Perfectly Crispy Pancakes

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Call it breakfast, call it brunch, or serve them for lunch, 2nd lunch, or dinner, pancakes are always a win. They can be sweet or savory, topped with an egg or maple syrup, loaded with fruit and whipped cream, or filled with berries, chocolate chips, or scallions, they are all delicious. The best pancakes are fluffy and light, not thin and chewy. They should have a crispy ring around the edge from maybe just a tad too much butter in the pan (my 2nd quarter chef instructor would have failed me for that infraction), but that makes the perfect pancake for me.

Perfectly Crispy Pancakes
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Perfectly Crispy Pancakes

Recipe by Chef JenCourse: BreakfastCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy
Servings

6

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

30

minutes

Fluffy, crispy perfection in a pancake.

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups AP flour

  • 1 Tablespoon baking powder

  • 1 tsp kosher salt

  • 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar

  • 2 eggs

  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk, more as needed

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

  • 3 Tablespoons melted butter, plus more for cooking

Directions

  • Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. In a separate bowl combine the eggs, milk, and vanilla extract. Whisk to completely break up the egg into the milk. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry and stir until just combined. There should still be some lumps, do not mix until smooth as this will create a tough pancake. The batter should be thick, but just pourable. Fold in the melted butter and let rest for 10 minutes.
  • Preheat a cast iron pan or a griddle over medium heat for 3-4 minutes until thoroughly hot. You should be able to feel the heat radiating off the surface when you hold your hand an inch or two away. Place a Tablespoon of butter in the hot pan and heat until melted and the foam subsides. Drop about ⅓ of a cup into the center of the pan and push into a circle. Cook on the first side until golden brown, a crispy ring has developed around the edge, and bubbles are bursting all over the top, about 3-4 minutes. The pancake should be cooked ¾ of the way through on the first side. Flip over and cook for another 2-3 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. You may need to adjust your heat if the pancakes are getting too brown too quickly.
  • Continue cooking pancakes until all the batter is used, adding more butter to the pan as needed. The batter can also be refrigerated for 2-3 days.

Notes

  • Note: If you are using a pan I recommend cooking one pancake at a time for even cooking. You can preheat your oven to 175 degrees and keep the pancakes hot until they are all cooked, or serve pancakes one at a time as sleepy heads meander out of their rooms.