A big breakfast is perhaps one of the unsung heroes of the weekend. The occasional weekday scrambled egg can be awesome, but a plate full of carbs and bacon is hard to beat. Enter the Fluffiest Pancakes Ever! Leisurely and decadent, this dish is the culinary signal to the brain that the weekend has arrived and it is time to treat yo self.

A humble stack of pancakes is greater than the sum of its parts and take very little effort to make. Let me paint you a picture. Close your eyes and imagine a stack of the fluffiest, tallest pancakes that has ever graced your plate. Each pancake has been perfectly griddled forming a light, crispy exterior. A pat of salted butter sits on top and in between each layer of this cake-like tower. The butter slowly melts and gently mingles with warm maple syrup that decadently cascades down the sides. The bottom of the plate reveals a pool of this salty sweet sauce begging to be sopped up. Your fork cuts through the soft, pillowy stack to expose the fluffy interior of the most perfect pancakes you have ever laid eyes on.

Am I exaggerating? Yes, absolutely. Are these the most perfect pancakes you will ever make/eat? What am I, a gypsy? I have no way of knowing that. What I do know, however, is these are very, very, very good pancakes. Nobody in your family will be mad if you make these. That, I can guarantee.

“Fluffiest Pancakes Ever” Process Tips

This basic recipe is my “go-to” and produces tall, fluffy, tender pancakes without fail. The process tips listed below are just as important as the recipe itself. They seem simple enough, but if you give them a try, you’ll definitely have great results.

Preheat – Use a good quality nonstick pan and let it heat up over medium heat for at least 4-5 minutes. Add a dash of neutral oil and give it a quick wipe around the pan with a clean paper towel. I have a pretty awesome All Clad griddle that sits over two burners. It’s fairly heavy and distributes the heat evenly across the surface making it ideal for this application, but your favorite non-stick pan(s) will work just as well. 

Measure – I like a slightly larger pancake than what most recipes recommend, so I use my 1/3 cup measure to evenly dole out batter on my griddle. Also, I’ve learned to only cook 3-4 pancakes at a time. I can easily fit 6 pancakes on this griddle, but they’re easier to flip if I work with a smaller number. 

Fork Mix – When mixing my batter, I don’t use anything more powerful than a fork, mixing only until everything is just blended. I should have a few tiny dry pockets of dry flour left after I’m done. 

Rest – I let the batter sit for a good 10-minutes (or more) before I begin making the pancakes, so that the baking powder can begin to activate.

All of these tips play their part in ensuring that a tall, fluffy pancake is the end result. 

The Fluffiest Pancakes Ever

makes approximately 12 – 5″ pancakes 

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (I use Morton’s)
4 tablespoons sugar
1 3/4 cup whole milk
2 large eggs (lightly beaten)
4 tablespoons butter (melted & cooled)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.
2. In a separate bowl mix together milk, lightly beaten eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract.
3. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the milk mixture into the center. Using a fork, gently mix everything together just until blended. 
4. Sit batter aside and let it rest for 10-minutes. 
5. Heat large griddle or non-stick pan(s) over medium heat for 4-5 minutes. Add a small amount of neutral oil such as canola to the pan and wipe with a paper towel to spread it around the surface.
6. Using a 1/3 measuring cup (or 1/4 cup measure for smaller pancakes), spoon batter onto pan/griddle and spread it around slightly to form a 5″ circle.
7. Let cook until the surface begins to show signs of bubbling. Check the bottom and when it is a deep golden brown, flip the pancake and let cook on the other side. Cook until the bottom is deep gold brown and the top of the pancake springs back when gently pressed.
8. Repeat for each pancake, being sure to add oil to the pan between each one. 
9. Serve immediately with butter and syrup. Leftover pancakes can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Place a piece of wax paper in between each pancake for easy removal.  

*You’ll notice these pancakes do not call for buttermilk. I never seem to have buttermilk around when I need it, but if you happen to have some feel free to substitute half of the whole milk for buttermilk. If not, don’t worry about it. These are amazing without it.

Change it up!

Top a stack of these big fluffy pancakes with fresh strawberry sauce and whipped cream! Add fresh berries, a few tablespoons of sugar, a pinch of salt and the juice of 1/2 a lemon to a pan and cook over low heat until the sauce reduces to the desired thickness. It’s very easy to do and makes an already wonderful dish feel even more special.

Roasted Green Chile & Pinon Pancakes! Get our recipe HERE! A slightly more savory spin on this breakfast favorite.

Homecured Bacon! Get our recipe HERE! If you have 7-8 days and space in your fridge, then you’re already more than half way there. A word of caution, once you cure your own bacon, the grocery store variety will never live up to your expectations again.

Let me know if you try this recipe. We love the variations listed above, but truly, the basic “go to” recipe you see here is the one we make most.

Stock up on our rubs, sauces and jellies at AlbuKirkySeasonings.com and keep up with what we’re cooking on our Facebook and Instagram pages. See you next time!