Flying Pancakes

My family started calling them flying pancakes after my then 3-year-old niece referred to them as flying pancakes after she first had them. I guess that is what they looked like to her…

You see, when I cook pancakes, I start out by stacking them in neat piles. Once I have a couple of batches made I have everyone start eating. Well, this means that before I know it, the plate in the middle of the table is empty, hungry kids are calling out for more, and I am racing to keep up. So instead of neatly stacking the remaining pancakes, I bring the remaining batches of finished pancakes over directly in the silver dollar skillet. I hold it over the plate in the middle of the table and just tip it upside down. Most of them make it onto the plate. Some don’t. Flying pancakes!

This is it. The basic recipe for the pancakes I make again and again. (If you follow me on Instagram you have probably seen several pictures of pancakes. And that is me holding back so you don’t think all we eat is pancakes—we do eat a lot of them!)

Nutrition Notes

It’s a wonderfully versatile recipe that can be adjusted to your liking. Play around with the grains—we often use spelt or oat flour for half of the wheat flour. When I say “wheat,” I am referring to white whole wheat flour; it’s one of those grains that you should keep on hand because you can use it in virtually any recipe that calls for flour. And while it’s a type of whole wheat flour, its taste and texture are more like white flour.

I usually make this with plain kefir, but buttermilk or any other cultured milk will do as well. Using cultured milk helps to make these pancakes fluffy and gives them a distinct taste. It also makes them virtually lactose-free and therefore, easier to digest for many of us.

Typically I make it with 3 eggs, but 2 or 4 eggs work well too. Adjust it to your family’s needs (my kids don’t love plain eggs, so upping the eggs in pancakes or waffles is one way to get some more of the egg’s nutrition into them).

As for the fat, I mix it up. I usually add organic canola, grapeseed, or melted coconut oil to the batter. Then I grease the pancake skillet with butter or coconut oil. That brings me to the skillet. I almost always make these on my silver dollar pancake skillet. It’s meant for Swedish pancakes (we make a lot of those too), but it works really well for American pancakes too. It keeps them evenly sized and gives a cute presentation that is loved by kids and adults alike.

I have tried to make this recipe without any sugar and it leaves something missing. Fortunately, all that is needed to bring out the full flavor of the pancakes is 1-2 tablespoons.

Make this recipe a few times and you will have it memorized. I keep all my dry pancake ingredients together so it’s easy to pull them out and start mixing them even if I’m not yet fully caffeinated! I also throw leftovers into a plastic freezer bag and take them out as needed for quick breakfasts for the kids.