Pancake Day Recipes

Top tips for perfect pancakes

Whether you're whipping up a breakfast treat or getting ready for pancake day, here are some top tips from Food Network to make your pancakes perfect!

1. Prepare your dry ingredients
Whether your recipe only calls for flour, or if you're adding any salt or spices, always start by sieving and whisking together the dry ingredients first. This will help make the pancakes lighter and fluffier...yum!

2. Lumps are OK!
So don't panic! Once you have whisked your dry ingredients together, add in the wet ingredients but only until they are just combined. Don’t worry about those lumps — as long as the powdery dry ingredients are thoroughly mixed in, you’re done. Fruit add-ins can be folded into the batter or dotted in manually once your batter circles have spread (chocolate chips need to be added this way).

3. Add melted butter to the batter
People often serve their pancakes with butter, but whisking in melted butter to the batter will enrich the flavour and keep pancakes moist.

4. Make sure you use the right pan
A nonstick pan is great to make sure you can flip those pancakes, but a cast-iron skillet is a nearly universal favourite at Food Network, because of its even heating and superior heat-retaining capabilities — and for that old-fashioned griddle flavour it contributes.

5. Timing is everything
Don’t jump the gun! If you add your batter to a pan that isn't ready, your pancakes will be pale, flabby and greasy. Test the readiness of the pan by wetting your hand slightly and then flicking a few water droplets at the skillet. When the water droplets sizzle and dance across the surface, it’s time to add your batter.

6. Cook and serve
Your pancakes should only take 30 seconds to a minute to cook, then they’re ready to eat. You should serve and eat immediately for the best results...then go back and make more!