Tired of pancakes and waffles coming out unevenly cooked or burnt? Follow these tips and tricks to achieve perfectly fluffy and golden breakfast treats every time.
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Pancakes are one of my favorite breakfast items to make! You can make the classic pancakes or waffles or you could add mix-ins to the batter to make it even better! And don’t forget the toppings! Here we will tell you about 10 ways to make sure your pancakes come out perfect every single time!
Looking for a Valentine’s Day breakfast idea? Check out our Red Velvet Waffles here !
What’s the difference between a Pancake and a Waffle?
The batters for both Pancakes and Waffles are very similar but the difference is the waffles have more fat and sometimes more sugar. Pancakes and Waffles also look very different. While Pancakes are soft and floppy, Waffles have a crispy outside and a soft and chewy inside. Another difference is how they are cooked. Pancakes are cooked on a hot surface like a pan or griddle. Waffles are made with a waffle maker.
Our favorite way to cook pancakes is on a griddle and this waffle maker !
Are you a fan of Root Beer? Check out our Root Beer Pancakes here !
1. Choosing The Right Ingredients
It doesn’t matter if you have a homemade pancake/waffle mix or a store-bought mix, make sure it is not past date. The pancake and waffle mixes contain baking powder or baking soda. Those two ingredients in the mix will make them fluffy. After the expiration date passes, those two ingredients could decrease in quality, and the pancakes and waffles will become denser.
Check out our recipe for Homemade Pancake Mix here !
2. Preheating Your Cooking Surface
Your pan, griddle, or waffle maker needs to be hot before adding the batter. Preheating it will make sure your pancake or waffle is cooked properly. The ideal temperature for the cooking surface should be 375 degrees or a medium heat setting. Waffle makers normally cook at 375 degrees as well.
3. Perfecting The Batter Consistency
The perfect pancake batter will still have lumps! You will want to ensure there are no flour streaks but you don’t want the gluten to overdevelop, which will happen if it is over stirred. You can still use the batter if it is stirred too much though! The pancakes will be more chewy and dense. When making waffle batter, you will need to make sure all of the lumps are taken care of! It should be thinner than pancake batter.
4. How to Make Different-Shaped Pancakes and Waffles
The typical shape for Pancakes is a circle but there are so many shapes that you can make with different molding tools! You can buy single metal molds like a Heart or Cat , or you can buy a multipack instead that has shapes like a Star, Flower, Bear, and more. You can find that one here . There is even a cooking pan that makes different faces or Holiday-themed .
You are interested in doing Pancake Art. There are kits to learn how to make characters, shapes, and words. This one is perfect for you and your children . Another kit also comes with everything you need (except for the pancake mix). You can also buy the squeeze bottles here if you don’t want to buy the whole kit.
If you want to make waffles, you can buy special waffle makers that come in different shapes! You can purchase ones that have a pumpkin , snowflake, gingerbread person , and even little cars !
5. Measuring Batter Accurately
The best way to measure pancake batter is using a 1/4 measuring cup. This will give you a pancake that is about 4 inches across. You can make the pancakes bigger but remember the batter will go faster so it will make fewer pancakes and it might be difficult to flip.
For waffles, you will want to follow the instructions for your waffle maker. For your standard waffle maker, 3/4 cup or until it fills the lower grid.
6. Knowing When To Flip
Keep an eye on the air pockets when you are cooking the pancakes. They will tell you when to flip! You will first see bubbles form and when they pop, if the air pockets don’t fill back up, your pancake is about to be done! The sides of the pancake will also start to form. It will take about 2 minutes (1 minute for each side) to cook.
Check out the next tip; it will show you the best way to flip the pancake!
7. Flipping Techniques
My favorite way of flipping the pancakes is using a solid Spatula like this one . As soon as the air pockets/bubbles started to form (about 1 minute), I slowly slid the spatula under the pancake, making sure it was golden brown on that side. Then you gently flip it over.
8. Creative Toppings And Mix-Ins
Maple Syrup is the most popular topping for Pancakes and Waffles and Chocolate Chips are a fan-favorite mix-in. But there are other creative toppings and mix-ins that you should try!
One of our favorite toppings for Pancakes and Waffles is ice cream! Vanilla and Rocky Road are our top faves! Adding Chocolate Syrup or Caramel Syrup will make it even better! You can also add Apple Pie or Cherry Pie Filling.
These are some fun add-ins that you can mix into your pancake mix: our favorites are Sprinkles , Nutella , and Mini M&Ms .
If you do not want overly sweet pancakes, we recommend adding Blueberries , Dried Cranberries , Walnuts , or Coconut Flakes .
If you are looking for something savory to add in, our favorites are Bacon Crumbles , Shredded Parmesan , and Mushrooms .
9. Common Mistakes To Avoid
Here are three common mistakes that can happen when you are making pancakes and how to avoid them.
- Pancakes sticking to the pan:You might need to reapply oil or cooking spray depending on how many pancakes or waffles you make. I will spray my griddle, pan, or waffle maker again after 5 to 6 of them. This will make sure they won’t stick.
- Flipping too early or too much: You should only be flipping the pancake when the air pockets form and they stay open. You should also only be flipping the pancake one time.
- Flattening your pancakes: When you are cooking your pancakes, make sure you don’t push down on them. As long as you are not cooking on low heat, the pancakes will cook throughout without you pushing them down.
10. Practice Makes Perfect
Don’t be worried if you don’t make perfect pancakes every single time! Practice always makes perfect! Depending on how big your batch is, you can practice a lot!
