Peanut Butter Pancakes

Peanut butter isn’t an easy addition to pancakes, but when I discovered that it could be done, I was very excited. I like peanut butter a lot, and one of my favorite things about it is that there are so many delicious, unique flavor combinations that can go with it.

I add chocolate chips for a Reese’s-style flavor with chocolate peanut butter pancakes, apples (apple and peanut butter is one of my favorite snacks), or bananas like a banana and peanut butter sandwich. I usually add the chocolate chips and apple chunks right into the pancakes so they get hot and gooey, but sometimes I prefer to spread banana slices on top without being warm when I make peanut butter banana pancakes.

Do you love peanut butter and jelly? Why not try your hand at peanut butter and jelly pancakes. There are a couple ways to do this. First, get your favorite jelly and stir it vigorously to make it smooth. Heat it up in the microwave for a few seconds if necessary. You can drizzle it into the pancake batter immediately after pouring it on the pan, or spread the finished pancakes with your jelly. Either way is super delicious.

Of course, there is no reason why peanut butter pancakes can’t be served the old-fashioned way with butter and warm maple syrup. The added salt makes it a delicious sweet-and-salty combination.

However you enjoy your peanut butter pancakes, it is important to find a good peanut butter pancake recipe. Getting the peanut butter mixed in well at just the right stage is very important because it can easily be too lumpy. A few lumps of peanut butter here and there, or extra chopped peanuts is fine, but you want to incorporate it as much as possible.

I have tried several different peanut butter recipes, but this one has always worked best for me. It’s easy to follow and works well. You can also try substituting almond butter to make almond butter pancakes.

Ingredients

1 ½ cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 ¼ cups milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
¼ cup peanut butter, creamy or chunky
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir it together with a whisk or wooden spoon so that all the ingredients are well-combined. Sift a second time for extra fluffy peanut butter pancakes.

In a small bowl, add the peanut butter. Stir it vigorously with a spoon so that it gets softer, smoother, and thinner. Put it in the microwave for a few seconds if necessary to get it softer. This will make it easier to mix into the rest of the ingredients. Don’t melt the peanut butter, just make it smooth.

In a separate large bowl, mix together the milk, egg, peanut butter, and vegetable oil. I usually like to mix the vegetable oil into the peanut butter first because it makes the peanut butter even smoother. Then add the egg and the milk little by little until it’s all mixed together.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently with a whisk or a wooden spoon. Mix just until most of the lumps are gone. Put the batter in the refrigerator for 15 to 30 minutes. During this time, bubbles will form for extra fluffy pancakes and the rest of the lumps will dissolve.

In the meantime, get your griddle nice and hot to about medium high heat, or 350 degrees if it’s an electric griddle. Make sure it is completely heated up before adding a brush of oil or butter. Clarified butter works best because it won’t burn. Don’t grease it until the batter is ready.

Use a ladle or a measuring cup to pour about ¼ cup of batter onto the pan. Space each pancake about 1 to 2 inches apart. NOTE: Don’t stir the batter before you pour because this will break up the bubbles that you waited so long for to form. You’ll only make the pancakes flatter. Those bubbles will make your pancakes nice and fluffy.

Let the pancakes cook for about 1 to 3 minutes. It may take longer if you are making larger pancakes. Tiny bubbles should form across the pancakes. Once the pancakes or covered across the top, you can flip them. I like to take a peak underneath the pancakes to make sure they are nice and golden brown before flipping. Let them cook for another 1 to 3 minutes on the other side until that side is golden brown.

Serving Peanut Butter Pancakes

Peanut butter pancakes go great buttered and drizzled with maple syrup, but they can be served with almost anything. Try any of the ideas mentioned above, or come up with something on your own. I like to have a variety of toppings available for guests so they can choose their own flavors. Experiment to find the tastes you like best.

One of my favorite things to do with peanut butter pancakes is to rough chop some honey-roasted peanuts and some chocolate chips. I add a few tablespoons of each to the batter and sprinkle some on top. The sweet honey peanuts add a touch of sweetness and crunch and the chocolate makes it rich and delicious. After all, chocolate can make almost anything taste divine!