When you want to bring a little brightness to breakfast, you've got to make these Orange Pancakes! They are so fresh and fun.
Little G loves an orange slice, when we do go eat out, we like to go to this little diner, and they serve everything with an orange slice on the plate. Everyone gives him theirs so he can much on them, and that inspired Uncka to whip up this recipe for him!
We even went the extra mile and created an orange maple syrup recipe that is also included below so you can douse your pancakes in bright fresh flavor too.
If you love pancakes as much as Greyson and I try his very favorite Banana Pancakes sometime! Also, be sure to always serve your pancakes with WARM maple syrup, the real kind!
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Ingredients
You will likely need 2 whole oranges to make this recipe. You will use the zest and juice from both of them if you make the homemade orange maple syrup to serve alongside.
I also love to add a little cardamom to the pancake batter, I think it pairs so beautifully with the orange flavors. I gives such a rich flavor to the pancakes, and you only need a little bit, it goes a long way.
What you need:
- For the Orange Pancakes:
- Unsalted Butter
- Whole Milk
- Orange Juice, freshly squeezed
- Orange Zest
- Vanilla Extract
- Orange Extract
- All-Purpose Flour
- Granulated Sugar
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Kosher Salt, Morton’s
- Cardamom, ground
- Eggs
- Whipped Irish Butter
- Maple Syrup
- For the Orange Maple Syrup:
- Orange Juice, freshly squeezed
- Orange Zest, grated
- Maple Syrup
- Kosher Salt
- Unsalted Butter
See the recipe card for full quantities.
Use the JUMP TO RECIPE button at the top of the post, or scroll to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe card with ingredient measurements and instructions.
Method
Start by melting the butter in a saucepan over low heat on the stove. When it is fully melted, add the milk to the pan and just continue warming until no lumps of butter remain, the milk does not need to simmer or boil.
When adding cold milk it can make the butter lump up, just warm it enough that the butter becomes liquid again.
In a large bowl, stir the dry ingredients together with the milk/butter mixture until well combined. Then fold the eggs into the mix just until fully incorporated.
Let the batter rest for 10 minutes before you begin cooking the pancakes. This is the secret to extra fluffy, cloud-like pancakes.
To cook the pancakes, heat a griddle over medium heat on the stove, and be patient. Heat it for at least 5 minutes to get fully warm.
Then drop 2-ounce ladles of batter on the hot griddle and cook till it gets very bubbly and the bubbles begin to pop. Flip and cook 30-45 seconds longer till fully cooked.
Uncka's Chef Tip
Stack the cooked pancakes up to ensure they finish cooking, the same way you'd stack tortillas and put them in a warmer or cloth to finish. Pancakes finish cooking all the way through in the same way as well as keeping the first cakes warm as you cook the rest. This ensures not wet or soggy middles.
To serve, stack the Orange Pancakes high and top with a large pat of salted butter. Finish with a hearty drizzle of the Orange Maple Syrup if you are making it, or only REAL maple syrup!
Substitutions
Let's chat about how to make these pancakes gluten, or dairy-free if you or someone you love needs to follow those dietary guidelines for their health.
- Flour - If you need to make these banana pancakes gluten-free, use a quality cup-for-cup flour swap. The one I linked here is really high quality and has great results.
- Milk - If you are dairy-free, you can use almond milk, but my suggestion is cashew for its higher fat content. Pancakes may stick a bit when using almond milk, and you may need to grease the griddle or pan more often during the cooking of your pancakes.
- Butter - You can use a vegan butter substitute or plant-based butter. A bit of a more economical swap is vegetable or canola oil.
Equipment
These are my favorite little skillets for making pancake toppings and syrups in. You can also toast nuts for use in them too.
My number one, most favorite tool for perfect pancakes is a Cast-Iron griddle. They build up a strong, natural, non-stick coating over time and make for BEAUTIFUL pancakes.
