We are a breakfast-for-dinner family.
But pancakes have always been my nemesis for two reasons: 1) I always walk away from the griddle and burn them, and 2) I spend most of the dinner flipping pancakes while the rest of the family is eating theirs.
But then I stumbled upon this amazing pancake trick from Family Fresh Meals, which solved both my problems by baking pancakes in a muffin tin.
Maybe this is old news to you. It was a huge discovery for me! So I just wanted to pass this on in case anyone else out there hasn't seen it. Because it is seriously amazing. And once you try it, you'll never go back to flipping pancakes again!
Pancake Muffins
Ingredients:
3 cups pancake mix (but not a mix that is "just add water")
Ingredients listed on pancake mix box (probably oil, milk, and eggs - although we will be substituting for the eggs in this recipe)
1/3 cup applesauce for every one egg required
Optional Mix-Ins:
Blueberries (Jim's favorite)
Apples + Apple Pie Spice or Cinnamon (B's favorite)
Red Raspberries + Dark Chocolate Chips (my favorite)
Milk Chocolate Chips (serve this one topped with peanut butter!)
Colored Sprinkles (J's favorite)
Ground Sausage, Diced Ham, or Crumbled Bacon + Shredded Cheddar Cheese
"Snickerdoodle" Topping: 1 Tbsp. Sugar + 1 tsp. Cinnamon + 1 Tbsp. Brown Sugar, mixed
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Follow directions on pancake mix box to prepare the batter substituting 1/3 cup applesauce for every 1 egg needed. (I use slightly less milk than required - 1/4 cup less to be precise. This seems to help them turn out better when the batter is a little thicker.)
3. Spray muffin or mini muffin tin generously with cooking spray. Fill each muffin tin 1/2 full if adding mix-ins. If not, fill 2/3 full.
4. If adding mix-ins, do so now. For the fruit, chocolate, and meat, take a spoon and gently press them into the batter. Sprinkle cheese, sprinkles, or spices on top.
5. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until toothpick, inserted, comes out clean. Serve hot with butter, maple syrup, peanut butter, etc.
Notes: I like to slice them in half, just like you would a muffin. Oh yeah, and spread peanut butter on the chocolate chip pancakes...yes, please!
Yield: For me, this makes 2 dozen regular pancake muffins and 12+ mini muffins.
Storage: Store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days in a storage container or bag. Reheat in the microwave.
To Freeze: Let pancake muffins cool completely on a cooking rack. Label a freezer storage bag with the contents and date. Place muffins evenly in one layer in the bag. Place flat on a cookie sheet in the freezer. When ready to use again, thaw muffins completely. Then reheat in microwave as normal.
Now, making pancakes is so easy. Which is awesome because they are hands down the kids' favorite meal...so we make it a lot! We hope you enjoy it too!
P.S. If you try these and come up with new mix-ins, let me know! We'd love to try out your creations too!
I'm linking up here today!