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If you’ve ever wondered why your pancakes are rubbery, dense, or come out flat, this post shows you how to fix the batter so they can look like these!
Jump to:
- What is Wrong with My Pancakes?
- Rubbery Pancakes
- Salty Pancakes
- Gooey in the Middle
- Overmixed Pancake Batter
- Flat Pancakes
- Runny Pancake Batter
- Lumpy Pancake Batter
- Too-Thick Batter
- Burnt Pancakes
- Floury/White Pancakes
- Too-Thick Pancakes
- Tasteless or Bland Pancakes
- How to Make Perfect Pancakes
- How to Fix Pancake Batter & Avoid Fails
What is Wrong with My Pancakes?
I’ve been publishing pancake recipes since 2013, and they’ve been tried (and loved) by millions of visitors. In the quest to create the best homemade pancakes, I’ve learned a ton about what works, what doesn’t, and how to troubleshoot every pancake problem. Here I share the most common issues and how to fix them:
Rubbery Pancakes
Rubbery pancakes happen because the batter was overmixed and the gluten (a protein) in the flour was activated. This often happens when “kids help” and stir too much #beenthere. Sadly, this can’t be fixed, but you can save the batter by up to ¼ cup of milk and turning those pancakes into waffles.
Salty Pancakes
If your baking powder contains aluminum, it can leave a metallic, salty taste. Use aluminum-free baking powder to avoid this. Balance it out by adding 2 tablespoons of sugar to the batter.
Gooey in the Middle
Gooey centers typically mean the pancakes were not cooked long enough. This happens when they’re flipped too soon, usually because your pan is too hot and the bottoms are burning. Fix this by rinsing the pan under cool water, then cooking the next batch over medium heat.
If you never know when to flip pancakes, watch this video.
Overmixed Pancake Batter
Overmixing happens when you mix the batter too much, either by trying to remove all the lumps or letting the kids mix. Unfortunately, this leads to rubbery or gummy pancakes and can’t be fixed. You can add a bit more liquid and turn it into waffles.
Flat Pancakes
Flat pancakes are often caused by baking powder that's gone bad (opened more than 9 months) or a batter that's too runny. Add ½ teaspoon more baking powder to fix it, or make waffles instead.
Runny Pancake Batter
Runny batter usually means too much liquid or under-measured flour, because it was measured with a liquid measuring cup (the one with a spout). Fix it by adding flour 2 tablespoons at a time, up to ¼ cup.
Lumpy Pancake Batter
Some lumps in the batter are normal, especially if your batter has mashed bananas. Other times, they’re dry pockets of flour. Fix this by pressing the lumps against the side of the bowl with a fork instead of mixing more.
Too-Thick Batter
Thick batter isn’t a bad thing if you want fluffy pancakes. If it resembles dough, then it’s too thick, likely because too much flour was added into the cup during measuring (or the butter was omitted). Fix this by adding a little more milk, 2 tablespoons at a time, and mixing gently.
Burnt Pancakes
Burnt pancakes are a sign that the heat is too high, or if you used butter, it was burned before adding the batter, which stained the pancakes. Fix it by running the pan under cold water to cool it down and lowering the temperature. Most pancakes should be cooked over medium heat, and the batter should be poured immediately after the pan is greased.
Floury/White Pancakes
If your pancakes are too light, floury looking, or white, it means the heat is too low and the pan wasn’t hot enough before adding the batter. Fix it by increasing the heat to medium.
Too-Thick Pancakes
Thick pancakes are not a bad thing. Dense pancakes are not good. This happens when the batter has too much flour and not enough liquid. Fix the batter by adding 2 tablespoons more milk and ¼ teaspoon baking powder, mix gently, and test.
Watch this quick video to learn how to properly measure flour and avoid the most common mistakes:
Tasteless or Bland Pancakes
Bland pancakes usually happen when the batter is made with water, very thin milk alternatives, or when flavorings like butter, vanilla, or sugar are skipped. Fix this by adding 2 tablespoons of melted butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1-2 tablespoons of sugar to the batter (pick one or all, depending on the recipe you’re using).
How to Make Perfect Pancakes
Great pancakes start with a great recipe like the one here, which includes the right amounts of wet and dry ingredients. Visuals are always the best guide, so take a couple of minutes to watch the quick recipe video.
How to Fix Pancake Batter & Avoid Fails
Watch how it’s made:
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder, aluminum-free
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 ¼ cups milk, any
- 1 egg
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the batter:
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Move the ingredients to the sides to make a well in the middle. Pour in the milk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Use a fork to whisk the egg first then mix it with the other liquid ingredients and then mix from the outside of the bowl in, to combine everything into a thick batter.
Cook the pancakes:
- Heat a non-stick griddle or large pan over medium heat. Once hot, grease, spray, or melt butter on the hot surface. Immediately, pour ¼ to ⅓ cup of batter onto the greased surface. Use the back of the scoop to gently spread the batter, it's not runny.
- Cook the first side for about 2 minutes, until the edges begin to look defined and bubbles form. Flip the pancakes over and cook the second side for a little less time.
- Remove the cooked pancakes from the pan and keep them warm, on a plate covered or on a baking sheet in a 200F oven.
Serve:
- Plate a few pancakes on a plate, top with your favorite toppings and syrups.
Gloria O'Connor says
Great info on all sorts of pancake question! Now I know why my pancakes are rubbery, over mixing causes the gluten to get too strong, thank you!
Mike says
I had a problem tonite that is not on this list. The Bisquick Ultimate Pancakes – Bisquick with Sugar. oil, BP and Vanilla. They were crumbly and did not stick together very well. The taste was good but the physical presentation was bad. Any ideas?
Laura Fuentes says
Did you omit the eggs?