Want to know how to thicken pancake batter? Or maybe you want to thin pancake batter that’s too thick? This is the ULTIMATE guide to fix your pancake batter
There’s nothing like a fresh stack of pancakes on a weekend (or any day actually). They are warm, light, fluffy and the ultimate comfort food.
Making pancakes is also one of those fun things to do on a weekend morning when you are craving a delicious breakfast that doesn’t take a lot of time to make.
And while pancakes are an easy recipe and simple enough to make, they have their own set of challenges, having mainly to do with the batter.
I mean, the batter can be too thin or too thick and the end result might be a flat, sad looking pancake that doesn’t come out fluffy or a thick, fat disk that has a tough texture.
Jump to:
🥞 Is pancake batter supposed to be watery or thick
🤔 How do you know if a pancake batter is too thick or too thin
🥣 Why is my pancake batter so thin
🥄 How to thicken pancake batter with flour
⏲️ How to thicken pancake batter without flour
🥣 Why is my pancake batter so thick
👩🏻🍳 How to thin out pancake batter
So if you are looking to thicken your pancake batter or if it’s the complete opposite and it came out too thick and want to thicken up this is the guide you need.
🥞 Is pancake batter supposed to be watery or thick
Ok, first things first. What does pancake batter look like?
It greatly depends on the recipe you are making, some batter are thicker and others are runny depending on the ingredients they use.
For example, sweet cream pancakes have a thicker batter because they are made with heavy cream instead of milk.
On the other hand, Carbquik pancakes have a slightly thinner batter since they are made with Carbquik mix instead of all purpose flour.
However, as a general rule of thumb your pancake batter should be slightly thick but not too much.
It should coat the back of a spoon and stick there when you are mixing but it should still be somewhat pourable.
More important than that, the batter SHOULD be lumpy. A lumpy batter is a good sign that you didn’t overmix it which is what creates perfectly soft and tall pancakes.
So in short when you are making pancakes your batter should:
Slightly stick to the back of the spoon
Drip from the spoon instead of running off
Lumpy
Somewhat pourable
🤔 How do you know if a pancake batter is too thick or too thin
Again it depends on the recipe you are making and the ingredients it calls for. Some batter are supposed to be thinner and others are supposed to be thicker.
However there are a good set of rules almost all pancake batter follow.
Your pancake batter is too thin if:
It doesn’t stick to the back of a spoon
When you grab a spoonful and pour it it runs off instead of slowly dripping
It’s watery
Spreads too fast when poured onto the hot griddle
It’s perfectly mixed and there aren’t any lumps left
When the pancakes are cooked through they are thin
When the pancakes are cooked they are incredibly flat
Yoru pancake batter is too thick if:
It clings to the spoon too much
It’s not pourable and you have to scoop it out like a dough
It has an elastic texture: This usually means you mixed it too much and activated the gluten
The pancakes came out chewy (and not in a good way)
The pancakes came out dense and tough instead of light and fluffy
🥣 Why is my pancake batter so thin
The common reason why a pancake batter came out too thin is simple:
You added too many wet ingredients.
So if you added a little bit too much milk or buttermilk your pancake batter is probably going to look thin and runny instead of having that perfect texture.
On the other hand if you are working with alternative flours instead of all purpose flour – think flours like a gluten free flour mix or amaranth flour – then your pancake batter might need a little extra addition to thicken it. Gluten free flours don’t work out exactly the same as the traditional ones.
It can also mean your batter needs a little rest before cooking. Depending on the wet ingredients and dry ingredients you use, some batters need a couple of minutes to fully hydrate and thicken up.
So before going the route of adding more flour, wait for around 10 minutes and see if that fixed the issue. If not, continue to the next section.
🥄 How to thicken pancake batter with flour
Since the most common reason for a pancake batter to be too runny is that there are too many wet ingredients and too little dry ingredients the easiest way to fix a pancake batter is:
Adding more dry ingredients!
You don’t want to add a lot of flour at the same time to thicken it up, and you definitely don’t want to overmix.
So, add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time. With the help of a sifter, add 1 tablespoon of flour to the batter and stir it. If it’s still too runny add 1 to 3 more tablespoons of flour, sifting it when making the addition. If it’s still too runny, wait for around 10 minutes to see if the batter thickens.
Some types of flour take a little longer to soak up the liquids.
⏲️ How to thicken pancake batter without flour
The easiest way to thicken thin pancake batter is by adding a little bit more flour. However if you feel you already added to much there are a couple things you can do to thicken it up without the need to add more flour
Refrigerate the batter for 30 minutes: So flours and batters need some rest time to give time for the flour to soak up the milk. On the other hand if you added things like melted butter or melted coconut oil refrigerating it might help. So cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for around 30 minutes and reassess the situation.
Add ground nuts: Ground nuts give your batter a little bit of flavor and also act as a thickening agent.
Stir in some oats: Oats also act as a thickening agent and give some extra fiber to your pancakes. If you go with this route, let your batter rest for around 30 minutes before cooking it. Oats need time to fully hydrate and thicken.
