Food & Cooking Recipes Breakfast & Brunch Recipes Pancake Recipes The Fluffiest Pancakes Be the first to rate & review! These light and tender hotcakes are a breakfast favorite. By Martha Stewart Martha Stewart Martha Stewart is a bestselling author, entrepreneur, and lifestyle expert who has taught millions of people through generations the joy of entertaining, cooking, gardening, collecting, crafting, and home renovating via her eponymous magazine, Martha Stewart Living, Emmy-winning television shows, and 99 books (and counting). Based in Katonah, N.Y., where she helms her 156-acre Bedford Farm, Martha is America's first self-made female billionaire. Editorial Guidelines Published on June 13, 2024 Rate PRINT Share Prep Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 20 mins Total Time: 35 mins Servings: 4 Yield: 10 pancakes This recipe for fluffy pancakes is a favorite. It looks to an unusual ingredient for lightness and height: beaten egg whites. Working in tandem with baking powder and buttermilk, they result in pancakes that are light and fluffy and don’t deflate while cooking. To make them, you’ll whisk together your dry ingredients, then gently stir in the wet ingredients, mixing just until incorporated (over-mixing can lead to flat, tough pancakes). Finally, gently work in the egg whites—folding, not stirring—to keep the batter as airy as possible. Serve them with butter and syrup and don’t be surprised if guests go for seconds. 14 Breakfast Recipes That Will Change Your Life—or Your Morning Routine 3 Tips for Making Fluffy Pancakes It's all in the details when it comes to whipping up the fluffiest pancakes ever. Check Your Baking Powder: Expired baking powder will result in flat, floppy pancakes. Check the date on your container or test its freshness by combining a small spoonful with warm water. If it fizzes, your baking powder is still good, but if nothing happens, it's time to toss it. Use Room Temperature Ingredients: Before combining your wet ingredients, make sure your eggs and buttermilk are at room temperature. This will help ensure they bond with the other ingredients easily, resulting in a homogenous batter and better textured pancakes. Don't Over-Mix: The more you mix your batter, the more gluten you're developing. This is OK if you're looking for a chewy pizza crust but not what you want when it comes to pancakes. After combining the wet and dry ingredients, mix them just until moistened and don't worry if some lumps remain. Buttermilk SubstituteIf you don't have buttermilk in the refrigerator, you can make a quick version. To make the correct amount of buttermilk needed for this recipe: Combine 1 1/2 cups milk with 3 tablespoons lemon juice or vinegar (use a mild, neutral tasting vinegar like distilled white or white-wine). Stir it together and let it stand for just a few minutes to thicken before using. Ingredients 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour 3 ½ tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon baking powder ½ teaspoon coarse salt 1 ½ cups buttermilk 2 large eggs, room temperature 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted, plus more, softened, for cooking and serving 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for cooking 3 large egg whites, room temperature, beaten to stiff peaks Pure maple syrup, for serving Directions Whisk dry ingredients: Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl; set aside. Whisk wet ingredients (except egg whites): Whisk together buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, melted butter, and vegetable oil in a glass measuring cup. Combine wet and dry ingredients; fold in egg whites: Whisk buttermilk mixture into flour mixture until just moistened (do not overmix; a few small lumps are fine). Gently fold in egg whites. Heat griddle; add batter and cook: Heat a griddle or large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Use 1/2 teaspoon butter and 2 teaspoons oil to coat. For each pancake, ladle 1/3 cup batter 2 inches apart. Cook until bubbles form and pancakes are slightly dry around edges, about 3 minutes. Flip pancakes; repeat with remaining batter: Flip; cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes more. Repeat with remaining batter, adding butter and oil as needed. Serve with butter and syrup, if desired. Storing and Reheating Cooked pancakes can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to one week or frozen for up to one month. If freezing, separate each pancake with a piece of parchment or wax paper to keep them from sticking to one another; this will also make it easier to remove them individually when you're ready to reheat. Reheating To reheat pancakes, microwave them for 15 to 30 seconds or bake them in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for 10 minutes. More Pancake Recipes to Try: Skillet Pancake for Two Buckwheat Pancakes Easy Basic Pancakes Almond Flour Pancakes Ricotta-Cornmeal Pancakes Rate It PRINT Updated by Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds is an experienced recipe developer, recipe tester, food editor, and freelance writer with over a decade of experience in the food and media industries.