Fluffy American Pancakes with Maple Syrup Recipe
Thick, soft little cakes that Americans eat for weekend breakfast, often stacked so high you can barely see the plate. Served with butter and maple syrup, they’re somewhere between a dessert and a breakfast, which is why kids love them and adults pretend it’s a “hearty start to the day.” Compared to Polish crêpes they’re much thicker and more like small sponge cakes.
Fluffy American pancakes are the essence of a weekend breakfast straight from a US diner – tall stacks of little cakes that are more like small sponge cakes than Polish crêpes. Their secret lies in a well-aerated batter with baking powder and a buttery note that pairs perfectly with thick maple syrup. It’s a breakfast that borders on dessert, which is why it so easily turns an ordinary Sunday into a small celebration.
Chef's tips
Don’t mix the batter for too long – stop as soon as the flour disappears, even if there are small lumps; that way the pancakes will be soft and tall. Heat the pan well, but fry over medium rather than maximum heat, otherwise they’ll be raw inside and burnt outside. Treat the first batch as a test: if bubbles appear on the surface very quickly and the edges brown right away, lower the temperature.
How to serve
Serve the pancakes in tall stacks, drizzled with maple syrup and sprinkled with berries – a combination that always impresses guests at a late, lazy brunch. Adults will happily eat them with black coffee, and kids with a mug of milk or cocoa. For a “loaded” version, add banana slices sautéed in butter or some bacon for a sweet-and-salty contrast in the style of American motel breakfasts by the highway.
Ingredients
- wheat flour - 200 g
- baking powder - 2 teaspoons
- sugar - 2 tablespoons
- salt - 0.25 teaspoons
- milk - 250 ml
- egg at room temperature - 1 piece
- butter melted, slightly cooled - 40 g
- maple syrup for serving; you can add more to taste - 80 ml
- butter for frying, can be replaced with oil - 10 g
- berry fruits e.g. blueberries, raspberries or strawberries, for serving - 100 g
Preparation
- Put the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt into a bowl. Stir with a spoon so the ingredients combine well.
- In a second bowl, beat the egg with the milk using a fork or whisk until smooth. Add the melted, slightly cooled butter and mix again.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones and gently mix with a spoon or whisk just until combined. If there are small lumps, that’s fine – don’t overmix or the pancakes will turn out tough.
- Set the batter aside for 5 minutes so the baking powder can start working and the mixture thickens slightly.
- Heat a pan over medium heat. Lightly grease it with butter or oil. Wait until it is clearly hot but not smoking.
- Spoon the batter onto the pan, forming pancakes about 8–10 cm in diameter. Fry for 2–3 minutes, until lots of small bubbles appear on the surface and the edges start to set.
- Flip the pancakes and fry for another 1.5–2 minutes, until golden. If they brown too quickly, reduce the heat.
- Place the cooked pancakes on a plate and cover with a cloth so they don’t cool down too quickly.
- Serve in stacks of 3–4 pancakes per person, generously drizzled with maple syrup and topped with fresh fruit.
Storage
Usmażone pancakes przechowuj w lodówce w zamkniętym pojemniku do 2 dni. Możesz je też zamrozić w pojedynczej warstwie, a potem przełożyć do woreczka – odgrzewaj na suchej patelni lub w tosterze.