Be sure to season a new griddle, every time you use and wash it (with soap) with this cast-iron oil to build THE BEST non-stick surface.
I like a really sturdy, metal spatula for flipping pancakes. It helps them not stick to it, and makes for a perfect flip, no floppy half-turned pancakes, It's got to be THIS spatula for me!
The use of a 2-ounce ladle makes THE perfect-sized pancakes, in my opinion. They are just the right size and easy to flip.
Storage
While pancakes won't spoil if left on the counter overnight, they are just like a cake, biscuit, or cookie in this way. I prefer to place them in a zip-top bag or air-tight container in the fridge.
You can also freeze pancakes. To do so, lay them flat on a tray, not stacked, then once frozen place them in a freezer bag and store for up to 3 months.
Reheat leftover Orange Pancakes, from the fridge or freezer, in a toaster, or toaster oven for best results.
Top Tips
When making the pancake batter, ensuring it rests for 10 minutes is a HUGE gateway to SUPER FLUFFY pancakes. This allows the leavening agent to fully develop and lets the gluten strands in the flour relax.
Exercise patience and let the griddle get really warm before you start cooking. A griddle that is too cool will cause the pancakes to stick to it. I use a really Well-Seasoned cast iron griddle that requires no buttering due to the amount in the actual pancakes.
If you can use a small amount of high-heat oil like vegetable or grapeseed to grease your griddle if needed. You should only need to do this once before you start cooking. Use a paper towel to spread an even and thin layer over your griddle.
I prefer to cook on medium, to just under medium heat so my pancakes can cook quickly. I also prefer only to cook 2 pancakes at a time so I have plenty of room to flip.
Be sure to stack your pancakes after cooking. This allows them to stay soft as well as allowing the middles to finish cooking while also staying a little JAMMY SOFT. That's what I call it anyway. It helps create super tender pancakes.
FAQ
Do you use baking powder or soda for fluffy pancakes?
A combination of the two is what gives these pancakes such great lift. When they interact with the acid that the milk has in it, they create air bubbles and that is what makes the pancakes ultra fluffy.
YES! Allowing it to rest lets all of the leveners become active giving them great lift. It also allows the flour to fully absorb the liquid and tighten up the batter which also helps make them fluffy.
Adding butter to the pan when cooking the pancakes will give extra rich flavor, but using a high smoke point oil like avocado or coconut will give the pancakes more even browning. If using a well-seasoned or nonstick skillet, no fat is really needed with this recipe, because it is made with so much real butter in the batter.
More of our favorite Fruit Pancake Recipes!
If you LOVE pancakes like Greyson and me, try these other great recipes:
More great breakfast recipes to LOVE!
If you LOVE breakfast as much as Uncka, take a look at his recipe for Breakfast Pie. It is inspired by a meal he had on his travels, and it is SO good!
When you want breakfast to feel a little extra special, try our friend's Breakfast Fried Rice. It is inspired by their Asian and Hawaiian backgrounds and so tasty!
Orange Pancakes
When you want to bring a little brightness to breakfast, you've got to make these Orange Pancakes! They are so fresh and fun.
Ingredients
For the Orange Pancakes:
- 8 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted
- 1 cup Whole Milk
- ½ cup Orange Juice, fresh squeezed
- 2 teaspoons Orange Zest
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 teaspoon Orange Extract
- 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- ¼ cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Baking Powder
- 2 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt, Morton’s
- 1 teaspoon Cardamom, ground
- 2 lg Eggs, lightly beaten
- Whipped Irish Butter, for serving
- Maple Syrup, for serving
For the Orange Maple Syrup:
- 1 cup Orange Juice, fresh squeezed
- 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest, plus
- ½ cup amber maple syrup
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
Instructions
For the Orange Pancakes:
- In a 2-quart saucepan on the stove, melt the butter over low heat. Add the milk to the pan and heat just till warm and any butter that solidified is liquid again. Do not boil. Let cool for 5 minutes, then stir the orange juice, zest, vanilla, and orange extracts into the milk mixture.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, soda, salt, and cardamom.
