It might dirty an extra pan, but it's definitely a worthy breakfast upgrade.
Our editors and experts handpick every product we feature. We may earn a commission from your purchases.
Learn more.
The most stressful part about making pancakes is the proverbial “first pancake.” You’re still figuring out whether the griddle is hot enough, you’re trying to time the flip, and you’re getting into the groove of making breakfast. The first test pancake probably tastes just fine, but it ain’t pretty.
Well, imagine a morning where the concept of a “first pancake” didn’t exist. This method uses two dishes, but the pancakes I got out of it made it worth washing another dish.
Why should you use a saucepan to make pancakes?
I stumbled upon a video on social media that kind of blew my mind. Like most cooking hacks, it seemed too good to be true. TikTok creator @Lizzlerizzle made a pancake in a saucepan, then flipped it onto a frying pan to finish the other side. It looked perfectly circular and very fluffy. I couldn’t wait to try it.
Using a saucepan to start a pancake had never crossed my mind before. Which is a little embarrassing, considering that I lift up my saucepan every time I take my frying pan out from underneath it. But I’m not going to waste time ruminating on that—there are pancakes to be made!
How to Make Pancakes in a Saucepan
The process is very straightforward. First, mix up your pancake batter according to the directions on the box. I recently picked up a box of the new Simple Mills Oat Flour Pancake Mix because I’m always on the search for a satisfying gluten-free pancake mix. (Spoiler alert: This one is delicious.)
Once your mix is prepared, heat the saucepan and the frying pan or griddle to medium-low. The most important thing for this method is making sure that your cooking vessel is heated thoroughly before adding any batter. If you’re a champion multitasker like I am, this is also a good time to get the bacon sizzlin’.
Spray your preheated saucepan with nonstick spray (I used canola oil), then ladle the batter into the pan. My ladle of batter coated the bottom of my saucepan evenly, and I let the pancake sit and cook for about three minutes. I picked up the saucepan and gently shook it to see if the batter had cooked enough to come loose, and by that point it had.
Once your pancake has released from the saucepan and is cooked on the bottom, flip the pancake over onto a griddle or frying pan. The trick to keeping its shape is to flip it quickly, so trust yourself! I continued cooking the pancake on my preheated griddle until the center was solid.
The result was, as advertised, a perfectly round and very fluffy pancake. It looked like a pancake from a storybook or cartoon. I couldn’t wait to load it up with butter and syrup and eat it.
Pro Tips for Your Saucepan Pancake Journey
- Make sure your saucepan and griddle are heated thoroughly before adding the batter.
- Remember to spray nonstick oil in the saucepan before each pancake.
- Since these pancakes are thick, you will likely have to cook them longer on each side than you’re used to.
Related:
