How to Make Pancake Batter Thicker

how to make pancake batter thicker

There’s nothing like waking up bright and early and cooking a delicious stack of pancakes. An iconic breakfast food so delicious, it’s the reason why we started Morsel in the first place. As a way to honor this classic breakfast dish, we decided we’d start answering the most common question out there, for all of our fellow pancake lovers. We found that one of the most pressing questions about the humble flapjack was, how to make pancake batter thicker? 

While many of us picture the perfect pancake to be thick and fluffy, achieving this takes a level of precision. Cooking pancakes doesn’t have to be complicated, but they do require attention to detail in order to produce the perfect round cake each time. Unsure how to do it? No worries, we’ve got you covered. 

Tips on How To Make Pancake Batter Thicker

One of the most common reasons pancake batter needs to be thickened is due to an uneven ratio of dry and wet ingredients. A runny batter usually indicates that there are more wet ingredients than there are dry, which tend to produce thinner pancakes. In order to create pancakes with just the right amount of breadth, the batter will need to be thicker. The thicker the batter, the thicker the pancake. However, when making modifications to your batter, it’s best to incrementally add the ingredients to yield the best results. 

In the event you find yourself dealing with runny pancake batter, don’t stress because you can still turn things around. Here are two ways you can thicken your batter: 

  • Flour – The easiest way to thicken pancake batter is to add flour. Using a tablespoon, and a sifter, carefully add 1 tbsp of flour at a time, gently stirring the batter. This will help to thicken the mix, and get you a lot closer to those fluffy pancakes. 
  • Eggs – The second option is to use eggs to thicken your batter to its desired consistency. While eggs are a viable thickening agent, it’s important to use this ingredient minimally as you don’t want to end up with an eggy pancake. 

How Thick Should Pancake Mix Be?

Creating a Thick Pancake Mix

The best way to measure the ideal thickness of the mix is to see how easy it pours. Without being runny, the batter should still pour onto the pan with ease. What you don’t want happening is mixing a batter so thick, that it pours slowly like honey. 

When it comes to mixing the wet and dry ingredients of the pancake batter, this is where a little bit of magic is needed. Preferably using a wired whisk, the batter should be mixed until all the ingredients have combined. The mix doesn’t need to be completely smooth, as having a few lumps is okay. The trick here is not to overmix the batter. Overmixing the pancake batter will cause the gluten in the flour to overdevelop, resulting in a gummy set of pancakes. 

Creating a Thick Pancake Mix

The best way to ensure you make fluffy, golden pancakes every time is to use fresh ingredients. Baking powder is the secret ingredient that will give your pancakes its bed of fluffiness. While it’s still okay to use baking powder that’s already been opened, it’s recommended to use a freshly opened can to best activate the ingredient. This way, the baking powder will be better fitted to work it’s magic in the batter. 

The next thing that will help create a thick pancake mix, is to mix all of the dry ingredients separately with a wired whisk. Using this utensil to combine the dry ingredients, will naturally prevent lumps from forming once the dry and wet ingredients mix together. 

Make the Same Pancake Mix Every Time 

So now that you know how to make your pancake batter thicker, you’re ready to make their debut at the next brunch. However, before you do that, it’s important that you remember all the small steps it took to make that perfect batch. How you cook pancakes one time may differ from the next, but when you get it right, it’s absolutely vital to record it. 

That’s where we come in. You can easily upload, modify, and update your recipes using Morsel. Lean into the habit of not only experimenting with your recipes but writing down all the steps it takes to make it happen. 

Like we said, making pancakes doesn’t have to be complicated. With just a few simple modifications, you can easily learn how to make pancake batter thicker, allowing you to cook this delicious breakfast time and time again.

Just remember these key tips, and you’ll have the perfect batch of pancakes every time:

  • Use flour or eggs to thicken the pancake batter
  • Do not overmix the batter
  • Use fresh baking powder
  • Use a wire whisk to combine dry ingredients