Serving pancakes to mom on Mother’s Day has to be one of the most universally embraced American holiday traditions. There are a few reasons for this. Both adults and children love them, and they’re easy to make. I enjoy pancakes because there are so many types: tall stacks that are fluffy and nearly cake-like; flatter, super tender, moist, and buttery; or diner pancakes that sit somewhere in the middle. You can make them from all-purpose flour or add other grains like cornmeal or buckwheat. They can be silver dollar size (my childhood preference) or a single baked pancake.
Buttermilk pancakes are probably the most popular with their tender crumb and slight tang that pairs so well with sweet syrups. Because pancakes are made from so few pantry ingredients, it’s important to dial in the measurements so your ratios are correct for the result you want. And little techniques make big differences. For example, you can take a buttermilk pancake recipe and change it completely into mega tall, fluffy pancakes simply by adding an egg and beating the whites. The additional air beaten into the whites, which are then folded into the batter, creates a pancake double the thickness with more fluffy crumb. If you want them really tall, use English muffin rings to create height. King Arthur has a wonderful tutorial on this technique. I’m partial to Swedish pancakes. They are thin like crèpés, but softer and more delicate. I love how eggy and buttery they are. And given my love of the soft, fresh cheese, Little Dom’s blueberry ricotta pancakes have a big following too. The cheese adds a hit of protein and a welcome creaminess. But one of my all-time favorite versions is Friends and Family’s Roxana Jullapat’s baked buckwheat pancake from her book Mother Grains. She takes the cake part of the name literally and starts the pancake on the stovetop, then finishes it in the oven. It’s tall and fluffy with a lot of texture from the exterior and extra flavor from the bit of buckwheat flour in the batter.
Blueberry ricotta pancakes take things up a notch. Photo credit: Shutterstock.
If you want to make pancakes with small children but don’t like a lot of mess, why not streamline the operation with a mix? There is no shame in that. While there are innumerable mixes in every supermarket, King Arthur has mixes for buttermilk pancakes, diner style, gluten-free, and keto. Their buttermilk mix is consistently rated No. 1, only requires the addition of water, and is available at most local grocery stores. Add some berries and real maple syrup or a compote of fresh blueberries, and you’re golden.