It seems so easy — drizzle batter on a hot pan, flip, eat, repeat. But sometimes even simple dishes like pancakes can go terribly wrong.
Maybe you’ve accidentally set off the smoke alarm while you were warming the griddle. Or maybe you made an entire batch with the consistency of well-chewed Double Bubble. Hey, we’re not here to judge — we’re here to help.
We issued a rallying cry to pancake experts everywhere, and they taught us all the insiders’ tips you’ll need to make super stacks of pancakes on any old Sunday you choose.
Get ready. They have a lot of opinions.
Ingredients
Just about every type of cuisine has a variation on pancakes, said food historian and chef Ken Albala, author of “Pancake: A Global History,” who wishes someone would create a truly global version of the International House of Pancakes. “They could serve aebleskiver, injera, socca, Breton galettes, pikelets and blinis,” he said.
No matter which type of pancakes you want to make, the best ones start with the best ingredients, said Paul DiBari, chef-instructor of culinary arts at the Institute of Culinary Education’s New York City campus. “Get the highest-quality ingredients possible, like organic flour, farm-fresh eggs and milk and butter from grass-fed cows,” he said. “It really makes a huge difference in the finished product.”
Albala suggested experimenting with flours other than wheat. “Chickpea flour is lovely, and so are ones made from lentils and split peas,” he said. “Buckwheat is a very traditional choice.”
“I put vanilla, powdered sugar and fresh berries in the batter,” said chef Sandy Davis. “Those ingredients give the pancakes a ton of extra flavour and pop.”
And don’t forget all the add-ons that make pancakes so fun to eat, Davis said: “Use real maple syrup, and melt your butter into the syrup. Then serve that combo warm, in a gravy boat.”
Equipment
Chef and Ambitious Foodie blogger Imene Senouci said that this is one of those times when owning a whisk can make a difference. “It helps mix the batter without overworking it,” she said. “When you’re adding ingredients like egg whites, then you’ll want a silicone spatula, which is perfect for folding gently.”
While there are fancy griddles that you can buy, many chefs stick to the classic cast iron skillet.
“I love a well-seasoned cast iron skillet for pancakes, because it can get really hot but distribute the heat well,” said Erika Kwee, the blogger and content creator known as The Pancake Princess. “They’re also great for Dutch babies or oven-baked pancakes.”
When it comes time to flip, you’ll appreciate having the perfect spatula on hand. What should you be looking for? “A right-sized spatula is key,” said Ronnie Ruffalo, co-owner of Chicago’s all-day brunch spot Disco Pancake. “If your spatula is too small for your oversized pancake, it results in a flipping disaster.”
While spatula size matters, so does its shape, said Senouci. “A wide, thin spatula makes flipping pancakes easier, especially for larger ones. Look for one with a slight curve to help slide under the pancakes smoothly.”
Technique
When it comes to mixing up the batter, your measurements should be precise. Ruffalo said that’s because there’s science at work here. “People don’t realise there’s chemistry involved, as the ingredients react to each other,” he said. “It’s so important to use the correct ingredient measurements, because otherwise you can have an unintended ‘volcano’ science experiment result.”
Every expert we spoke with warned us about the dangers of overmixing pancake batter. Rizwan Asad, who runs the Chocolates & Chai recipe blog, described what you should be aiming for: “The ideal batter for American-style pancakes is ‘almost-combined,’ meaning that the batter is almost completely mixed but is still thick. You may be able to see a few streaks of flour.”
Albala explained why mixing correctly is such an issue: “If you overbeat a wheat-based batter, it will form a gluten chain, which makes tough, rubbery pancakes,” he said. Another suggestion from Albala was to whip the whites of the eggs until they’re stiff, then fold them into the batter. “Doing that makes the lightest, fluffiest, evanescent pancakes,” he promised.
Senouci has a suggestion that not only makes your batter better, but allows you to preheat a pan and pour yourself another cup of coffee before you start cooking. “Let the batter rest for about 10 minutes,” she said. “This allows the baking powder to activate and the gluten to relax, resulting in fluffier, more tender pancakes. It’s a small step that makes a big difference in texture and ensures even cooking. Skipping this rest time can lead to dense pancakes.”
Cooking
You’ll want to lightly grease your cooking surface before you heat it up. Kwee said that oil or butter will both work, but she has another suggestion that might up your game and keep your smoke alarm quiet: “The milk solids in butter tend to burn if the temperature gets too high, so ghee is a better option,” she said.
“Don’t mess with the pancakes too much while cooking,” DiBari said. “Try to resist the urge to flip them too soon, and let them get a nice golden crust first. When you see bubbles begin to form on the surface of the pancake and the edges begin to brown, those are good indicators that the pancake is ready to flip.”
Some Time-Saving Tips
You can mix the batter in advance, but only up to a point, Senouci said. “For optimal texture, mix the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, salt) in one bowl and the wet ingredients (milk, eggs, melted butter) in another the night before. Combine them just before cooking the pancakes the next morning. This prevents the baking powder from losing its leavening power overnight.”
For an even faster prep time, you can skip the stove altogether, said Cynthia Christensen of the But First We Brunch blog. “If you’re cooking for a crowd, are rushed in the morning or just don’t feel like standing at the hot stove for 30 minutes flipping pancakes, try baking your pancakes in the oven,” she suggested. To do this, mix the batter as usual, spread it in a sheet pan that’s been lined with parchment and greased with butter and bake at 425 degrees F for about 15 minutes, or until the centre of the pancake is springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Once you’ve made all these pancakes, you need a way to manage the leftovers. Here’s one idea from Joanne Gallagher, recipe developer and co-founder at the recipe site Inspired Taste: “Pancakes freeze so well,” she said. “You can even make two batches at once and freeze the extras. I line a baking sheet with parchment paper, add pancakes so they don’t touch and freeze until they’re hard. Then I transfer them to an airtight container and keep them in the freezer.”
And A Reminder
Finally, cookbook author Misty Bell Stiers offered a pep talk to those who are struggling, especially with those first few pancakes off the griddle.
“Can we all agree that the first pancake you make is meant to be ugly, misshapen and maybe a bit raw in the middle?” she asked. “Your first few pancakes will help you gauge if they’re cooking too quickly because your pan is too hot, or they’re sticking to the pan because it’s too cool, for example.”
This experimentation can be a learning experience as you make your way through the batter, she said.
“It’s not often we get a chance to just really mess something up on the way to perfecting it in such a delicious manner,” she said. “So enjoy the morning and the time you get to spend flipping pancakes and filling your home with the smell of a great homemade breakfast, and revel in the fact that like most everything about home, it’s the imperfections that make it so incredibly wonderful.”