It's okay to have a little fun with your food sometimes, and these Turkey Pancakes are the perfect excuse to do just that for Thanksgiving. Your little turkeys and big ones alike will love this play on breakfast!
Greyson's eyes lit right up when I placed this plate in front of him. Uncka tried to make it well-balanced with a little fruit and protein and I think it really worked out.
If you like to have some fun with your pancakes as much as Greyson and I take a look at our other Holiday Pancakes sometime! Also, be sure to always serve them with WARM maple syrup, the real kind!
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Ingredients
These Turkey Pancakes start with a base of our traditional fluffy batter. You will also need some bananas, and cooked bacon to help make the tail feathers of the turkeys.
Uncka likes to keep things fairly simple, so we just used candy corn and some candy eyes to make the turkey's face and beak. Because he knows when little hands are close by, you gotta be quick with the breakfast!
What you need:
- Unsalted Butter
- Whole Milk
- Vanilla Extract
- Almond Extract
- All-Purpose Flour
- Granulated Sugar
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Kosher Salt, Morton’s
- Eggs
- 2-3 Bananas
- Cooked Bacon
- Candy Corn
- Candy Eyes
- 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 make our classic pancake batter, first 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 stays liquid in the pan.
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 (1) 2-ounce ladle of batter on the hot griddle and (½) ladle and cook till it gets very bubbly and the bubbles begin to pop. Flip and cook 30-45 seconds longer till fully cooked. Doing this gives you two different sized pancakes one for the turkey body and for the head.
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, cut a banana in half short ways (you'll just need half a banana per serving) then peel and cut it in half lengthwise. Then cut two pieces of cooked bacon in half and layer them on a plate to make the tail feathers.
Then place the larger pancake down with the smaller one on top. Add the candy corn and candy eyes to make the face and beak and you are ready to serve. Don't forget warm maple syrup to make everything yummy!
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.
- Candy Corn - I have seen everything from a piece of strawberry to a piece of fruit roll-up used for the beak of the bird. I always seem to have some candy corn lying around from Halloween so I use that and it keeps it festive to the season.
- Candy Eyes - If you don't have candy sprinkle eyes, you could also use a mini marshmallow cut in half with a mini chocolate chip in it to make eyes too.
- Bacon and Banana "Feathers" - Apple slices or slices of strawberries also make great feathers stacked behind the pancakes too.
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.
My favorite knife and cutting board for working on the small details for fun pancakes like these are essential!
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 turkey 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
Using all real and fresh ingredients gives your pancakes the best flavor and texture. Also, letting the pancake batter rest after mixing, for at least 10 minutes before you begin cooking them is a big factor in fluffy success.
Do you use baking powder or soda for fluffy pancakes?
A combination of the two is what gives these pancakes such a 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.
If you want to give your pancakes extra lift, swap the whole milk for buttermilk. When the buttermilk reacts with the baking soda and powder, magic is made and your batter becomes extra light and fluffy.
Related
If you LOVE pancakes like Greyson and me, try these other great recipes:
More great breakfast recipes to LOVE!
If you need more Thanksgiving breakfast inspo, take a look at Unckas Pumpkin Spice Sticky Buns.
His Pumpkin Scones are also very easy and perfect with a cup of coffee on Thanksgiving morning.
Turkey Pancakes
It's okay to have a little fun with your food sometimes, and these Turkey Pancakes are the perfect excuse to do just that for Thanksgiving.
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted
- 1 ½ cups Whole Milk
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 teaspoon Almond Extract
- 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
- 2-3 Banans, for serving
- 6-8 strips of Bacon, cooked, for serving
- Candy Corn, for making a beak
- Candy Eyes, for serving
- Maple Syrup, for serving
Instructions
- 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 vanilla and almond extract into the milk mixture.
- 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.
- 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 1 full ladle of batter on the griddle and ½ ladle of batter at a time. This will give you two different-sized pancakes to make the turkey's body and head. 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 serve the pancakes, peel and cut a banana in half, then cut it in half lengthwise, you just need half a banana per serving. Cut two pieces of bacon and half and arrange them on the plate with the banana pieces to create the “tail feathers. Place the larger pancake on top of it and the smaller one on top of it. Finish with a candy corn beak and two candy eyes.
- Serve with maple syrup and dig right in!
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.
- Candy Corn - I have seen everything from a piece of strawberry to a piece of fruit roll-up used for the beak of the bird. I always seem to have some candy corn lying around from Halloween so I use that and it keeps it festive to the season.
- Candy Eyes - If you don't have candy sprinkle eyes, you could also use a mini marshmallow cut in half with a mini chocolate chip in it to make eyes too.
- Bacon and Banana "Feathers" - Apple slices or slices of strawberries also make great feathers stacked behind the pancakes too.
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:
10Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 403Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 74mgSodium: 716mgCarbohydrates: 59gFiber: 1gSugar: 37gProtein: 8g
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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