This Unexpected Ingredient Will Make Your Pancakes So Much More Delicious, According to Our Food Director
While these staples certainly deliver a delicious result, there’s one unexpected ingredient that can take your pancakes to a whole new level of flavor and texture.
According to our Food Director, the secret ingredient is buttermilk. You might think that it’s just a tangy alternative to regular milk, but buttermilk offers so much more than that.
Buttermilk is a fermented dairy product that’s created by adding bacteria to low-fat or skim milk. This fermentation process produces lactic acid, which gives buttermilk its signature tang.
But what does this mean for your pancakes? The acidity of buttermilk interacts with the baking soda or baking powder in the pancake batter, causing them to react and create tiny bubbles.
This process helps make your pancakes light and fluffy with a perfectly soft crumb. You’ll notice a difference in texture immediately—your pancakes will feel airier and have a more melt-in-your-mouth quality compared to those made with regular milk.
Beyond the texture, buttermilk adds a subtle, creamy tang that elevates the flavor profile of your pancakes. The tangy notes from the buttermilk cut through the sweetness of the syrup, creating a more balanced taste.
This balance between the slight acidity and sweetness is what makes the flavor of buttermilk pancakes so irresistible. It’s a little more complex and interesting than the simple sweetness you’d get from pancakes made with regular milk.
Another reason to love buttermilk in pancake batter is that it helps to keep your pancakes moist and tender, even as they cool. We’ve all experienced the disappointment of pancakes turning dry after a few minutes on the plate.