Inspired by a classic ice cream treat, these pancakes are sure to be a hit at breakfast.

Sunday breakfast is a fun meal for kids to help prepare. The mood is bright and everyone is relaxed and ready to pitch in. These sweet, fragrant pancakes are a festive choice, piled high with fresh strawberries and sliced bananas and smothered in gooey, chocolaty Nutella and syrup. The kids can help mash the banana and measure out the simple ingredients for the batter before an adult cooks the pancakes on the hot griddle. Although perfect for a leisurely weekend breakfast, they really are a snap to prepare and (when all the planets are properly aligned) can even be whipped up on a weekday morning. Make sure your bananas are very ripe—really overripe—for the sweetest, most tender pancakes.

Ingredients

• 1 Large egg
• 1 Cup butter milk
• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 Cup mashed very ripe banana
• 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 Cup all-purpose flour
• 1 Teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 Teaspoon salt
• Large pinch of ground nutmeg
• Oil for brushing the pan
• Melted butter, sliced
• Sliced fresh banana 
• Sliced fresh strawberries
• Warmed Nutella
• Syrup

Directions

1 In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk, butter, banana, and sugar. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg.

2 Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir together with a fork or small whisk just to combine (over stirring makes the pancakes tough). It is okay if the batter is a little bit lumpy.

3 Heat a nonstick griddle or skillet over medium-high heat. Brush the pan lightly with oil and drop the batter onto the heated skillet in mounded portions.

4 Cook the pancakes until the batter starts to brown around the edges and little bubbles start to form over the surface of the batter, 1 to 2 minutes. Use your spatula to lift a corner of the pancake to see if it is brown and lacy and ready to turn. Flip the pancake and finish cooking, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Repeat with the remaining pancake batter, brushing the pan with more oil when needed to prevent sticking.

5 Serve the warm pancakes drizzled with melted butter, sliced bananas, fresh strawberries, warmed Nutella, and/or syrup.

Makes 9 or 10 pancakes.

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Excerpted from Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey Treats for Kids by Jill O'Connor. Photographs by Leigh Beisch. Copyright © 2009 by Jill O'Connor. Excerpted by permission of Chronicle Books. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.