There’s something about the smell of pancakes that always puts a smile on my face. A stack of sweet, light, and fluffy pancakes is arguably the best breakfast food there is. And when it comes to pancakes, IHOP knows their stuff. Thankfully, it’s easy to replicate their recipe! No need to change from your PJs to have a bite of their delicious buttermilk pancakes. Bring the taste of IHOP right into your kitchen with this recipe.
How to Make IHOP Pancakes
This copycat IHOP pancake tastes so yummy you’ll feel like an expert after you make it. Here’s how:
In a bowl, combine buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla.Add the solid ingredients (sugar, baking powder, flour, baking soda, salt) into the mix.Stir the batter gently. Don’t get rid of the lumps!In another bowl, combine the lemon juice and egg. Then, add it to the batter. Refrigerate the batter for 30 minutes to an hour.Place a skillet over medium heat and smear with butter.Pour ⅓ cup of batter into the skillet.Let it cook for two minutes or until you see bubbles forming on the surface.Flip the pancake over with a spatula.Let the other side cook for 1 to 2 minutes.Repeat steps 6-10 until you cook all the batter.Top with butter and drizzle some maple syrup. Enjoy!
Tips & Tricks for Making the Best Pancakes
You might think pancakes are so basic, everyone can easily perfect them. But there are a good number of techniques you can do to further improve your cooking. If you want the fluffiest, lightest, and tastiest pancakes, try the following hacks:
The baking powder, more so than any other ingredient, has to be fresh. Baking soda gives your pancakes that fluffiness factor, so if it’s expired, you’ll end up with flat pancakes. So, before you add it to the batter, check the label for its expiry date first.Don’t over-mix the batter, even if it means leaving a few lumps in there. That’s okay! It’s better than having smooth but tough and rubbery pancakes. If you hate seeing those lumps in your batter, whisk your dry ingredients first before you add the wet. This helps the ingredients fuse with fewer lumps. Another good technique is to form a well with the dry ingredients and then pour the wet ingredients into the well. This prevents you from over-mixing the batter. Let your batter rest for 30 minutes to an hour. This gives enough time for your batter to get rid of the small, stubborn lumps. You can cook your pancakes with butter or oil. I prefer butter myself, but it tends to turn brown after a while. So, if you’re using butter, wipe the skillet with a paper towel every time you cook a new batch of pancakes. Don’t forget to add more butter before you add the batter!If you want more fluffiness to your pancakes, separate the egg whites from the yolks. Beat them until they form peaks and fold them gently into the batter right before you cook them. You’d be surprised to see your pancake doubling as you cook it!Do not double-flip the pancakes! Patience is key when cooking pancakes. Wait until you see bubbles forming before you flip it over. And then wait another minute or two before you take it out of the skillet. Don’t be tempted to press the batter with your spatula in the middle of cooking.The best pan to use is either a large skillet or a griddle. These pans allow you to flip the pancakes effortlessly.Use a cold stick of butter to grease the skillet. This gives your pancakes a thin and even layer of fat to cook in. To make even and round portions of pancakes, use a pancake dispenser or a cookie scoop.Use room temperature ingredients, specifically the eggs and buttermilk. This gives your pancakes a lighter and airier consistency.
Tasty Toppings for Your Pancakes
There is a wide range of toppings you could add to your pancakes. They are so versatile that whether you pair them with a sweet, fruity, or savory topping, they will still taste amazing. Here are some of the best toppings I can think of:
Berries. Whether it’s blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries, their citrus taste will complement the sweetness of the pancakes nicely.Nuts. Pecans or walnuts add a nutty, crunchy, and healthy twist to this filling dish.Here’s another perfect combination: pancakes and bananas! Top your sweet and soft pancakes with yet another sweet and soft ingredient to enhance its flavor.Chocolate chips. Great for kids and kids-at-heart. The warm, rich, and gooey chocolate chunks create another flavorful layer to your breakfast!If you want some spice with your pancakes, add a dash of cinnamon, nutmeg, or allspice to the batter. For a healthier version, add a few scoops of oats and flax seeds to the mix.And last but not least, you can’t go wrong with the classic combo of pancakes and maple syrup.
Pro-tip when adding toppings: If you want an even distribution of toppings, don’t put them in the batter, as this will only cause them to sink to the bottom of the bowl. Instead, add them after you pour the batter onto the skillet.
History of IHOP
The International House of Pancakes is an American restaurant that offers a variety of breakfast foods. The chain, owned by Al and Jerry Lapin, first opened its doors in 1958 in Los Angeles, California. A marketing campaign in 1973 started calling the restaurant, IHOP, which eventually became its iconic name. Among its most famous menu items is the Rooty Tooty Fresh ‘N Fruity, which is made of eggs, bacon, sausage, ham, and pancakes topped with a fruit compote of your choice. But while IHOP primarily serves breakfast food, they also started serving lunch and dinner items in the 1980s to compete with similar restaurant chains such as Denny’s and Sambo’s. Today, the restaurant has over 1,800 branches worldwide. Click on a star to rate it!
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