Why Are My Pancakes Not Fluffy?

The perfect pancake is light and fluffy, but what if yours aren’t? A few small mistakes can keep your pancakes from being fluffy:

  • Using Old Ingredients: The quality of your ingredients is an important part of creating the perfect fluffy pancakes. Your baking soda should be less than six months old; old baking soda doesn’t have as much leavening power. Fresher ingredients, both dry and wet, lead to better pancakes.
  • Over-mixing the Batter: It’s OK to have lumps in your pancake batter! In fact, it’s better to mix it just enough to incorporate the wet and dry ingredients, not until it’s perfectly smooth. Over-mixing the batter will develop the gluten in the flour too much, making your pancakes dense and chewy.
  • Not Letting the Batter Rest: Once you’ve mixed the batter, stop and do something else, like set the table and heat up the griddle. Waiting at least ten minutes before you start cooking allows the flour to fully hydrate and the leavening to start working, giving your pancakes the lift they need to be fluffy.