Pancakes are not only popular breakfast items, but are also out of the way dinner delights, that both children and adults love! Pancakes usually involve baking powder in them. The baking powder is what gives pancakes their fluffy texture. However, it is possible to prepare pancakes without baking powder. Let’s find out how.
Did You Know?
In ancient times, way before baking powder was introduced, a cup of fresh snow was regularly used for making soft and fluffy pancakes!
Pancakes have been and are one of the most popular breakfast items in the United States. Kids and adults alike love the sight of freshly prepared pancakes, stacked one above the other, with golden maple syrup being drizzled over it. Some prefer it with fruit and whipped cream, others with chocolate syrup. Irrespective of the flavor and size, pancakes are part of the traditional American breakfast.
After all, they are quick, less tiresome, and scrumptious — all at the same time. But, what do you do when you are out of baking powder on a Sunday morning! Well, it is definitely possible to make pancakes without baking powder; however, because baking powder plays such an important role in adding fluffiness to the pancakes, lack of it will not yield very fluffy pancakes. Baking powder substitutes cannot replace baking powder completely; nevertheless, here are some ways to make pancakes without baking powder.
Simple Pancakes
These simple pancakes are prepared without baking powder or baking soda, which is why they don’t rise much. Nevertheless, they are good pancakes.
Ingredients
✦ 1 egg
✦ 1 cup cake flour
✦ ¼ cup milk
✦ 1 tbsp. sugar
✦ 1 tbsp. melted butter
✦ 1 tsp. vanilla extract
✦ Pinch of salt
Preparation Procedure
☞ In a mixing bowl, add the egg, sugar, and salt. Whisk well with an electric beater. Since there is no baking powder, we are depending on the beating process to incorporate air and add fluffiness to the pancakes.
☞ Add vanilla extract and milk to the beaten mixture and whisk again.
☞ Sift the flour and add it gradually to the beaten mixture. Add the melted butter and fold gently.
☞ If you think the batter is too thick, add some more milk, till the desired consistency is achieved. However, remember, the thicker the batter, the fluffier the pancakes.
☞ On a hot, greased griddle pour a ladle full of batter and flip it when bubbles appear.
☞ Allow the other side to brown and serve with a large cube of butter, topped with fresh strawberries, blueberries, and maple syrup.
Banana Pancakes
When you are out of baking powder, using baking soda is a good idea because baking powder is nothing but baking soda, along with an acidic ingredient, like cream of tartar. These pancakes will rise due to the carbon dioxide released by the baking soda.
Ingredients
✦ 1 egg
✦ 1 cup all-purpose flour
✦ 1 cup buttermilk/milk
✦ ¾ tbsp. melted butter
✦ ½ tbsp. sugar
✦ ¾ tsp. baking soda
✦ ¼ tsp. salt
✦ Banana slices (¼ inch)
Preparation Procedure
☞ Combine the dry ingredients together, such as the flour, baking soda, sugar, and salt.
☞ Beat the eggs until light, and add milk to it. Whisk till it combines.
☞ Pour the wet ingredients into a well in the center of the dry ingredients.
☞ Mix till the flour just combines.
☞ Pour the batter on a hot, greased griddle, and place a few banana slices on top of each pancake.
☞ Flip when the surface is no longer wet. The banana slices will caramelize well. Wait for the bottom to become golden brown and drizzle with hot chocolate sauce.
Cornmeal Pancakes
For those of you who do not wish to consume a lot of all-purpose flour, here is a healthier pancake version with cornmeal.
Ingredients
✦ 1½ cup fine cornmeal
✦ 1½ cup boiling water
✦ ¾ cup milk
✦ 1 tsp. vanilla extract
✦ 1 tsp. salt
Preparation Procedure
☞ Into a mixing bowl, add the cornmeal and salt. Sift the flour and salt mixture and then add hot boiling water to it. Mix with a spatula to dissolve the lumps.
☞ After ten minutes, pour in the milk. Pour milk gradually, so that the pancake batter is not too thick or too thin, for your liking. Add the vanilla extract and mix.
☞ Pour a ladle full of pancake batter onto a hot, greased griddle and flip once the top develops bubbles.
☞ Once the other side is also golden brown, your cornmeal pancakes without baking powder are ready.
☞ Top the pancakes with some butter and maple syrup, and serve with lovely, crisp bacon.
Blueberry Pancakes
Again, because this recipe has no baking soda in it, the pancakes are not very fluffy. The vanilla yogurt added, helps a little. Nevertheless, they are tasty, so give it a shot!
Ingredients
✦ 2 eggs
✦ 2 cups milk
✦ 2 cups all-purpose flour
✦ 1 cup frozen blueberries
✦ 1 cup vanilla yogurt
✦ ¼ cup sugar
✦ ¼ cup oil
✦ 1 tsp. salt
Preparation Procedure
☞ In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Your dry ingredients are ready.
