Can You Freeze Pancake Batter? Fluffy Pancakes Explained

Cooking pancakes from scratch can be a lot of fun, but sometimes you might find yourself with more batter than you need. In cases like these, it's helpful to know that you can freeze pancake batter for later use. This article will teach you how to freeze pancake batter properly so that your pancakes will turn out perfectly every time. And learn what makes pancakes work.

Jump to:

• What is pancake batter?
• Can you freeze pancake batter?
• Pancakes that use baking soda
• How to store leftover pancake batter
• What makes a pancake work?
• How long should a pancake cook on each side?
• Secrets for Perfect Pancakes
• Full Recipe

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What is pancake batter?

There are two vital components to pancake batter: the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients. 

• The dry ingredients are primarily flour, salt, baking soda or powder, and sugar. 
• The wet ingredients include buttermilk, butter, and eggs. 

Flour contains gluten, which is crucial for forming and structuring pancakes and provides the distinctive flavor and chewiness that we love.

The milk hydrates the flour and adds richness, while the eggs provide structure and lift. And finally, the fat in butter or oil helps create tenderness and a moist texture.

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Can you freeze pancake batter?

Pancakes made with frozen batter will not have the same light and fluffy texture as the fresh batter because some leavening properties of the baking powder begin to work immediately after mixing. However, the remaining leavening power does not activate until the pan is heated, so a decent rise will still occur. 

In the case of recipes that call for soda rather than baking powder, you're out of luck. The batter will be devoid of baking soda upon thawing, and your efforts will be in vain. Various brands of boxed mixes have different "freeze-ability." For instance, Aunt Jemima discourages freezing, whereas Hungry Jack allows it.

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Here are two options.

1 Freeze in a container

You can quickly thaw frozen batter in your refrigerator by freezing it in shallow containers. To save on dishwashing, consider freezing batter in heavy-duty bags. So, you can simply squeeze the batter onto the griddle after cutting off a corner when the batter is thawed. 

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2 Cook the pancakes instead of freezing the batter

Another option is to freeze cooked pancakes instead of the batter. They lose some of their air as they cool, so they are less tasty than fresh-made, but you can reheat them in your toaster, microwave, or toaster oven.

I wrote a comprehensive post here on how long you can keep pancake batter in the fridge.

Read:

• Low-Carb Carbquik Pancake recipe
• Japanese Souffle Pancake recipe
• Nutella Stuffed Pancake recipe

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Pancakes that use baking soda

Baking soda provides light, fluffy pancakes with a slight rise. When making them ahead of time, they can be tricky.

Baking soda will react instantly, unlike baking powder, which response twice.

As soon as baking soda is added to the pancake mix, it begins to react with it. A fizzing effect will occur. In this case, baking soda pancakes need to be cooked right after adding them. 

However, after chilling this batter in the refrigerator for several hours, there is little chance of rising. You can still eat them, but they will not turn out as fluffy as expected.

Despite this being disappointing news, do not despair. It is still possible to prepare the pancake batter the night before needed. Just be sure to leave out the baking soda.

As soon as you are ready to make pancakes the next day, it's the perfect time to add baking soda. If you add the baking soda just before mixing, you will get a more rising batter than if you add it the night before. 

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How to store leftover pancake batter

No matter how you make pancakes, whether you use a box mix or make your own, you are bound to have leftover batter. You don't have to pour it down the drain if you have some amount but don't want to or cannot prepare it immediately.

With few exceptions, most pancake batters can be refrigerated or frozen, particularly those containing baking powder or yeast.

Store in the refrigerator:

Step 1

Transfer your leftover batter to an airtight container.

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Step 2

Put a layer of plastic wrap over the container. The plastic wrap provides additional protection to the batter.

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Step 3

At most, you can keep the batter in the fridge for two to three days. Cover the container with plastic wrap and put the lid on it. Refrigerate it in the coldest corner.

