Simple Fluffy American Pancakes
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These fluffy American pancakes will help you take your breakfast game to the next level. They’re delicious, decadent, and perfectly soak up maple syrup every time. They’re slightly sweet, thick, and oh-so-fluffy.
I’ve paired these fluffy pancakes with streaky bacon, though you can add fruit on top for a more nutritious meal.
Table of Contents
Why make this recipe
Perhaps you’ve seen images of American pancakes on the telly and want to recreate them at home. If so, this American pancake recipe is right up your alley!
These delightful American-style pancakes are a decadent option for breakfast. The butter and whole milk add a delicious richness, complementing the streaky bacon and maple syrup topping.
As a bonus, these fluffy American pancakes work well with many breakfast sides, like some Healthy Banana Blueberry Muffins and Baked Oats with Chocolate Chips, so that you can customize the meal to your tastes. They are also a great way to impress friends and family or let your significant other know you appreciate them.
What’s the difference between pancakes and American pancakes?
Regular pancakes are on the thinner side and larger than American pancakes. You’re likely used to pancakes that resemble slightly thicker versions of crepes. In contrast, American breakfast pancakes are thick and generally much smaller.
Ingredients
Streaky Bacon
You can use standard bacon if you wish. However, streaky bacon makes this American pancakes recipe feel more American.
Plain Flour/Granulated Sugar
Plain flour works best for this recipe. Though, you can use gluten-free or whole wheat flour. If you choose an alternative, the texture and taste will likely change. For those who want even thicker pancakes, try using self-raising flour. Sugar adds a touch of sweetness to the pancakes and helps the batter stay moist.
Baking Powder and Baking Soda
Baking powder isone of the key ingredients that helps create the fluffy texture in these pancakes and the baking soda helps create bubbles in the batter, which turns into light cakes.
Whole Milk/Egg and Melted Butter
I love using whole milk for creating easy American pancakes, as it helps provide a decadent flavour and consistency. You can use nut milk if you are dairy-free or vegan. Adding an egg helps create that yummy, fluffy texture of American pancakes and the butter helps keep the pancakes moist while they cook. Margarine will also work in this pancake batter.
See the recipe card for full information on all ingredients and quantities.
Adaptations
You can make a few swaps to turn these American pancakes into a vegetarian/gluten-free breakfast option. To create a vegetarian version, use a plant-based alternative to the streaky bacon.
If you need a gluten-free alternative, use gluten-free flour instead of standard flour. Keep in mind, you’ll need to play with the liquid ingredients as gluten-free flour absorbs liquid more easily. So, you will likely need less milk for the batter.
How to make this recipe
Preheat oven to 200°C
- Start by placing the streaky bacon on a lined baking tray with a drizzle or spray of rapeseed oil. Pop in the oven, timer set to 15 minutes (Image 1).
- Then in a large mixing bowl combine the dry ingredients, including the granulated sugar, flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt (Image 2).
3. Now whisk the wet ingredients in a separate bowl, combining the egg, milk and melted butter. Slowly pour the wet into the dry. whilst whisking until a smooth consistency is achieved (Image 3).
4. Whick the mixture until a smooth consistency is achieved (Image 4).
5. Lightly coat a non-stick pan with rapeseed oil. Once the pan is hot (on a medium heat), using a large spoon (approx 2 tbsp), add the pancake batter into the pan, to make around 3 pancakes at a time (Image 5).
6. When the bottom starts to turn golden brown, flip the pancakes and cook for a further few minutes and pile into a stack (Image 6).
Serve the pancakes with a few pieces of streaky bacon. Top with a cube of salted butter and a drizzle of maple syrup.
Here are some other breakfast recipes for you to try;
- Overnight Weetabix Cheesecake with Nutella
- Healthy French Toast with Cinnamon
- Nutella Blended Baked Oats (Tiktok Inspired)
Tips to get the best result
Here are a few tips to help you create the most delicious American pancakes possible!
- Before you make your pancakes, cook the bacon first in the oven.
- Use fresh ingredients, including baking soda/powder, as it will affect the texture of the pancakes.
- Don’t over-stir your batter; it can cause the pancakes to become chewy instead of fluffy.
- Ensure the cooking surface is properly heated; otherwise, the pancakes are more likely to stick to the non-stick frying pan or skillet.
- Once you see bubbles on the surface and a golden colour around the edges, it’s time to flip the pancakes.
FAQs
There are a few reasons your American pancakes may not be fluffy, such as overmixing the batter. If this occurs, you will find the pancakes are chewy, not fluffy. Ensure you are just mixing the batter until everything is incorporated, and it should fix your pancakes.
Additionally, you may have forgotten to include baking powder or baking soda, which help create that fluffy consistency. Double check you’ve included every ingredient for the best outcome.
Keep it simple by slicing fresh berries and a banana for the pancake topping instead of including bacon. Alternatively, there are some great plant-based bacon options that you can use instead, which allows you to enjoy a bacon-like flavour with your meal.
A few swaps will help you take this recipe and make it lighter, including using lower-fat or plant-based milk. You can also use sugar-free maple syrup or no-sugar-added jam as the topping to the cooked pancakes. Of course, you can forego the generous butter topping for a healthier option, like almond butter.
You can also try this Healthy French Toast With Cinnamon recipe for a healthy alternative.
Yes, you can make this recipe vegan. Swap out the egg for a flax egg, use nut milk instead of regular milk, and include margarine or a non-dairy butter alternative, and the pancakes will be vegan. You’ll also want to forego streaky bacon for this recipe.
If you tried this American Style Pancakes with Crispy Bacon recipe it would be mean so much to me if you could leave a review & a star rating to let me know how you found it! I love hearing about your experiences – it motivates me to keep creating more and more recipes for you guys 💛 Let’s get cooking! – Mimi x
Simple Fluffy American Pancakes
Ingredients
- 300 g streaky bacon to top (£1.90)
- 300 g plain flour (£0.45)
- 400 ml whole milk (£0.55)
- 1 egg (£0.75/6)=(£0.13)
- 2 tbsp melted butter (£1.80/6)=(£0.30)
Cupboard Essentials
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- Pinch of salt
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 5 tbsp maple syrup
Method
Preheat oven to 200°C
- Place the streaky bacon on a lined baking tray with a drizzle/ spray of rapeseed oil. Pop in the oven, timer set to 15 minutes.
- Start by combining the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. That’s the granulated sugar, flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
- Whisk the wet ingredients in a separate bowl, combining the egg, milk and melted butter. Slowly pour the wet into the dry whilst whisking until a roughly smooth consistency is achieved.
- Lightly coat a non-stick pan with rapeseed oil. Using a large spoon (approx 2 tbsp), add the pancake batter into the pan, around 3 pancakes at a time, on a medium heat. When the bottom starts to turn golden brown, flip the pancakes and cook for a further few minutes.
- Stack the pancakes and serve with a few pieces of streaky bacon. Top with a cube of salted butter and a generous glug (? lol) of maple syrup. Delicious!
Notes
- Cook the bacon in the oven before making pancakes for a tasty addition to your breakfast.
- Use fresh ingredients, including baking soda/powder, to achieve the desired texture of fluffy pancakes.
- Avoid over-stirring the batter to prevent chewy pancakes, and ensure the cooking surface is properly heated to prevent sticking. Flip the pancakes when bubbles form and the edges turn golden.
Nutrition
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