Fluffy Gingerbread Pancakes

These gingerbread pancakes are amazing - perfectly spiced with a divine, fluffy texture, and a flavour that is accentuated with fresh ginger and lemon zest. Drizzle them with a touch of maple syrup and a dollop of whipped cream for a delicious holiday brunch or breakfast.

this recipe

I would love to wake up to these gingerbread pancakes for breakfast all winter long. Especially on Christmas morning, what a special treat!

This recipe was inspired by Mildred's Temple Kitchen's famous pancakes, because their pancakes are perfect in my eyes and I wanted that same wonderful, buttermilk pancake texture.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Substitutions
• Instructions
• Equipment
• Storage
• Tips for success
• 📖 Recipe

Ingredients

• Flour - I used all purpose flour for this recipe.
• Sugar - Light brown sugar and granulated sugar are both used to add the perfect little bit of sweetness.
• Baking powder - A leavening agent.
• Baking soda - Ensure that your baking soda is fresh. This is important to get it to react properly with the acidic ingredient, the buttermilk, to give you fluffy pancakes.
• Salt - We use unsalted butter and add the salt separately to control the amount of salt. This is because the amount of salt in butter varies by manufacturer.
• Spices - Ground ginger, ground cinnamon, and ground allspice. The delicious and warming spices of gingerbread.
• Buttermilk - This ingredient is crucial in these pancakes. It will form a reaction with the baking soda, resulting in incredibly fluffy pancakes.
• Molasses (not blackstrap molasses)
• Eggs - Egg helps the pancake to stay together nicely.
• Unsalted butter
• Fresh ginger - Fresh ginger is key to getting the most beautiful flavour in your gingerbread pancakes.
• Lemon zest - This adds a bright freshness to your pancakes.

See the recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities.

Substitutions

• Buttermilk - If you do not have buttermilk on hand, you can make a homemade substitute. Put 1 tablespoon + ¾ teaspoon lemon juice into measuring cup. Add milk until the volume reaches the line that says 1 ¼ cups/296 ml. Stir to combine and let rest for 10-15 minutes while it thickens. Use 1:1 as a substitute for buttermilk.

Instructions

In a medium bowl, sift together the all purpose flour, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, and ground allspice. Set it aside for now.

In a large bowl, stir together the buttermilk, molasses, eggs, melted butter, grated ginger, and lemon zest.

Tip: It's important to use room temperature buttermilk and eggs. If they're too cold, the melted butter will instantly harden into clumps when mixed together.

Next, stir in the dry ingredients. Do not over mix. Doing so would ruin the delicate texture of the pancakes. Only stir until the dry ingredients are just incorporated. It is better to have a few streaks of dry ingredients than to over mix the batter.

Cook the pancakes on a griddle preheated to 350°F/180°C degrees. Or, cook them in a skillet over medium-high heat.

Grease your griddle or skillet with a bit of unsalted butter. Use a ⅓ cup (80ml) measuring cup to measure and pour the batter onto your griddle. Don't overcrowd the pancakes as they will expand a bit. And try not to disturb them while they're cooking for 2-3 minutes on each side.

When the edges begin to brown and bubbles come to the surface of the pancake, it is ready to be flipped. Try to flip it over in one swoop, then leave it alone to give it time to puff up. Re-grease between batches.

Note: If you are using a skillet on a stove top you may have to adjust the heat. If your pancakes are becoming dark before the bubbles form you should reduce the heat. If you are getting bubbles but not achieving a darker colour, increase the heat.

While you are cooking your batches of gingerbread pancakes, you can keep the already cooked ones warm by placing them in an oven preheated to 250°F/120°C.

Serve the fluffy gingerbread pancakes with maple syrup and a dollop of whipped cream.

Equipment

• Griddle or skillet
• Rubber spatula
• Kitchen scale or measuring cup set
• Measuring spoons
• Mixing bowls
• Sifter

For making pancakes, I love to use my Griddler because the temperature is so precise and stays exactly where you want it, giving you perfect results every time. However, if you don't have an electric griddle, you can make this recipe in a skillet. Just be mindful of the temperature - if your stove is extra hot (they can vary), reduce the heat from medium-high to medium to allow the pancakes to cook a bit slower and have time to fluff up.

Griddler

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Storage

Before storing, allow pancakes to cool completely in a single layer.

To refrigerate: Individually wrap cooled pancakes in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

To freeze: Individually wrap cooled pancakes in plastic wrap and store in freezer bag in the freezer for up to 2 months. The quality will degrade after this time.

Reheat in a lightly buttered skillet (both sides), or in an oven at 350°F/180°C, or in a microwave.

Tips for success

• Weigh to be sure - You should always weigh ingredients like flour and sugar to get the best results. However, if you have to use a measuring cup rather than a kitchen scale, stir the ingredient to create air pockets then gently spoon it into the cup and level off the top. Do not scoop or you will get too much.
• Leavening agents - Baking powder and baking soda are both common leavening agents. They release gas to make your baking rise and become fluffy. Make sure that these ingredients are fresh and not expired.
• Don't overmix - Don't overmix the batter! Lumpy is good in this case. Use the photo in the instructions above for reference.
• Room temperature - Dairy and egg ingredients should be room temperature for this recipe. Cold ingredients simply won't combine properly to give you a smooth crumb, resulting in uneven lumps. Set them out an hour or two before you start.
• Buttermilk - Do not skip the buttermilk! The reaction that occurs between the buttermilk and the baking soda helps to make these pancakes fluffy and tender.
• Heat - Make sure your pan/griddle is hot before adding the batter. Keep an eye on it. If the pancakes are browning too quickly, turn down the heat a touch. A too hot pan will result in raw middles and burnt edges.
• Pay attention - Pancakes cook quickly so don't leave them unattended while cooking. Watch for those bubbles.
• Don't press - Do not press down on the pancakes after you've flipped them. It's time for them to rise to all of their fluffy potential!
• Grease well - You need a well-greased pan/griddle. Make sure that you re-grease with butter between each batch of pancakes.

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📖 Recipe