Picture this:
✨A perfectly light brown, classic, fluffy flapjack sitting right in front of you, waiting to be devoured — after you take a picture, of course, #phoneeatsfirst.✨
Crafting a flawless flapjack is an art. And you’re the artist who wields the whisk for a delicious sunrise stack. But it’s no easy task.
Honestly, we’ve all been there, staring at our skillets, contemplating our existence, and wondering why our batter won’t stop sticking to the pan - or worse - discovering your flapjack is burnt!!
There’s good news peeking on the horizon; we’re divulging our top 10 tips for cooking perfect flapjacks, so you can ditch the stress for pure breakfast bliss instead.
Tip 1: Batter Up! But not too much.
Mix your flapjacks just enough to moisten the dry ingredients. When your dry ingredients are moist, stop battering and give that wrist a break - even if there are small lumps.
The lumps form because flour contains gluten, a sticky substance that activates when it gets wet and mixed. If gluten is over-mixed it becomes tough, rubbery, and unappetizing.
Don’t worry about the lumps; they’ll disappear when you cook your flapjacks!
Tip 2: Mix it in!
We talk a lot about our favorite flapjack toppings, but mix-ins are another fun addition that can add flavor variety to your already yummy stack.
Berries, bananas, cinnamon, vanilla, chocolate chips, and even sausage or bacon. They’re your flapjacks, so go crazy!
Who doesn’t love a good surprise in every bite?
Tip 3: No head starts.
Let your griddle or skillet heat up for about five minutes before pouring your flapjack batter onto its hot surface.
We know you’re excited, but patience is key here.
Why does the skillet need to be hot? Because if it’s not, your flapjacks will turn out tough in texture after cooking too long. Careful though, if the skillet’s too hot your flapjack will have a doughy center.
We’ve found the sweet spot to be at medium-high heat, or about 375° F. Test your griddle by dripping a few drops of water onto your skillet’s surface; the drops should dance around a little bit before evaporating.
Tip 4: Choose your fighter: thick or thin batter?
Lay the batter on thick–or thin–depending on your preference. Thicker batter will make your flapjacks denser. Thinner batter gives flapjacks a lighter texture.
Tip 5: Don’t muddle your puddle.
Don’t forget your cooking oil!
Make a small puddle of cooking oil on your griddle or skillet and, instead of spreading it around to coat every inch, pour your flapjack batter directly into the middle of the puddle.
The oil will surround the edges and make your flapjacks crisp and tasty.
If you’re looking to keep it lean, cooking spray is a good option, but it doesn’t add flavor or make the edges crispy. Other options like butter will help keep your batter from sticking.
Tip 6: Chasing that picture-perfect stack?
We love flapjacks of all shapes and sizes. But the secret to a stack of perfectly round flapjacks that are all the same size? A measuring cup!
We suggest scooping a 1/3 or 1/4 cup batter onto your hot skillet for each one. But if you’re not looking for the same-size flapjacks, then simply eyeballing them will do!
Tip 7: No double flips
Flipping your flapjacks too many times makes them dry. And as flapjack experts, let us be the first to tell you that you do not want dry flapjacks!
Flapjacks are ready to flip when the batter starts bubbling and the sides start to rise. Take a peek underneath a lifted edge to help determine when each flapjack is ready to flip— you will know when it’s golden brown.
Just be patient and let your flapjacks cook, gosh dang it!
Tip 8: You’re not Hulk — so please, no smashing.
Flattening your flapjack is the cardinal sin in the lost art of flipping flapjacks!
There is a common misconception among flapjack flippers that smashing your flapjacks with a spatula will help them cook faster and eliminate the possibility of a doughy center.
This is not true! We repeat this is FALSE.
The hot air inside the flapjack helps it cook more efficiently. Patting it down with a spatula merely pushes the air out of your flapjack and reverses all the work you put in to creating a perfectly light and fluffy stack.
“Hulk don’t smash”.
Tip 9: Some like it hot…actually, everyone does.
If you are cooking flapjacks for a large group and will not be serving them hot off the griddle, the best way to keep your flapjacks warm is by placing them in a single layer across a cookie sheet and putting the cookie sheet inside a warm oven.
Do not stack your flapjacks on top of each other or cover them with foil because they’ll get soggy, which is even more unappetizing than eating cold flapjacks.
Tip 10: Ditch short stacks!
Or, in other words, don’t skimp on toppings.
We love getting creative with our flapjack toppings because the options are endless. Some of our favorites include real butter, Kodiak Fruit Syrup, warm maple syrup, fresh berries, chocolate chips, apple sauce, nut butter, bananas, and yogurt.
Go big or go home, right?
Do you have any more tips to add to our master list? Share them with us on social media by tagging @kodiakcakes. And if you're curious about all the different ways to use our Flapjack & Waffle Mix, check out our recipe catalog where we keep adding to the list of creative ways to add our mix to all your favorite foods!
