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With a few simple tricks, you can have thick, fluffy pancakes! Simple to whip up and the perfect way to start the morning. Beating the egg whites and a few other tips to make these your go-to pancake recipe!
I had a major breakfast fail that has turned into these gloriously light and fluffy pancakes. Some kitchen fails have major silver linings.
I gave Japanese pancakes a whirl for my husband's birthday and they turned out completely uncooked in the center. No good.
Making these fluffy little breakfast cakes taught me a thing or two and so I was determined to make some super fluffy pancakes.
And I did!
What makes pancakes fluffy?
There are a few tips to making your pancakes extra EXTRA light and fluffy.
- Do not over-stir. Lumps are okay in pancake batter. If you over stir, it will cause the gluten in the flour to bond together too tightly and in the end, you will have pancakes that are not what you hoped for. One more time, lumps in your pancake batter are OKAY.
- Separate egg yolks from whites and beating the egg whites. I learned this when making Japanese pancakes--or should I say failing at making them. The pancake recipe called for separation of the whites and yolks and then to beat the egg whites. I could not believe the impact. Talk about some major elevation on those pancakes! I will never not beat the whites again. I have read 20 plus articles that say it is a MUST.
- Make sure your baking powder is FRESH. And while we are at it, make sure all of the ingredients are fresh. Even flour that is about to expire can impact the fluff factor. But your baking powder needs to be good and fresh quality. It can make your pancakes turn into duds if not.
- Cook at medium heat. Don't cook your fluffy pancakes too fast on high or even medium high heat. Give them time to really cook and wait until bubbles from throughout to flip.
Follow these simple tips and you are well on your way to all the fluff-tacular stacks you can imagine!
For the BEST fluffy pancakes, serve these Air Fryer Apples over top of your pancakes.
What you will need:
- I alternate regular sugar and confectioners' sugar. I cannot decide which I like better. Go with what you prefer. I had never used confectioners' sugar in pancakes until making Japanese pancakes and enjoyed it a lot!
- Stir the flour in your flour container to fluff it up and then spoon the flour and level it with a knife. This can make a huge difference in the flour--promise. Scooping the measuring cup into the flour container can result in an extra 1-2 ounces of flour!
How to make these:
- Whisk together the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl and set aside. (steps 1-2)
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolk, milk, vanilla and melted butter together to combine. (step 3)
- Add the flour mixture into the wet mixture and stir only until combined and you don't see any flour streaks. Lumps are fine. Over mixing will make these pancakes chewy and rubbery versus light and fluffy. (steps 4-5)
- Allow the batter to rest for at least 10 minutes. 15 minutes if you can wait!
- Using a mixer, beat the egg whites on medium to high until stiff peaks form. This will take about 3-5 minutes. Transfer the beaten egg whites to the batter just before you are ready to pour the batter on the griddle. Gently fold them into the batter. (steps 6-8)
- You may still see little specs of egg white in the batter. That is fine. You want to disturb them as little as possible when adding them in.
From there you are ready to pour these bad boys onto a greased griddle at medium heat. Allow them to cook until bubbles form throughout. Flip and cook for several more minutes. Enjoy!
Notes and Tips:
- These fluffy pancakes are freezer friendly. Keep them for about one month in a freezer safe bag or container. Microwave them for about 1-2 minutes to reheat.
- I have used canola oil instead of the butter. I prefer the flavor and texture of the pancakes with the butter, but the oil still works well.
Check out these other recipes you will love:
- Dairy Free Buttermilk Pancakes
- Cinnamon Roll Baked French Toast
- Zucchini Oatmeal Pancakes
- Whole Wheat Carrot Cake Waffles
- Air Fryer French Toast Sticks
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Fluffy Pancakes
With a few simple tricks, you can have thick, fluffy pancakes! Simple to whip up and the perfect way to start the morning. Beating the egg whites and a few other tips to make these your go-to pancake recipe!
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Servings: 12 pancakes
Calories: 108kcal
Ingredients
- 1 ½ c flour
- 3 T confectioners' sugar (or regular sugar)
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg yolk, 2 egg whites
- 1 ⅓ c milk
- 2 T butter, melted and cooled
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Whisk together the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolk, milk, vanilla and melted butter together to combine. Add the flour mixture into the wet mixture and stir only until combined. It is fine to still have some lumps.
- Allow the batter to rest for at least 10 minutes. 15 minutes if you can wait!
- While the batter is resting, use a mixer to beat the egg whites on medium to high until stiff peaks form. This will take anywhere from 3-5 minutes. Transfer the beaten egg whites to the batter just before you are ready to pour the batter on the griddle. Gently fold them into the batter.
- Grease a griddle heated to medium with spray oil or butter. Using ⅓ cup spoonfuls, pour the batter onto the griddle. Allow to heat until bubbles begin to form throughout the pancake and then flip. Cook for several more minutes or until cooked to desired golden brown.
- Serve warm with more butter and a nice drizzle of maple syrup!
Notes
- These fluffy pancakes are freezer friendly. Keep them for about one month in a freezer safe bag or container. Microwave them for about 1-2 minutes to reheat.
- Stir the flour in your flour container to fluff it up and then spoon the flour and level it with a knife. This can make a huge difference in the flour--promise. Scooping the measuring cup into the flour container can result in an extra 1-2 ounces of flour!
- I have used canola oil instead of the butter. I prefer the flavor and texture of the pancakes with the butter, but the oil still works well.
Nutrition
Calories: 108kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 86mg | Potassium: 123mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 132IU | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 1mg
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Bella says
Perfection!!
Lorie says
Yay!! So happy to hear it, Bella!!!
Dee says
Can I leave the batter in the freezer fridge for a few hours before cooking?
Lorie says
Hi! Yes, you can refrigerate them for a few hours for sure. Give them a stir and let the batter sit out just a bit before cooking. Add more milk if they get too thick.