These 40 Fluffy Pancake Recipes Are Worth Getting Up Early For (2024)

FAQs

What makes pancakes fluffy and helps them rise? ›

Pancakes and waffles typically both contain baking soda, which causes them to rise. As soon as the baking soda is combined with the wet ingredients (which contain an acidic ingredient, like often buttermilk), it starts producing carbon dioxide gas bubbles that cause the batter to rise.

Flat pancakes are nearly always because of expired baking powder, too little baking powder for the recipe size, or too thin of a batter. How to fix flat pancakes: First, test your baking powder by adding a teaspoon of baking powder in a glass and adding a tablespoon of water or two.

Baking soda is essential for baked goods, but baking powder is really what makes pancakes and biscuits rise and become so super fluffy. Double-acting baking powder, which is the kind that you'll find in the grocery store, produces bubbles in two ways: when it is mixed with wet ingredients and then when it gets heated.

When chemical leaveners, such as baking powder, create bubbles in a cooked pancake, the gluten network traps these bubbles and allows a pancake to rise and stay fluffy yet still keep its shape.

The secret to fluffy restaurant style pancakes? Buttermilk! The acid in the buttermilk reacts to the leavening agents in the pancake batter, creating air bubbles that make the pancakes tall and fluffy. It's a simple switch that makes all the difference.

Don't be tempted to add more than the recipe suggests, as too much baking powder will make pancakes taste soapy. Alternatively, you could use self-raising flour, which will add to the amount of raising agent in the recipe and potentially make your pancakes fluffier.

It might not be obvious to our eyes, but the melted butter will essentially lubricate our batter, making it very hard for the gluten molecules to latch onto each other and create a matrix. This a good thing, and it will lead to a softer crumb.

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE EGGS! The number one secret to getting fluffy, thick pancakes every time is to SEPARATE the egg yolks from the egg whites. Put the egg YOLKS in the bowl with the wet ingredients like normal. And then, in a separate bowl beat the egg WHITES all by themselves for about 3 minutes on medium speed.

A – Ideally make your batter and let it rest for about 30 minutes before cooking. This allows the flour to absorb the liquid, making the pancakes lighter and fluffier. Q – Why buttermilk? The acidity of buttermilk reacts with the raising agents to make you pancakes lighter and fluffier.

What oil is best for pancakes? ›

Considerations for oil selection

Smoke Point - Choosing oils with high smoke points prevents them from burning and imparting a bitter taste. Canola, vegetable, and grapeseed oils are excellent high smoke point options. Flavour profile - The flavour of the oil can significantly impact your pancakes.

Baking powder (double acting) provides two rises: The first occurs when the baking powder comes into contact with a liquid, the second when it's exposed to heat. Too much baking powder will create a very puffy pancake with a chalky taste, while too little will make it flat and limp.

A trick I love to use is 1/2 tsp baking soda and one 1/2 tsp lemon juice to the batter. You will watch them get fluffy and rise before you eyes! add a touch of vanilla if you're not a lemon fan to hide the flavor but it's such a small amount you can't taste the lemon. Also make sure your batter isn't too thick!

Bubbles of gas are caught in the batter as it cooks and this is what makes the pancake fluffy. This also explains why you should make your batter fresh. If it sits uncooked for too long, the gas can escape and you'll end up with flat pancakes.