- Avoid overmixing pancake batter, which can result in chewy, flat pancakes instead of fluffy, tender ones.
- Pancake batter should be thick and slightly lumpy.
- Let batter rest 10–20 minutes before cooking for pancakes that rise higher and cook more consistently fluffy.
Pancakes are a classic breakfast food across America, made in kitchens from coast to coast with plenty of regional flair. For those who want fluffy-as-a-cloud pancakes, the goal is a nice stack that’s light and airy enough sto glide a fork through.
While nearly every household has their go-to weekend pancake recipe (or boxed mix), there are a few tried-and-true methods to make your pancakes exceptionally fluffy and consistently tender, no matter which recipe you’re making.
Try our go-to pancakes recipe and these essential tips for the fluffiest pancakes you’ve ever flipped.
How you mix matters
The most important part of making pancakes is to avoid overmixing the batter. Once you overmix, you can’t go back. If you’ve had overmixed pancake batter, you may recognize its signature flaws: Chewy, flat pancakes with too much developed gluten and not enough air pockets to help them rise.
Gently folding the dry and wet ingredients together helps prevent overmixing and results in much fluffier, tender pancakes, whether you’re making silver dollars or a full stack.
What pancake batter should actually look like
Pancake batter shouldn’t be completely smooth, but instead thick and slightly lumpy. Seeing small clumps, about the size of a pebble or smaller, means you haven’t overmixed. There shouldn’t be any dry ingredients left in the mixing bowl, and if clumps are the size of a blueberry or larger, break them up.
The batter should be thick (thicker than most cake batters), but still pourable.
How to mix pancake batter for fluffier pancakes
Even though pancakes are cooked on the stovetop, they’re still prepared like baked goods: Mix the wet and dry ingredients separately in two bowls. Once each type of ingredient is mixed together, pour the wet ingredients into the dry, then stir gently to combine.
Folding the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients should take about 10 stirs, or a few more, depending on the size of the recipe. Once there are no dry spots remaining, stop mixing.
If you’re adding mix-ins, add them to the batter with the last stir or two to easily incorporate them, or wait until you pour the pancakes into a skillet to add blueberries, chocolate chips, or other additions.
Should you let pancake batter rest?
Resting pancake batter for 10–20 minutes at room temperature before cooking is ideal. During this brief rest, the dry ingredients in the batter can better absorb the wet ingredients, which helps hydrate the flour and smooth out the batter without additional mixing.
Our best-ever pancake recipe with baking soda and baking powder is also perfect for a short rest. Once moistened, the leaveners begin producing gas, which helps the pancakes rise.
If you want to make pancake batter the night before, consider mixing just the wet and dry ingredients in separate bowls to save time, and then combining in the morning before the designated rest period.
If you prefer to make everything at once the night before making pancakes, cover and refrigerate the batter, then let it sit at room temperature briefly before cooking. Keep in mind, though, that an overnight rest can reduce the leavening power, so the pancakes may not rise quite as high.