- Slowly whisk the warm milk mixture into the flour mixture, just till a lumpy mixture forms.
- Crack the eggs into the bowl and whisk just till incorporated.
- Let the pancake batter rest on the counter for 10 minutes.
- After the batter has rested for 5 minutes, warm the griddle on the stove, over medium-heat I suggest a cast iron griddle. It is important to let it get hot till it begins to smoke the tiniest bit, then you know it is ready to be cooked on.
- Turn the heat down two marks on the stove dial, just between medium, and medium-low.
- Using a 2-ounce ladle, drop 2 rounds of batter on the griddle at a time. Cook for 30-45 seconds, just till the edges begin to set.
- Flip and cook a further 45-60 seconds, then remove to a platter.
- Pancakes can be kept warm in a 200˚F oven if needed.
- To make whipped Irish butter, beat 4 tablespoons in the bowl of a stand mixer, I like to use my flex edge flat beater it gets the butter extra fluffy, and beat for 3-4 minutes on medium-high, with a pinch of kosher salt.
- Serve the pancakes with a dollop of butter on top and warm maple syrup, the real kind!
For the Orange Maple Syrup:
- In a saucepan, heat the orange juice over medium heat until it comes to a boil. Continue cooking until it reduces by half, about 8-10 minutes.
- Stir in the maple syrup, orange zest, and salt and continue to simmer for 1 minute longer.
- Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, one tablespoon at a time. Serve warm or at room temp.
- Store leftovers in the fridge and warm gently before serving.
Notes
Substitutions
Let's chat about how to make these pancakes gluten, or dairy-free if you or someone you love needs to follow those dietary guidelines for their health.
- Flour - If you need to make these banana pancakes gluten-free, use a quality cup-for-cup flour swap. The one I linked here is really high quality and has great results.
- Milk - If you are dairy-free, you can use almond milk, but my suggestion is cashew for its higher fat content. Pancakes may stick a bit when using almond milk, and you may need to grease the griddle or pan more often during the cooking of your pancakes.
- Butter - You can use a vegan butter substitute or plant-based butter. A bit of a more economical swap is vegetable or canola oil.
Top Tips
When making the pancake batter, ensuring it rests for 10 minutes is a HUGE gateway to SUPER FLUFFY pancakes. This allows the leavening agent to fully develop and lets the gluten strands in the flour relax.
Exercise patience and let the griddle get really warm before you start cooking. A griddle that is too cool will cause the pancakes to stick to it. I use a really Well-Seasoned cast iron griddle that requires no buttering due to the amount in the actual pancakes.
If you can use a small amount of high-heat oil like vegetable or grapeseed to grease your griddle if needed. You should only need to do this once before you start cooking. Use a paper towel to spread an even and thin layer over your griddle.
I prefer to cook on medium, to just under medium heat so my pancakes can cook quickly. I also prefer only to cook 2 pancakes at a time so I have plenty of room to flip.
Be sure to stack your pancakes after cooking. This allows them to stay soft as well as allowing the middles to finish cooking while also staying a little JAMMY SOFT. That's what I call it anyway. It helps create super tender pancakes.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 555Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 107mgSodium: 718mgCarbohydrates: 79gFiber: 1gSugar: 49gProtein: 6g
Food Safety
There aren't many concerns when it comes to pancakes, but here are a few tips to help ensure the best experience with your pancakes.
- Ensure your pancakes are fully cooked, as eating raw pancake batter is not advised because it contains raw eggs.
- The USDA advises to not leave cooked foods at room temperature for longer than 2 hours, 1 hour if the environment is above 90˚F.
- That said, pancakes contain the same ingredients as cakes, biscuits, and cookies so they can be stored at room temperature.
- I personally advise keeping them in an air-tight container or zip-top bag and warming them in a toaster or microwave before eating leftovers.
- Never leave cooking food unattended.
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove.
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