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Freezing the batter:

Step 1

Fill a large freezer bag with the leftover pancake batter. Be sure the bag is as airless as possible before sealing it.

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Step 2

Freeze the bag. You can store it in the freezer for up to three months.

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Step 3

Let the frozen batter thaw overnight in the refrigerator or submerge it in warm water. After the batter thaws completely, make a snip in the corner of the freezer bag. Pipe out the batter into the griddle or skillet.

Read:

• How to Save French Toast Batter

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What makes a pancake work?

The combination of flour and liquid gives any dough its structure. Gluten is formed when these two components are blended, which is the protein that gives dough its elastic properties. 

Gluten is essential to bread making; it helps the bread retain its shape and enables the yeast to form gas bubbles. In fact, bread would not rise if not for gluten.

Gluten is, however, not good for quick bread, cakes, and pancakes. Ideally, you want these baked items to have a soft, tender crumb, meaning they should contain as little gluten as possible. 

By overmixing pancake batter, gluten is produced, which results in rubbery pancakes. When making light and fluffy pancakes, mix the batter just until combined— a few lumps are okay.

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Melted butter gives the pancakes a rich and moist texture. 

The batter will resemble pound cake if you add too much fat; they will form smaller bubbles and do not rise as much. Conversely, if there is not enough fat present, the pancakes will become dry and crispy, nearly crumbly.

Due to the limited presence of gluten, eggs are necessary to provide extra structure allowing the bubbles to cling to the surface and allowing the pancake to rise. Yolk fat also imparts a taste and richness. Too much egg, on the other hand, results in a dense and custardy pancake; too little results in a dry, biscuit-like pancake.

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The Rise

It is conventional to use baking powder and baking soda in pancakes. Their presence is responsible for creating the bubbles in the batter that produce lightness and fluffy texture. source1 source2

(Double acting) Baking powder produces two rises: 

• In contact with a liquid, it produces the first rise. 
• A second rise occurs when it is heated. Pancakes with too much baking powder taste chalky, while pancakes with too little will turn out limp and flat.

Baking soda will only rise once in an acidic environment (such as buttermilk and yogurt). Moreover, baking soda determines how brown the batter becomes. An insufficient amount of soda will result in a pale, flat pancake, whereas too much soda will produce a tall, dark, soapy one.

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Why call for baking soda, baking powder, or both?

It is not unusual for a recipe to specify one component over the other— or both. Neither is it random.

A little acid is needed to activate baking soda, so Healthline states that it will only be used when an acid is present in the recipe. Isn't that obvious? When your recipe does not include acids, use baking powder, which already contains all the elements needed to work.

It goes beyond that, according to Fine Cooking, too. Considering that baking powder undergoes dual reactions — one of which is triggered by heat — it is most commonly used when the dough must be chilled or risen. 

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So, why would you need both? 

The process of activating baking soda by acid also involves neutralizing it. In recipes containing acid, it will also call for a certain amount of baking soda to react with, so in theory, they will balance one another when in proper proportions.

However, that isn't enough to guarantee the rise you expect in some cases. The recipe will instruct you to add some baking powder to give it an extra boost when that happens.

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Pancake batter contains baking powder for a reason.

Quick bread like pancakes and pastries contain an ingredient that helps the bread to rise as it cooks. In baking, these two leaveners react chemically with one another to produce a rising effect. As pancakes are usually griddle-cooked instead of oven-cooked, baking powder contributes to the lightness and fluffy texture of pancakes.

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Leavening agents

Baking soda, yeast, and baking powder are common leavening agents. Warm, moist environments are conducive to yeast growth. 

As baking powder reacts with liquid, it produces an acid-base reaction, resulting in the release of gaseous carbon dioxide. Consequently, as the wet mixture expands, bubbles are produced.

Baking soda can only function as a leavener when combined with an acid, whereas baking powder is formed by combining baking soda, cornstarch, and cream of tartar, which is slightly acidic and has a pH of 5.

