Griddle Cakes Recipe {Light, Fluffy Pancakes} | Tastes of Lizzy T (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep pancakes light and fluffy? ›

For the perfect pancakes, stop mixing as soon as you can't see dry flour. This means that there will be some lumps in the batter, but that's okay. The resulting pancake will be perfectly fluffy. with a light and airy texture.

The secret is in the egg whites!

Yep, egg whites are THE determining factor here. To give your pancakes that fluffy text, beat only the egg whites for 3 minutes on medium speed. They'll start turning creamy, which means it's time to add them to the pancake mixture.

Too much egg, however, will make the pancake dense and custard-like; not enough will make it drier and more biscuit-like. Baking powder and baking soda are the chemical leaveners typically used in pancakes. They are responsible for the bubbles in the batter, and for making the cakes light and fluffy.

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.

Milk helps make pancakes fluffier than water. Since milk is thicker than water, it creates a thicker batter. Further, if you use whole milk or low fat milk, the fat content helps yield tender, fluffy results.

Top tips for fluffy pancakes

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.

Flour: This homemade pancake recipe starts with all-purpose flour. Baking powder: Baking powder, a leavener, is the secret to fluffy pancakes.

Using extra virgin olive oil in place of the melted butter in this recipe adds moisture in addition to flavor, resulting in a light and fluffy pancake that's perfectly tender and moist, not dry or doughy in the least.

Once your griddle hits the 350°F to 375°F range (ideal for cooking pancakes), it's easy to maintain that temperature, ensuring a full batch of perfectly cooked pancakes. There won't be any dark bottoms that need to be served burned-side-down or raw batter surprises when cutting into your stack.

A word of caution though — if you add too many eggs you'll end up with a loose pancake batter that will need to be balanced with more pancake mix. If you're vegan or allergic to eggs, there are a few ingredients you can use to substitute an egg.

Is baking soda or baking powder better for pancakes? ›

Chef and writer Shani Fryer explains, "Recipes call for both when an acid-based chemical reaction is necessary to provide rise. Baking powder does most of the heavy lifting in the rise department and while baking soda aids in leavening, it also helps neutralize the acid." Take buttermilk pancakes, for instance.

The Grease

Instead, they make sure to use nonstick appliances so no extra fat is needed for the pancakes to lift off the hot pan. Why? Because cooking fat is what creates that marbled, bubbled look on the surface of your home-cooked pancakes.

Why are my pancakes flat and not fluffy? A flat pancake is usually the result of the batter being too wet. This is because there isn't enough strength from the flour to trap the bubbles produced by the baking soda.

Note that mayonnaise contains eggs and oil, so it can replace oil or butter as well. This trick may not work as an egg replacement for an allergy or egg-free diet (unless it's a vegan mayo) but it works for those who don't have eggs on hand in a pinch.

Also, both baking powder and baking soda contribute to the leavening of our pancake (very important). I won't dive too deep into the science, but baking powder activates when the batter hits the stove, generating gas bubbles that will lift your pancake into an airy pillow of yum.

While your first thought might be to pop them in the microwave, it's not the best method. Instead, you can keep pancakes warm by placing them on a baking sheet or oven-safe platter in a 200-degree oven until you're ready to serve. This temperature will keep the pancakes warm without continuing to cook them too much.