SIMPLE FLUFFY PANCAKES FROM SCRATCH

I want Eleanor (baby girl) to have some family traditions that sort of steer her through childhood. My mind, of course, immediately went to food. Meatloaf on Fridays or pancakes every Sunday or lasagna the first week of the month. Josh, of course, was like – “or we could go on a family walk on Saturday mornings.” Leave it to Dad to think of something healthy.

We’re considering this walk idea, but in the meantime, pancakes are at the top of my list – and these are my favorite. They’re a cinch to make, super fluffy and cook up into that quintessential golden color that all pancakes aspire to have. When I’m feeling fancy, I like to add almond extract, dark chocolate chips and chopped nuts.

These are also really awesome popped in the toaster throughout the week – super easy grab-and-go breakfast as you’re running out the door.

I like to think of them as heart healthy – but in the metaphorical sense. Maybe heart-warming is a more appropriate description? At any rate, this is my go-to recipe.

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EASY FLUFFY PANCAKES FROM SCRATCH

Makes 12 medium pancakes.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp almond extract optional
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips optional
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts optional

Instructions

1. In large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar. Stir with whisk until evenly mixed.

2. In same bowl, add in egg, vegetable oil, milk, vanilla extract and almond extract. Stir with whisk until lumps are removed.

3. Fold in dark chocolate chips and chopped nuts (if using).
   

4. Drop in spoonfuls onto non-greased pan. If you don’t spread the batter out, they’ll fluff up really nicely. I like mine a little flatter though, so I’ll usually swirl the spoon around a bit to spread the batter out.
   

5. Flip when you can see bubbles on top and the batter a bit drier around the edges.
   

Recipe Notes

I always cook pancakes on my electric griddle, as I find they cook more evenly that way and are easier to flip than when I put them in a frying pan.