The moment I see this stone fruit hit the grocery store I know I NEED to make these Plum Pancakes. I perfume them with some vanilla and sweeten them with just a little sugar to make a gorgeous syrup to douse the pancakes with!
Greyson absolutely adored his first bite of these plum pancakes. Uncka made sure they were a little sweet, and a little tart, just the way a great plum is!
I typically make this recipe when I have bought a few too many plums. I get a little overzealous when I see them. But if you have a few going a little past their prime, turning them into syrup for your pancakes is the best way to use them up!
If you like making pancakes with some of summer's best flavors, check out THIS RECIPE. Also, be sure to always serve them with WARM maple syrup, the real kind!
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Ingredients
I suggest making this plum pancake recipe with only fresh plums. If you do use frozen the syrup may become a bit more liquid and less chunky than when you use fresh.
I would suggest pureeing the cooked plum sauce when it is done so you get a super luscious and smooth plum sauce to drizzle over your hotcakes.
What you need:
- Plums
- Vanilla Bean
- Lemon
- Unsalted Butter
- Whole Milk
- All-Purpose Flour
- Granulated Sugar
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Kosher Salt, Morton’s
- Eggs
- Whipped Irish Butter
- Maple Syrup
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
To start, add the lemon juice and sugar to a pan along with the diced plums. I leave some of them halved or quartered to place on top of a stack as you see in my photos. Cook the mixture for 5-7 minutes, till the sugar fully dissolves and the sauce becomes syrupy.
The goal is to get the plums soft and infuse the vanilla bean flavor, but keep some large pieces of plum present in the syrup.
Then, melt 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. Fold in the eggs and a little bit of the cooked plum pieces, about ½ cup.
I fish a few pieces out, give them a rough chop, and mix until a slightly lumpy batter has formed, it's okay for pancake batter to have a few lumps. The plums may also make the batter a little blueish/purple, that is just the plums and isn't worrisome.
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 pancakes high and top with the cooked jammy plum syrup drenched over them. Finish with a hearty drizzle of REAL maple syrup too if desired!
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 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.
- Plums - Fresh plums are highly suggested, you could also do this recipe with just about any stone fruit. Peaches, Nectarines, Apricots, or Cherries would also be great.
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 plum pancakes, from the fridge or freezer, in a toaster, or toaster oven for best results.
If you have leftovers of the jammy plum syrup for these pancakes, store it in the fridge. Warm gently before serving as it may thicken up and set like a jam in the fridge.
Top Tips
You only need to cook the plums in the lemon/sugar/vanilla for a few minutes. They will still taste good, but to get the big pretty pieces you see in the photos, minimal cooking is key.
If you go too far, puree the sauce in a blender for a smooth plum syrup to drizzle over your pancakes.
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
How to add Fruit to Pancake Batter?
I like to scoop out a few pieces of the cooked plums in this case, leaving most of the syrup in the pan, chop them up a bit, and fold them into the pancake batter. You can also chop things like blueberries and strawberries and fold them right into the batter.
Baking Soda. It is what gives the pancakes their rise. The boost ensures a super fluffy, light, and airy finished pancake. Resting the batter also promotes rise. Letting the baking soda work for a while gives a greater lift.
Just about any fruit can be added to pancake batter or added to the top of a stack of pancakes. Whether you choose to cook them down like we have done with the plums here, or serve them fresh with syrup or whipped cream is up to you.
Related
If you LOVE pancakes like Greyson and me, try these other great recipes:
More of great Plum Recipes
If you LOVE plums, try Uncka's Sugar Plum Cheese Danish which tastes just like the ones that Starbucks sells. So YUMMY!
Another great use for plums is this recipe from Uncka's friend for Sauteed Plums in Wine Sauce that she serves over ice cream!
Plum Pancakes
The moment I see this stone fruit hit the grocery store I know I NEED to make these Plum Pancakes.
Ingredients
for the plum syrup:
- 4-6 medium Plums, pit removed and diced
- ½ cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 cup Water
- ½ Vanilla Bean, scraped
- 1 pinch Kosher Salt, Morton’s
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice, fresh squeezed
for the pancakes:
- ½ cup Unsalted Butter, melted
- 1 ½ cups Whole Milk
- 2 tablespoon Plum Poaching Liquid
- 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- ¼ cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Baking Powder
- 2 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt, Morton’s
- 2 lg Eggs, lightly beaten
- Whipped Irish Butter, for serving
Instructions
for the plum syrup:
- Pit and dice the plums, and set aside till needed.
- In a shallow skillet or saucepan, combine the sugar, water, vanilla beans, salt, and lemon juice. Place on the stove over medium heat and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Add the plums to the boiling liquid and continue cooking for 5-7 minutes. This sauce in the pan should thicken and the plums will get tender.
- Turn off the heat and set aside until ready to top the pancakes.
- Remove about ½ cup of the plums and finely chop or smash them, this will go in the pancake batter.
for the pancakes:
- Melt the butter over low heat in a 2-quart saucepan on the stove. 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.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, soda, and salt.
- 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 along with chopped plum pieces.
- 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.
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.
- Plums - Fresh plums are highly suggested, you could also do this recipe with just about any stone fruit. Peaches, Nectarines, Apricots, or Cherries would also be great.
Top Tips
You only need to cook the plums in the lemon/sugar/vanilla for a few minutes. They will still taste good, but to get the big pretty pieces you see in the photos, minimal cooking is key.
If you go too far, puree the sauce in a blender for a smooth plum syrup to drizzle over your pancakes.
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: 372Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 85mgSodium: 717mgCarbohydrates: 51gFiber: 2gSugar: 26gProtein: 7g
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.
KC
I loved these pancakes, and such a great way to use up fresh plums that were past their prime.