Add a mashed banana: And make banana pancakes! A mashed banana also helps thicken your pancake batter.
And if all of these fail, or you don’t feel like trying them up then add 1 to 2 extra eggs to your batter and make crepes.
Transforming your batter into a crepe batter is a great way to fix your batter issue.
🥣 Why is my pancake batter so thick
There are a couple different reasons why a pancake batter might come out too thick.
Maybe you mixed it too much. Over mixing the batter creates a gummy texture since the gluten is activated.
Think for example pizza dough or bread dough. Both are kneaded and worked to give it that springy and elastic texture. If you overmixed your batter you recreated that same thing but with pancakes.
Remember to always stir pancakes by hand and just until barely incorporated. Pancake batter should have lumps left.
It might also be the fact that you added too much flour or that you overpacked your flour when measuring it up.
On the other hand it might be the temperature of the ingredients. If you used cold butter and cold eggs your batter may firm up.
Thick pancake batter might also be a reflection of the ingredients you used. Some pancake recipes use heavy cream instead of milk which results in a thicker batter.
👩🏻🍳 How to thin out pancake batter
Thinning out pancake batter is just as easy as thickening it. Depending on the reason why your pancake batter is too thick there are a couple things you can do to fix it.
Let your batter rest for 30 minutes: If you overmixed your batter, giving it some rest will help the gluten relax.
Add 1 to 2 tablespoons more of water a time: Even if your pancake batter is made with milk or buttermilk (and you are sure you followed the instructions and added the same amount it was called for), don’t thin it up with more milk. The reason? Too many milk proteins can make the pancakes tough so use water instead when adding more than what the recipe calls for.
Add 1 more egg: Depending on your recipe maybe you only need to add 1 more egg to it. Be careful when adding too many tho, protein in eggs might also result in tough pancakes.
If you believe your mix is too thick, add milk a tablespoon at a time until it reaches the desired consistency. If your pancake mix is too runny or you fear you've added too much milk, you can add a little bit of flour until it returns to the desired thickness.
To make you pancakes spread more, and thus be thinner, increase the amount of liquid in the recipe. This will make the batter less viscous, so that it will spread more before beginning to set, thus giving you thinner pancakes.
A few good ones to try are arrowroot, tapioca, or potato starch. Start with 1 tablespoon and add more if you need it. Coconut flour - Since coconut flour is great at absorbing extra liquid, it works well to thicken pancake batter.
If it is too thick to work with, add a little milk. Set the batter aside for 5-10 minutes. Heat a heavy-bottomed, non-stick pan over a low-medium heat and coat it with oil. Use a ¼ cup measure to scoop and drop the batter into the pan so that you get evenly-sized pancakes.
Thick Batter. It is generally believed that thick batter results in a dense and stiff cake that will dry out easily. While this is true in some cases, some cake batter is naturally thicker and the adequate thickness of the batter results in a light and fluffy cake with tight crumbs.
With little gluten, pancakes rely on eggs to provide the additional structure necessary to hold the bubbles and allow the pancake to rise. The fat in the yolk also provides richness and flavor. Too much egg, however, will make the pancake dense and custard-like; not enough will make it drier and more biscuit-like.
If you wind up using too many eggs in your recipe, then you could have the pancakes turn out very dense. Having more eggs than you need in a recipe such as this will alter the consistency of the pancakes and make them so that they are way thicker than they should be.
More often than not, a runny batter is going to be caused by the fact that there are too many wet ingredients in the batter, and that those wet ingredients are not thick enough to be used as proper pancake batter.
BATTER The batter should be slightly lumpy (image below) and should pour easily but should not be runny. If it's too thick add milk a tablespoon or two at a time. If it's too runny or you've accidentally added too much liquid, you can add a bit of flour to get the right consistency.
Add 1 tablespoon of tapioca, corn, or potato starch to the bowl.Mix it well to combine and wait 5 minutes. If it's still too thin, add one more tablespoon and then do a test pancake on your pan. Depending on how watery your batter is, add 2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon of coconut flour into the batter bowl.
Cornstarch can be subbed in for wheat flour at a 1:2 ratio. Because it's a durable thickener, you only need half the amount of cornstarch to create the same effect. Also, adding cornstarch to a gluten free recipe is a great way to add softness and texture to baked goods while keeping them grain free!
Be sure to sift the dry ingredients, use buttermilk or yogurt instead of milk, separate the eggs and beat the whites until stiff, use a griddle or frying pan that is preheated to the correct temperature, and rest your batter for 15 minutes.
Flour is the main ingredient to any pancake. It provides the structure. Liquid combines with the flour to establish the type of structure being made. If the proportion of liquid to flour is 50/50, then the batter is thick.
If you've added too much oil or water to your mix then you'll need to compensate with extra dry ingredients. You'll need to add some additional flour to even out your mix. Just eyeball how much you need or add it by tablespoons to be cautious until the texture is right.
Before you cook your pancakes, you should allow your batter to 'settle'. 24 hours in the fridge is ample time, but it may have thickened up a little when you take it back out, so just loosen up with a splash of milk.