☞ In another bowl, whisk the egg, yogurt, milk, and oil together. Your wet ingredients are ready.
☞ Now pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and gently combine till the flour just gets incorporated.
☞ Over-mixing should be avoided. Pancake batter with a few lumps is ideal.
☞ Spoon a ladle full of batter onto a hot, greased griddle and sprinkle some crushed blueberries on top of it.
☞ Flip the pancakes once the top is bubbly. Allow the other side to brown and your blueberries pancakes without baking powder are ready. Serve with whipped cream, or maple syrup.
Chocolate Chip Pancakes
This recipe involves the addition of active dry yeast, which acts as the leavening agent. Because of the presence of yeast and baking soda, the pancakes turn out light and fluffy, even though the pancakes lack baking powder.
Ingredients
✦ 1 egg
✦ 1 cup flour
✦ ¾ cup milk
✦ ¼ cup chocolate chips
✦ 2 tbsp. water
✦ 2 tbsp. melted butter
✦ 1 tbsp. sugar
✦ 1 tbsp. cocoa powder
✦ 1¼ tsp. active dry yeast
✦ ½ tsp. baking soda
✦ Pinch of salt
Preparation Procedure
☞ Take half cup of flour, 1 tbsp. sugar, and yeast in a bowl, and whisk gently together. Warm the milk and water and pour it into the flour mixture. Mix till all ingredients are incorporated well. Cover this mixture with cling film and allow the mixture to rise for an hour.
☞While the yeast mixture rises, you can begin whisking the egg. Once the egg is lightly beaten, add the melted butter and whisk again.
☞ Dust the chocolate chips with some flour and set aside. This is done to prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the pancake.
☞ Next, we have to prepare our other bowl of dry ingredients for which you will have to add the other half cup of the flour, 1 tbsp. sugar, 1 tbsp. cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine all ingredients.
☞ To prepare the pancakes, heat the griddle and to check if it’s ready, splash a few drops of water. If it evaporates, it’s ready.
☞ Now, mix the yeast mixture and add the egg and butter mixture to it, whisking all along.
☞ Next, add the dry ingredient mixture little at a time, such that the dry ingredients just get incorporated.
☞ Some lumps are welcome as they make the pancakes fluffier. Add some chocolate chips into the batter.
☞ Pour a ladle full of batter onto the greased hot griddle, and sprinkle some chocolate chips onto the pancakes.
☞ Once the pancake gets bubbly on the top, flip and allow it brown on the other side as well. Your chocolate chip pancakes without baking powder is ready!
German Pancakes
Unlike the traditional pancake, which is prepared on the stove, these pancakes are baked. Moreover, they are also free from baking powder. These pancakes are best made in cast iron pans, however, you can also prepare them in regular cake pans.
Ingredients
✦ 3 large eggs
✦ 1 cup all-purpose flour (sifted)
✦ 1 cup milk
✦ 3 tbsp. sugar
✦ 2 tbsp. unsalted melted butter
✦ ½ tsp. salt
Preparation Procedure
☞ Preheat the oven to 400° F.
☞ In a bowl, whisk the eggs with a hand whisker or electric mixer, until the yolk and egg white have blended well, and slightly frothy.
☞ Into this beaten egg mixture, add the butter, milk (warm), sugar, flour, salt and vanilla extract. Whisk well until the flour is thoroughly combined.
☞ Pour the pancake batter into a greased cake pan, and place it in the preheated oven.
☞ Change the oven temperature to 350° F and bake for 15 minutes.
☞ The pancake will be nice and fluffy and can be served with blueberry sauce/fresh strawberry jam/sprinkled confectioner’s sugar.
Sour Cream Pancakes
If you like the tangy flavor that sour cream imparts, you are sure to enjoy these pancakes.
Ingredients
✦ 2 eggs
✦ 2 cups all-purpose flour
✦ 1 cup sour cream
✦ 1 cup milk
✦ ¼ cup melted butter
✦ 2 tbsp. sugar
✦ 2 tsp. baking soda
✦ 1 tsp. salt
Preparation Procedure
☞ Combine the dry ingredients together, such as the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
☞ Next, combine the wet ingredient together, such as melted butter, sour cream, milk, and eggs.
☞ Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and combine till the flour is just incorporated.
☞ Pour a ladle full of pancake batter on a hot, greased griddle and wait till bubbles appear on the surface.
☞ Flip when the bubbles appear, and wait for the bottom to brown.
☞ Your sour cream pancakes are ready! Serve with maple syrup and dollop of butter.
These recipes should give you a fair idea of how to make pancakes without using baking powder. If you are making pancakes for the first time and are disappointed with the result, try to mask it by serving it along with fresh strawberries and vanilla ice cream. Another option is to add a pinch of powdered cinnamon to the batter, and serve the pancakes with caramelized apple slices and thick double cream.