Pancake Breakfast
Who we are today doesn't limit who we can become tomorrow.
Beyond the Ingredients
Why This Recipe Matters
Think about what goes into making pancakes. Flour, eggs, buttermilk, sugar, and a few other everyday ingredients. On their own, none looks or tastes anything like the finished breakfast. Flour is just flour. An egg is just an egg. But bring them together, add a little heat, and something entirely different begins to take shape.
What makes pancakes interesting isn't simply that the ingredients change. It's that the finished result is so different from where everything started.
We often look at ourselves and our lives through the circumstances we're experiencing right now. We see the things we struggle with, the abilities we haven't developed, the opportunities we missed, or the ways our lives haven't turned out as we expected. It's easy to begin believing that where we are today is a reflection of everything we're capable of becoming.
But our present circumstances don't define the limits of our potential.
We continue to grow through new experiences, relationships, challenges, and the choices we make along the way. We discover abilities we didn't know we had, develop interests we never expected, and find opportunities in places we hadn't considered. The person we become is shaped by far more than where we started.
That doesn't mean change is always easy or that we can simply choose our way out of every difficult circumstance. Growth takes time, and some experiences change us in ways we never would have chosen. But even when life doesn't unfold as we hoped, the possibility of becoming something more than we are today remains.
The Takeaway
We are not limited to who we've been, what we've experienced, or where we find ourselves right now. There is still more to discover about who we can become.
What You Need
Ingredients
Serves 8–10 pancakes (4 servings)
How to Make It
Directions
- 1
If you don't have buttermilk, make a quick substitute: add 1 tbsp white vinegar to 1¼ cups whole milk, stir, and let sit for 5 minutes until slightly curdled.
- 2
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- 3
In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla extract.
- 4
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula until just combined — lumpy batter is perfect. Overmixing makes flat, rubbery pancakes.
- 5
Let the batter rest for 5 minutes while the pan heats up — this gives the baking powder time to activate.
- 6
Heat a non-stick skillet or griddle over medium heat. Add a small pat of butter and let it melt and foam.
- 7
Pour about ¼ cup of batter per pancake onto the pan, spacing them apart.
- 8
Cook until bubbles form across the surface and the edges look set and slightly dry, about 2–3 minutes.
- 9
Flip once and cook for another 1–2 minutes until the bottom is golden and the pancake is cooked through.
- 10
Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining batter, adding more butter to the pan as needed.
- 11
Serve immediately in warm stacks with your favorite toppings.
From the Kitchen
Small Things That Matter
Lumpy batter is good batter — overmixing develops gluten and makes pancakes tough and flat
The first pancake is always a test pancake — use it to dial in your heat before you cook the rest
Wait for bubbles across the surface before flipping — flip too early and you get raw, gummy middles
Keep finished pancakes warm on a baking sheet in a 200°F oven while you cook the rest of the batch
Variations & Additions
Make It Yours
- Fold in a cup of fresh or frozen blueberries, chocolate chips, or sliced strawberries into the batter
- Add a teaspoon of cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg for a warm spiced pancake that smells incredible
- Make silver dollar pancakes by using just 2 tablespoons of batter each — they're tiny, perfect, and fun to stack
- Top with sautéed cinnamon apples or fresh peaches and whipped cream for a breakfast that feels like dessert
- Stir in cooked bacon for a salty and tasty addition
- Feeling bold? Top with honey and fresh sliced deseeded Jalapeño for a sweet and spicy kick
Watch It
Watch It Being Made
Video courtesy of Natasha's Kitchen
This video may not follow our recipe exactly. Ingredients, amounts, or steps can differ a little. Use it as a guide to see the techniques in action, and follow the recipe on this page for the details. All videos
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