I need some ideas to jazz up some pancakes.

[Arkansas Granny]

I'm spending the weekend with my grandsons, ages 4 and 6. We get up earlier than the rest of the household on weekend mornings and they love to help me make pancakes. We have a lot of fun, but I'm running out of ideas to make them special. We have made S'mores pancakes (with graham cracker crumbs, chocolate chips and marshmallows), smiley face pancakes and pancakes with a variety of fruits.

Do you guys have any suggestions? The youngest has a nut allergy, so that's out.

[Major Nikon]

1. Try different combinations of fruit and spices

Pancakes are kind of like a blank slate to me.

Spices I like to use:

Nutmeg
Cinnamon
Allspice
Ginger

Extracts are also great to add to the batter for different flavors. You are only limited by your imagination and availability. I made root beer pancakes one time.

[Arkansas Granny]

6. I have never thought about flavoring the batter. That opens up a whole lot of possibilities.

[sinkingfeeling]

2. You can make them by placing large animal shaped cookie cutters on the

griddle and pouring the batter into them. Dice up some fruit or try caramel bits. These are cute as well:

[Arkansas Granny]

4. Those are cute and the cookie cutter idea is great.

I think they would love those.

[bif]

3. Coconut flakes with chocolate chips

Not sure if coconut works with a nut allergy or not.

[Arkansas Granny]

5. AFAIK, he can eat coconut. I'll bet it would get kind of toasty, wouldn't it.

[NRaleighLiberal]

7. Our favorite is now sweet potato or pumpkin - with lots of spice!

Flavor is the same - if you load them with cinnamon, allspice, ginger, cloves and nutmeg, they taste like a great pumpkin pie. Let me know if you want a recipe!

[Arkansas Granny]

10. That sounds interesting. I'd like to have that recipe.

[NRaleighLiberal]

13. Sweet Potato or Pumpkin Pancake recipe. Our favorite!

Last edited Sat Feb 23, 2013, 12:04 AM - Edit history (1)

In a large bowl, whisk together 1 cup all purple flour, 1 cup whole wheat flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 1/2 tsp baking soda, 2 tsp baking powder, 4 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp nutmeg, 1 tbsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/2 tsp cloves until well combined.

In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 tbsp canola oil, 2 cups of buttermilk (to make your own, combine 2 cups milk with 2 tbsp lemon juice and let stand for 10 minutes), 1 cup pumpkin or sweet potato puree, and 2 egg yolks (carefully separate the two eggs and put the whites in a separate small bowl).

Beat the 2 egg whites until stiff but not dry.

Add the egg/buttermilk mixture into the flour/dry mixture, mix with a wooden spoon just until combined (will still be lumpy). Using a spatula, fold the beaten whites into the batter gently until it is all combined.

Cook as usual for pancakes.

For a real treat, make orange zest butter to put on top - soften a few tbsp butter then blend in the zest from an orange - let stand for an hour or so.

Serve with real maple syrup. These are light, fluffy, and very addictive! Best you can't eat just two!

[NRaleighLiberal]

20. Kicking so you see that I added the recipe in the post above this!

[A HERETIC I AM]

8. Separate the eggs and beat the whites to a peak.

start the batter with the yolks and other wet ingredients and then fold the whipped whites into the batter.


Fluffiest pan damncakes you'll ever eat.

[NRaleighLiberal]

12. YES! we first did that years ago - goodbye heavy pancakes!

[A HERETIC I AM]

19. Works great, doesn't it? N/T

[littlewolf]

9. all these are great Ideas, you could also add whipped cream

or jam or flavored syrup or even honey.

[Arkansas Granny]

11. I had thought of doing that with some fresh fruit on top. I'll bet they'd love a little Reddi Whip.

[noamnety]

14. Add cocoa to the batter

chocolate pancakes - I've seen chocolate mixes, haven't tried it myself.

carrot cake pancakes:http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/all-american-festivals/carrot-pancakes-with-cream-cheese-spread-recipe/index.html (obviously without the nuts).

[Arkansas Granny]

17. Carrot cake. Yum. I can see a lot of pancakes in my future to use all these ideas.

[guardian]

15. Mimosas?

I find that always jazzes up breakfast!

Though a 4 and 6 year old may have different ideas. A few ideas:

1. Whipped cream. Get the ReadiWhip can. Kids always love spraying it out on the food and in their mouths.
2. Different toppings. Let them pick and choose: maple syrup, confectionary sugar, chocolate syrup, cocoa powder, cinnamon, whipped cream
3. cook with fruit or chocolate chip morsels to the batter if the kids like it.
4. Pigs in a blanket. Let the kids do the roll up.

[Arkansas Granny]

16. I think we'll save the mimosas for the grown ups. They'd be wasted on the kids.

But it's a great suggestion.

[guardian]

18. I know mimosas are not for kids

It was my poor attempt at humor. Though the other suggestions were in earnest.