The Best Morning Pancakes

There are Saturday mornings and then, there are holiday Saturday mornings. Those are the ones where mom stays in her PJs until noon, hangs out, and cooks pancakes until all the batter runs out.

She then returns to the sofa, kicks back in her Christmas print pajamas, has another cup of coffee, and tunes the outside world out to spend time with her family.

These mornings are even more special than any other weekend because I press “pause” on the things that don’t include the people in the room. Things like that early, weekly, Saturday morning grocery run, karate lessons, and even birthday parties.

To top off these mornings, I let my kids choose from the many pancake recipes on this blog and at home in personal recipe binder; because even though I often make other delicious breakfast foods like Chocolate Chip Waffles, Bread Pudding Bites, and Overnight Oats, and Muffins… pancakes are always a favorite.

There’s something about pancakes, I can’t put my finger on it, but those hot, little cakes warm everyone’s heart. Maybe it’s the fact that I no longer need to look at my Fluffy Pancake recipe and I’m able to focus on talking with the kids as I sip on coffee and make the pancake batter.

I don’t even have to say anything, as soon as I pull out my griddle, my kids know! Thankfully, they are getting to that age where helping mom in the kitchen is cool, at least for this recipe. Whether it’s cracking an egg into the batter or scooping batt onto the hot griddle, pancakes are fun to make and eat!

Let’s admit it, around the holiday, everything gets pretty hectic, with all those holiday parties, school activities, plus making sure the wish lists have been taken care of! It can be hard to stop and reflect on all the blessings of the year as well as spend quality time with those closest to you. Ironic, right?

Over the years, I’ve found that carving out the mornings with my kids and tuning out the outside world (and the laundry) helps me be more present, enjoy the family more, and fill up my happiness tank just a little more.

Do you want to know what else I love about these cozy mornings? Sometimes, I have my youngest on my lap on the sofa, and he will whisper in my ear… “mom, is it time for more coffee?” I smile, look at my mug, and reply: “no, it’s time for more kisses.”

Do you make some time to unplug and focus on your family during the holidays?

The Best Morning Pancakes

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Hands down, the best pancakes you’ll ever make. #youarewelcome

• Author: Laura Fuentes

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 3 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 1 ¼ cups milk
• 1 egg
• 3 Tablespoons butter, melted (optional)

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
2. Make a well in the middle and pour in the milk, egg and melted butter; mix with a fork or whisk until smooth.
3. Heat a griddle or large pan over medium-high heat (I set my griddle at 300-350 F). Pour or scoop ¼ cup of batter for each pancake. Wait until bubbles form to flip. Brown on the other side and serve with butter and blueberry syrup.

Notes

Whole-wheat flour substitutions:
100% whole wheat – add an additional teaspoon of baking powder + 1 Tablespoon milk.
50% whole wheat – add ½ teaspoon baking powder.
¼ cup ground flax – remove ¼ cup flour + ½ teaspoon baking powder.
Add 1 mashed banana – no changes.
Add up to 1 cup blueberries or nuts – no changes.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 6

The Best Morning Pancakes – Gluten-Free Version

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This is the gluten-free version of my famous pancake recipe. Still fluffy and delicious!

• Author: Laura Fuentes

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour
• 1 ½ tablespoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 1 ½ cups milk
• 1 egg
• 3 Tablespoons butter, melted (optional)

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
2. Make a well in the middle and pour in the milk, egg and melted butter; mix with a fork or whisk until smooth.
3. Heat a non-stick griddle or large pan over medium-high heat (I set my griddle at 300-350 F). Pour or scoop ¼ cup of batter for each pancake. Wait until bubbles form to flip. Brown on the other side and serve with butter and blueberry syrup.

Notes

I realize that there are a lot of gluten-free flour mixes out there. For these pancakes, I’ve always used the all-purpose flour mix linked above or a gluten-free pancake mix. Those have xantham gum already in them to bind the flours, yielding a cohesive and fluffy pancake.