There's something just terribly comforting about a stack of warm, fluffy pancakes. Topped with syrup, fresh berries, or whipped cream, they make for a breakfast classic that brings a host of smiles to many. And while anyone who has ever tried making them knows, the art of achieving that light, airy texture is no easy task. Many things can make or break your pancakes from how you mix them to what you use to do it. While it's very tempting to unleash your creativity with add ins or even simple substitutions, some ingredients do more harm than good when added directly to the batter.
If you have ever enjoyed extremely flat or dense pancakes, the culprit might just be something you thought would make the flavour or texture better. Here's a look at ingredients you should avoid adding to pancake batter so you can nail it every time, without any unwanted surprises.
Baking Soda Only
Many recipes call for baking powder, which contains both an acid and a base element to create those necessary bubbles. However, placing baking soda alone into a recipe can result in a metallic or soapy taste. Because of a lack of an acidic ingredient like buttermilk to activate it, baking soda will not provide the lift a pancake needs and can also render pancakes flat or heavy. You'll have to have an acid with it like lemon juice or buttermilk to counteract, but baking powder is the safer choice in general.
Too Much Sugar
While a little sugar can add flavour to pancake batter, too much causes pancakes to burn easily and not cook evenly. Sugar caramelises very fast, so your pancakes may start looking dark brown even before they have cooked properly through, leading to crunchy outsides but raw insides. To achieve more sweetness, you can consider using some syrups or a dusting of powdered sugar after baking rather than overloading the batter itself.
Strong Spices like Cinnamon or Nutmeg
While this might sound like a good ideal, incorporating direct warming spices into the batter-too much can overpower the delicate flavour and make the pancakes taste more like a cake than the breakfast classic they are. Cinnamon, nutmeg, or cloves can make pancakes taste "muddy" or even bitter if added to excess. Add just a dusting or a small pinch over the top, after baking, if you want a hint of spice and are not looking for strong overtones of warm spices.
More Oil-Based Ingredients than Butter or Coconut Oil
When melted butter or oil is used in small doses, it keeps the pancakes moist but using more than just a little ruins the batter consistency. Oil-rich batters become soggy pancakes that produce greasiness rather than fluff. Butter or coconut oil in excess causes the batter to be unable to absorb and cook uniformly, making it heavy and greasy. Just a tiny 1 or 2 tablespoons for great results and remember non-stick pans require very little or no added fat.
Fresh Fruit in the Batter
Adding fresh fruits such as strawberry or blueberry directly into the pancake batter seems like a great idea, but it can mess with the cook. Fresh fruits contain much water; therefore, the pancakes are soggy or even undercooked around the fruits inside. Moreover, it is difficult to achieve a uniform cook on both sides of the pancake because excess moisture causes nonuniform browning. Instead, try making the pancakes plain and topping them with fruit or lightly pressing the fruit onto the pancake when the batter is on the pan.
Too Much Yoghurt or Milk Alternatives
All sorts of milk alternatives, almond milk, coconut milk, or even yoghurt, can dramatically change the texture and taste of your pancakes if taken to excess. These substitutes contain less protein and fewer calories compared to plain milk. Pancakes will not be as fluffy but instead become denser in yoghurt. Adding yoghurt adds a tang that fights with other flavours in the batter. If you don't consume dairy, substitute it one-on-one with your milk alternative; do not add too much as this will overpower the structure of the batter.
Egg Replacers High in Starch
Eggs help bind and leaven the pancake. But sometimes, using starch-based egg replacers, like mashed banana or ground flaxseed will make the pancakes work. But, of course, they'd then become gummy and dense. A secondary flavour, in this case, mashed banana, clashes with the traditional pancake taste. If you need to use an egg substitute, aquafaba (chickpea liquid) can be used as well as commercial egg replacers in baking.