Copycat Perkins Restaurant Pancakes Recipe | CDKitchen.com (2024)

FAQs

What makes restaurant pancakes taste so good? ›

Restaurants use better quality ingredients

Restaurants tend to use real, farm-fresh eggs and real milk when making their pancakes, which as you might guess, adds to a richer, higher-quality eating experience.

Buttermilk is often used instead of regular milk

Many restaurants use buttermilk instead of dairy or plant-based milk when making pancakes, which changes the interaction of the ingredients before and during cooking — leading to a fluffier, more texturally satisfying, and tastier result.

IHOP, for instance, requires its pans to be heated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and uses Crisco instead of butter to grease it, says Grimm. IHOP also has designated griddles that never cook anything other than pancakes, as Jon Kotez, IHOP's senior manager of field operations support, told Restaurant Business.

Can I Use Water Instead of Milk in Pancakes? Milk adds both flavor and texture to pancake batter, so if you are looking to make pancakes without milk, a simple swap to water doesn't always do the trick. For pancakes made without milk, you'll want to add some flavor through melted butter and vanilla extract.

The Grease

The final diner secret IHOP revealed: Real pancake pros don't use any oil or butter on their griddles. Instead, they make sure to use nonstick appliances so no extra fat is needed for the pancakes to lift off the hot pan.

Q – Should I make my batter in advance? A – Ideally make your batter and let it rest for about 30 minutes before cooking. This allows the flour to absorb the liquid, making the pancakes lighter and fluffier.

Flour is the main ingredient to any pancake. It provides the structure. Different types of flours alter the structure because some flours absorb more moisture or create more gluten (which binds the structure together) than others.

Eggs are a crucial ingredient. They provide the cakes with the structure to hold light bubbles. Eggs also give the batter additional, richer flavor from the yolk fat. If you add too many eggs, you'll have “pancakes” that look more like custard or crepes.

First, Ramsay mixes 100 grams of flour (about 3/4 cup), 300 mL of milk (about 2 Tbsp.), and two whole eggs into a bowl. After 15 minutes, he sprays a hot nonstick pan with oil before pouring in one full ladle of the mixture into the center of the pan.

What ingredient keeps pancakes from falling apart? ›

Gluten, which is found in flour, keeps pancakes from falling apart. Gluten, a type of protein, forms a “spiderweb” within baked goods, giving them structure. As the starches gelatinize, and turn from a batter to bread, the gluten strands hold them in place.

Therefore if you want to swap it for plain or all purpose flour, you will need to add some additional baking powder and also a little salt if you like. Some people like to add salt to recipes and some don't, so I'll leave that up to you as it won't affect the pancakes.

Are IHOP pancakes premade? No. Although the batter is made ahead of time, pancakes are cooked to order. I love IHOP pancakes but don't eat them very often.

Thus, buttermilk can give pancakes a better texture and make them tender in your mouth. Buttermilk pancakes may also make your pancakes have more flavor layers. The buttermilk adds tang, which compliments the other ingredients well, making your pancakes more robust and gourmet.

Butter Note: The Butter Alternative and Oil they use for cooking at IHOP are both dairy-free. However, they do use whipped butter on some dishes, on toast, for serving, etc. Make sure no real dairy butter is used to make or serve your order.