Fluffy Paleo Banana Pancakes Recipe With Almond Flour | Wicked Spatula (2024)

FAQs

What is the key to making fluffy pancakes? ›

Whether you are making your own batter or using a pancake mix, the the secret to fluffier pancakes rests in air pockets. Yes—air pockets. Air pockets make the difference between a pancake and crepe, which means it's crucial that you get the perfect amount of bubbles in your batter to form a fluffy pancake.

Pancakes and waffles typically both contain baking soda, which causes them to rise. As soon as the baking soda is combined with the wet ingredients (which contain an acidic ingredient, like often buttermilk), it starts producing carbon dioxide gas bubbles that cause the batter to rise.

Be sure to mash the bananas until no large chunks remain. This will help your pancake batter become smooth. Mix the wet and dry ingredients separately. Mix the wet and dry ingredients separately and then together to make sure all the ingredients are combined properly.

If your 3-ingredient banana pancakes are mushy inside, it probably means the cooking temperature isn't right. Standard pancakes only have a small amount of sugar, but the natural sugar in the banana tends to brown the pancakes quite quickly so you need to cook on a lower temperature.

Top tips for fluffy pancakes

Don't be tempted to add more than the recipe suggests, as too much baking powder will make pancakes taste soapy. Alternatively, you could use self-raising flour, which will add to the amount of raising agent in the recipe and potentially make your pancakes fluffier.

Flour is the main ingredient to any pancake. It provides the structure. Different types of flours alter the structure because some flours absorb more moisture or create more gluten (which binds the structure together) than others.

Baking soda is essential for baked goods, but baking powder is really what makes pancakes and biscuits rise and become so super fluffy. Double-acting baking powder, which is the kind that you'll find in the grocery store, produces bubbles in two ways: when it is mixed with wet ingredients and then when it gets heated.

Gluten, which is found in flour, keeps pancakes from falling apart. Gluten, a type of protein, forms a “spiderweb” within baked goods, giving them structure. As the starches gelatinize, and turn from a batter to bread, the gluten strands hold them in place.

I had never made banana pancakes with overripe bananas. I usually make them with slices of firm, slightly green bananas because that is how I like to eat fresh bananas. As it turned out, the overripe bananas are way better for pancakes. I also wanted to try a pancake technique that a friend of mine swears by.

Avoid High Heat

Mortillaro explains that high heat results in uneven cooking as it burns the outside while leaving the inside batter raw. "This is because the high heat does not allow enough time for the heat from the pan and oil to penetrate to the center of the pancake," she says.

Why are my homemade pancakes not fluffy? ›

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. Use gluten-free pancake mix or a low protein biscuit flour instead of “all purpose” flour.

Cook until the center of the pancake puffs up and each side is golden brown, about 1 or 2 more minutes. Repeat with the remaining batter, lowering the heat as needed. (Pancakes tend to cook faster as you go, so lowering the heat later will prevent burning.)

Making good pancakes depends on three key factors: mixing the batter to the right consistency, heating the griddle properly and recognizing when to turn the cakes. Whether making pancake batter from scratch or from a packaged mix, stir it just enough to moisten the dry ingredients.

The first is that the batter is a bit runny. Add a little more flour (or mix) to make a thicker batter, and see if that fluffs up the pancakes. The other reason I can think of is that the leavening is either past its prime, or not getting enough time to work before cooking.

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. Use gluten-free pancake mix or a low protein biscuit flour instead of “all purpose” flour.