Milk is usually required in a cake recipe to thin out the batter and lighten up the crumb, but sour cream is often overlooked. In addition to milk, add a Tablespoon or 2 of sour cream. Of course this depends on the recipe, but you'll find that a lot of my cake recipes call for sour cream.
Combine 2 cups Aunt Jemima mix, 1-1/2 cups milk, 2 eggs and 1/3 cup oil; stir until large lumps disappear. For best results, allow batter to rest 4-5 minutes before baking.
For example, is it believed that the lucky one who finds a shiny coin in their pancake will be rich, however, the unlucky one who bites down on a button will become a seamstress or tailor and work for the rest of their life.
Don't over-mix the batter - As mentioned in the recipe you only want to mix the batter until it just comes together. Lumps are okay! Over mixing will develop too much gluten in the batter leading to tough, chewy pancakes.
Coat generously with melted butter and then ladle about 1/3 cup (80 ml) batter onto the griddle for each pancake. Cook until the edges are golden and bubbles form on the surface, then flip the pancakes and continue cooking until cooked through, about 3 minutes total. Keep warm while you cook the remaining pancakes.
When chemical leaveners, such as baking powder, create bubbles in a cooked pancake, the gluten network traps these bubbles and allows a pancake to rise and stay fluffy yet still keep its shape. Recipe makes about 12 small pancakes, enough for four to six people.
To fix runny batter, just use a sifter to add in flour by the teaspoon. While flour will help thicken the batter, adding too much will result in something akin to elastic dough, which does not make for especially great pancakes.
The batter should be thick enough that it drips rather than runs off the spoon—and remember, it should have some lumps still in it. If a little flour doesn't fix the issue, there could be an issue with your baking powder.
1. Use Milk/ Alternative Milk Instead Of Water. Even though the mix may call for water, you can easily substitute that for an alternative milk (I like oat milk). You may have to add a dash more due to the difference in consistency, but it'll taste so much better!
A cake batter should be fluffy. This means that the batter is aerated and will rise when baked. Secondly, it shouldn't be overly thick or overly runny. A thick batter makes a dense, heavy, and stiff cake.
Remove the egg from pancakes and without a binder, they'll fall apart on the griddle. Eggs make things fluffier. Eggs help foods to rise, leaven or puff up, making them have a light and airy texture. Eggs add color and richness in flavor.
This is probably the easiest, fastest way to get a delicious maple syrup substitute: mix some jam (or jelly, or preserves, or marmalade) with a splash of water in a small pan over medium heat. Whisk until smooth, adding more water as needed until you get a nice, syrupy consistency.
All natural, aqueous-based polymeric thickeners are derived from polysaccharides with the most common being sourced from cellulose (wood, cotton) and starch (corn, potato). Other important polysaccharide sources include seaweed, plant seeds/roots, and those derived from fermentation.
Easy-to-access alternatives are wheat flour, arrowroot flour, and rice flour. These are good alternatives to cornstarch because they are more nutritious and contain fewer carbohydrates and calories. Xanthan and guar gum are much stronger thickeners than cornstarch, but they can be harder to obtain and use.
Examples of thickening agents include: polysaccharides (starches, vegetable gums, and pectin), proteins (eggs, collagen, gelatin, blood albumin) and fats (butter, oil and lards). All purpose flour is the most popular food thickener, followed by cornstarch and arrowroot or tapioca.
Too thick and they will be gluggy and undercooked on the inside. Too runny, and the pancakes will spread out and won't fluff up. I like to test the batter with my spoon or ladle, lifting it gently above the rim of the bowl. It has to be thick BUT able to run slowly and nicely off of the spoon.
Stir your batter until the dry and wet ingredients are just incorporated. That means mixing until the flour streaks have disappeared, but leaving the pesky lumps. If you over-mix, the gluten will develop from the flour in your batter, making your pancakes chewy instead of fluffy.
Flour – The easiest way to thicken pancake batter is to add flour. Using a tablespoon, and a sifter, carefully add 1 tbsp of flour at a time, gently stirring the batter. ...
Eggs – The second option is to use eggs to thicken your batter to its desired consistency.
A – Ideally make your batter and let it rest for about 30 minutes before cooking. This allows the flour to absorb the liquid, making the pancakes lighter and fluffier.
The pan needs to be hot, but that doesn't mean the heat needs to be cranked up to high. For a well-cooked pancake with a golden-brown outside, and an inside that's soft and cooked through, keep the heat set to medium.
The lactic acid reacts with the bicarbonate in the self-raising flour to produce carbon dioxide (CO₂) gas. Bubbles of gas are caught in the batter as it cooks and this is what makes the pancake fluffy.
Like with cake batters, lumps can form if you don't sift the flour. If a recipe doesn't call for sifting the flour, just give a few whisks (use a wire whisk) in the bowl. Flour settles when it's stored so whisking aerates it.
Over-mixing the batter causes strong gluten strands to form, which give your cake that dense texture. If some of your ingredients are cold, they make it more difficult to mix together your batter and can impact the rise of your cake.
Introduction: My name is Errol Quitzon, I am a fair, cute, fancy, clean, attractive, sparkling, kind person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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