Baking powder is used as a leavening agent when making pancakes since there is no acid present in the batter as a catalyst for the leavening action.

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Pancakes

It is common for pancake recipes to contain flour, sweeteners like sugar or honey, milk, eggs, and shortening, usually oil. Baking powder and salt are also often added.

It's crucial to measure ingredients properly since excessive flour leads to thick and dense pancakes, whereas too little flour results in a runny batter.

The eggs serve as a binding agent, and the milk is used to add moisture. Pancakes are cooked evenly from the inside with the help of oil.

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How long should a pancake cook on each side?

There is no exact science to time how long it takes to cook a pancake on each side -(pans and griddles vary considerably in size and thickness) - but you can use visual cues to determine when to flip. Pay attention to your pancakes and master the method of flipping; you will be less likely to undercook or scorch your breakfast.

First Side

Over a medium-low flame, using a pan or iron-cast griddle lightly oiled, pancakes take two to three minutes to cook on each side. Even though this is a good general rule of thumb, the best way to ensure an evenly cooked, fluffy pancake is to monitor it throughout the cooking process. 

On the exposed side of the pancake, bubbles begin to form on the surface - first around the edges, then through the center. You need to wait until the bubbles form in the middle to flip the pancake.

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Second Side

Because the above method does not apply to the second side, estimate the cooking time based on the first side. Just before you flip it, try to see if the finished flapjack shows the golden coloring with your spatula.

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Secrets for Perfect Pancakes

This recipe comes from Better Homes and Gardens' 1978 edition with a complete step-by-step guide to making about four 6" pancakes.

Ingredients you'll need:

• 1 egg
• 1 ¼ cups buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt

Directions:

Step 1

Prepare all the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder/soda, salt) together in a large bowl.

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Step 2

Combine wet ingredients (egg, buttermilk, cooking oil) in a medium bowl and mix them nicely.

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Step 3

Incorporate the wet ingredients into the dry, stirring until just combined into a batter. Do not worry if there are still some lumps. These will disappear as they cook. Having lumps in your batter is better than having an overmixed pancake.

Note: Cooking by weight is something every home cook should give a go. Measuring is more accurate, so the final product is more consistent. For a by-weight recipe, you can use a kitchen scale. 

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Step 4

Preheat your griddle or pan. Using a four-ounce ladle, pour your preferred amount of batter onto a dry, un-oiled skillet or pan. Flip the pancake when bubbles appear around the edges, then cook the other side for a few minutes.

Place on a plate, then eat.

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My experience with pancakes has probably taken more time than it should, but these four tips below will help you achieve great results every time.

1 Over-mixing the batter will result in tough pancakes.

Using the recipe as a guide, mix the batter until just combined. There will be lumps! Overmixing will result in uncontrolled gluten formation in the batter, producing tough, chewy pancakes. 

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2 Adjust the heat  

Almost everyone makes the same mistake when making pancakes, which involves turning the heat too high. When pancakes are heated too quickly, they often result in too dark, often burnt, or inconsistent browned pancakes. 

Basically, this is why many people throw away the first pancake they cook. Pancakes need to be cooked evenly and at a relatively low temperature. 

I start preheating my pan over low heat when I make the batter in most cases. This ensures that the pan will be ready by the end of the process. 

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3 Cooking fat is not required.

In fact, this is what really makes it work. The secret to achieving golden brown edge-to-edge tops and bottoms on your pancakes is to wipe the pan dry completely. Remove all butter, oil, and anything else from the pan. 

Feel free to be apprehensive, but you shouldn't need any special pans for this, whether aluminum, nonstick or cast iron; pancakes should still turn out perfectly without oil. 

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4 Observe set bubbles around the edge.

Here's the best way I know how to tell when the pancake is ready for flipping. A properly set heat will ensure a successful flip every time. Whenever the bubbles pop around the edges and the batter does not fill them back in, it is time to flip it, and the golden-brown surface will reveal itself.

Full Recipe