Posted on
by 
0 Comments
I love simple and easy to make American pancakes. Growing up in the Netherlands an American pancake was really something special. They’re more common now and so delicious. This easy recipe will show you how to make them at home!
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Perfectly fluffy every time you make them
- Simple ingredients you’ll likely have in the pantry
- Endless topping options!
Recipe Ingredients
This American pancake recipe was part of a challenge I did years ago, called pancakes around the world. You can find the other pancakes we did below.
For making American pancakes you need the following ingredients:
- Flour – I used all-purpose flour for making the pancakes
- baking powder – the rise needed in the pancakes is created with baking powder.
- milk – I used whole milk, but you could use a plant-based milk if you prefer too
- egg
- sugar – these pancakes are meant to be sweet and so there is a bit of sugar in the batter
How To Make American Pancakes
The recipe for these American Pancakes I found on the website of Good Food (which is a British website, so I guess funny that I should go there for an American recipe)
Step 1 – Sift the dry ingredients
Making American pancakes is easy to do. Just start by sifting the flour with baking powder, salt and the sugar into a large bowl. Mix the egg and milk together in another bowl and whisk the (cooled down) melted butter in as well.
Step 2 – Let the batter rest
Mix the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk until you have a smooth batter. Let it stand for just a few minutes.
Step 3 – Bake
Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat and add a bit of butter. When it is melted add a bit of batter in the middle of the pan. Wait until the top of the pancake starts to bubble and look a bit dry. At that point you can flip the pancake and cook on the other side until they are golden brown and you can see that the pancake has thickened to about half an inch (1 cm) in height.
Step 4 – Serve
Once all pancakes are cooked, serve warm (or cold) with the toppings of your choice!
Toppings
Of course when it comes to toppings the sky is the limit. American pancakes – or any pancakes for that matter – are pretty versatile. Here are some simple ideas for your toppings:
- Powdered sugar and fresh fruit
- Maple syrup or honey
- apple compote or fruit jam
- banana and a sprinkle of bacon
FAQ American Pancakes
American pancake batter is meant to be thick. This helps the pancakes rise properly and gives them that fluffy, cakey texture. Even if it looks thicker than you’re used to, resist the urge to add extra milk.
You can prepare the batter up to 30 minutes in advance and keep it covered at room temperature. After that, the baking powder will start to lose its effectiveness and the pancakes may not rise as well.
Yes! You can use olive oil or another neutral oil instead of melted butter. Butter adds more flavor, but oil works perfectly and keeps the pancakes nice and tender.
Flat pancakes are often caused by overmixing the batter or using old baking powder. Mix just until smooth and make sure your baking powder is still fresh.
Flip the pancakes when bubbles start to form on the surface and the edges look set. This usually takes about 1–2 minutes on the first side.
Absolutely. Let the pancakes cool completely, stack them with parchment paper in between, and freeze. Reheat in the toaster or microwave.
More pancakes recipes
3-ingredient coconut banana pancakes (glutenfree)
American Pancakes
Ingredients
- 135 gr all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp caster sugar
- 130 ml milk
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- 2 tbsp melted butter allowed to cool slightly or use olive oil, plus extra for cooking
Instructions
- Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and caster sugar into a large bowl. In a separate bowl or jug, lightly whisk together the milk and egg, then whisk in the melted butter.
- Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture and, using a fork, beat until you have a smooth batter. Any lumps will soon disappear with a little mixing. Let the batter stand for a few minutes.
- Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and add a knob of butter. When it’s melted, add a ladle of batter (or two if you frying pan is big enough to cook two pancakes at the same time) It will seem very thick but this is how it should be. Wait until the top of the pancake begins to bubble, then turn it over and cook until both sides are golden brown and the pancake has risen to about 1 cm thick.
- Repeat until all the batter is used up. You can keep the pancakes warm in a low oven, but they taste best fresh out of the pan.
- Serve with lashings of maple syrup and extra butter if you like.
Nutrition Information per portion:
Disclaimer:
The nutritional values above are calculated per portion. The details are based on standard nutritional tables and do not constitute a professional nutritional advice.
