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A blue plate topped with three light and fluffy pancakes, maple syrup, and cooked bacon.
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5 / 6 votes

Light and Fluffy Pancakes

The secret to these light and fluffy pancakes from Clinton Street Bakery are whipped egg whites--plus plenty of melted butter--folded into the batter. These pancakes, along with our maple espresso bacon, are your breakfast dream team.
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Servings: 20 (3-inch) pancakes
Calories: 229

Ingredients

  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 6 large eggs, separated
  • 3 cups whole milk
  • 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 teaspoons unsalted butter, unmelted for the griddle and lots more for serving
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Maple syrup, for serving
US - Metric

Instructions

  • Measure the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt into a large bowl.
  • In another bowl, whisk together the yolks, milk, melted butter, and vanilla until combined. Slowly whisk the wet mixture into the dry mixture just until combined. The resulting should be slightly lumpy yet still combined.
  • Whip the egg whites by hand with a whisk or in the bowl of an electric mixer until they reach medium peaks. You can whip them by hand with a whisk or place them in the bowl of an electric mixer. (Peaks are “soft” when you put your finger in the whites and they fall over. Peaks are “medium” when you put your finger in and they drip over a bit and stand up. “Stiff” peaks develop when you whip the whites longer and they stay up.) You don’t want to overwhip the egg whites.
  • Gently fold half of the whipped whites into the batter with a large rubber spatula. Then gently fold the remaining whites into the batter. Remember, this batter should be slightly lumpy and have large parts of egg whites not fully incorporated and should look like whitecaps in the ocean with foam on top. (The batter will last a few hours in the fridge without deflating too much.)
  • Heat a griddle — either an electric griddle, a stovetop griddle, or a big flat skillet — over medium to medium-low heat. Grease the hot surface with a teaspoon or so of the remaining butter. (A common mistake many cooks make is they don’t heat the griddle enough, which is why the first pancake is usually a dud. Make sure the griddle is very hot, then put the butter on. Use just enough so that the pancake doesn’t stick. Either a teaspoon or a tablespoon is fine.) Drop 1/4 cup of pancake batter on the griddle. Now let it set. When you see bubbles start to form on top, lift the pancake halfway up to see if it’s golden brown and crisp at the edges. If it is, flip the pancake and cook until golden brown on both sides. Remove to a plate with a spatula.
  • Repeat with the remaining batter and filling, adding more butter to the griddle as needed and cooking several pancakes at a time. Serve immediately with ample butter and maple syrup.

Notes

Light And Fluffy Pancakes Variation

If desired, you can sprinkle 1 tablespoon fresh or frozen blueberries or a couple slices banana and 1 teaspoon chopped walnuts onto the pancakes before turning them. Never add the fruit to the batter; always add the fruit to the pancakes once they’re on the griddle. Garnish with confectioners’ sugar for the blueberry pancakes, cinnamon sugar for the banana-walnut.

Nutrition

Serving: 1pancake | Calories: 229kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 79mg | Sodium: 155mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g