If you’re like me, you’ve searched tirelessly for the perfect pancake recipe time and time again. I can tell you I’ve tried numerous different recipes, but for some reason my pancakes never came out as fluffy as I wanted them to. They tasted alright, but they just didn’t have that “IHOP thickness" as I like to call it. Luckily, I was blessed with a guardian pancake angel in the form of my mom-in-law. She taught me the secret to getting fluffy pancakes every time and now I’d love to share it with all of you.

SOME OF THE BASICS (BEFORE THE ULTIMATE SECRET):

1. MIX THE DRY AND WET INGREDIENTS IN SEPARATE BOWLS FIRST. Then pour the wet ingredients into the dry. This helps ensure even distribution of all ingredients and prevents over-mixing (which is my next point).

2. DO NOT OVER MIX. I cannot emphasize this enough. I can’t tell you how many pancakes I’ve ruined by simply mixing a little too long. The batter will get too doughy and the pancakes won’t cook evenly. Now I’ve learned to use a hand mixer on low for about 5-10 seconds only. Just enough for all the ingredients to blend well together. Lumps are okay.

3. ALWAYS USE FRESH BAKING POWDER. By this I mean, if it’s been in your cupboard OPENED for over 6 months to a year, it won’t be as effective in your recipes. Therefore, its main job of making your pancakes rise will be a moot point. Sure it might help a little, but it won’t live up to its FULL potential. And please DO NOT use expired baking powder. It won’t harm you physically but you may as well be adding water to your pancakes as it’s lost all its potency by then.

AND NOW FOR THE ULTIMATE SECRET!

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE EGGS! The number one secret to getting fluffy, thick pancakes every time is to SEPARATE the egg yolks from the egg whites. Put the egg YOLKS in the bowl with the wet ingredients like normal. And then, in a separate bowl beat the egg WHITES all by themselves for about 3 minutes on medium speed. The egg whites will turn into a thick, frothy white consistency just like the picture below.

Add the egg white mixture as your last step in preparing the batter. Which means, once you’ve mixed the wet and dry ingredients (without over-mixing of course), you will then fold in the frothy egg whites into the batter using a wooden utensil (just like the picture below). You can really see the difference in the batter versus the egg white mixture.

TIPS FOR SEPARATING EGG YOLK FROM WHITES

If you have trouble separating the egg parts, use a little trick I learned that works every time.

• Crack the egg clean in half with a knife. Just smacking it with the sharp end usually creates a pretty clean crack.

• Hold the two halves next to each other over a bowl (just like the picture below) and rock the egg yolk back and forth into each shell. Eventually, the whites will separate and remain in one shell and the yolk in the other.

• Some egg whites might drip down so make sure they drip directly into the bowl.

So there you have it! This egg white trick has been amazing for me in yielding a nice plump pancake batter that translates into the fluffiest pancakes every time! I hope you guys are able to give it a try! Please check my website for the full recipe and directions. I would love to hear everyone’s results in the comments below. 🥞 🥚 🥛 🍽

PREP TIME: 5 minutes
COOK TIME: 6 minutes
MAKES: 10 pancakes

Get the full Fluffy Pancakes recipe on my website here! 🥞 🥚 🥛 🍽

And be sure to follow me on Steemit @eyesclosedcookin