’s the ultimate banoffee-style pancake stack. A delicious mix of fluffy cocoa pancakes with whipped cream, sliced bananas, salted caramel and chopped Crunchie bars for extra crunch. It’s rich, nostalgic and unapologetically indulgent.

On the other hand, a colourful pancake board that feels generous but balanced. With homemade granola, fruit compote, Greek yogurt and berries, it’s ideal for feeding a crowd. It’s lighter, fresher and still feels special, with plenty of mix-and-match toppings.

Banoffee pancake stack

Serves 4-6 | Ready in 40 mins
Per serving (based on 6): 673 cals, 41g fat, 24g sat fat, 61g carbs

Ingredients

For the pancakes:
225g self raising flour
25g cocoa powder
75g caster sugar
4 medium free-range eggs, separated
300ml buttermilk
30g butter, for cooking
For the rest:
300g double cream, softly whipped
2-3 bananas, sliced
4-5tbsp salted caramel
2 x 32g Crunchie bars, chopped

Methods

1 For the pancakes, sift the flour and cocoa into a large bowl. Whisk in the sugar, egg yolks and buttermilk until smooth.
2 In a separate clean bowl, whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks. Gently fold into the batter in 2 additions, until just combined.
3 Melt a little butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add 2-3 ladlefuls of the batter to the pan (about 60ml each). Cook for 2 mins until bubbles appear on the surface, then flip and cook for a further 2 mins, until cooked through. Repeat with the remaining batter, to make about 12-16 pancakes.
4 Serve the pancakes stacked up (2-3 per person), layered with the cream, banana, caramel and chopped Crunchies.

Pancake board

Serves 6-8 (Makes 16 pancakes) | Ready in 45 mins, plus resting the batter
Per serving (based on 8): 500 cals, 17g fat, 6g sat fat, 76g carbs

INGREDIENTS

For the granola:
1tbsp vegetable oil
75ml maple syrup
150g rolled oats
50g nuts and seeds; we used a mixture of hazelnuts, pistachios and pumpkin seeds
2tbsp cocoa nibs
1tbsp demerara sugar
Pared zest ½ orange
4tbsp dark chocolate chips
For the compote:
400g forced rhubarb, cut into 2cm chunks
200g strawberries, hulled and cut into wedges
150g golden caster sugar
1 star anise
For the pancakes:
250g self-raising flour
25g caster sugar
300ml semi-skimmed milk
1 medium free-range egg
To serve:
Strained Greek yogurt, maple syrup, chopped pistachios and mixed fresh berries

Method

1 Heat the oven to 170C Fan. For the granola, mix the oil, maple syrup, oats, nuts, seeds, cocoa nibs, sugar and orange zest with a pinch of sea salt. Tip on to a lined tray and bake for 15 mins. Set aside to cool, then break into chunks and toss in the chocolate chips.
2 Put the compote ingredients in a medium pan. Bring to the boil, turn down the heat and simmer for 8 mins until the rhubarb is just tender. Set aside to cool.
3 For the pancakes, melt the butter in a frying pan, then set aside to cool. Put the flour and sugar in a large mixing bowl with a pinch of salt. Mix the milk and egg in a measuring jug, then quickly whisk into the flour to make a smooth batter. Whisk in the melted butter, then set aside for 30 mins to rest.
4 Reheat the frying pan on medium heat. Add a touch more butter and, when it starts to sizzle, add serving spoon-sized dollops of batter, in batches, spreading to a 7-8cm circle. Cook for 2–3 mins until you see bubbles, then flip and cook on the other side until golden and springy.
5 Stack the pancakes on a plate, cooking until all the batter is used up. Keep them warm in a low oven until ready to serve.
6 Arrange the warm pancakes on a large board and serve with the granola, compote, yogurt, maple syrup, pistachios and berries.

woman&home magazine

For all of our pancake recipes and plenty of other dishes, check out the March 2026 issue of woman&home magazine. Subscribe to the magazine for £6 for 6 issues.

Jess is the Group Food Editor at Future PLC, working across brands in the woman’s lifestyle group, including Woman and HOme, Woman’s Weekly, Woman, Woman’s Own, Chat, womanandhome.com and Goodto.com. Jess studied at Leiths School of Food and Wine in London, graduating with a diploma in culinary arts before gaining a scholarship to study at the Ecole Nationale Superieure de Patisserie (ENSP) in France, where she learned the fine art of French patisserie.

An experienced recipe writer, food stylist and home economist, Jess honed her skills in print and digital food media, working with well known brands such as Great British Bake Off, Tastemade US and UK, Slimming World, Tesco, M&S, Tabasco, Baileys, Castello and Stella Artois to name a few; as well as a host of book titles.

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