The 10-Second Trick For Making Pancakes Extra Fluffy (Not Flat)

Works every time.

Pancakes are a pretty perfect food. We can all agree on this, right? 🥞

NBC

They're delicious, cheap, easy to make — and you get to crown them with syrup at the end. What's not to love??

But there's one thing that can sometimes be tricky about pancakes, and that is nailing their consistency.

tasty.co

You want a stack that's airy and fluffy, not one that's dense and flat.

According to Cook's Illustrated, there's an easy fix — because the difference between a flat pancake and a fluffy one can come down to one simple thing.

tasty.co

And that's the way you stir the batter.

Instagram: @cooksillustrated

In a test, Cook's Illustrated used two identical batches of basic pancake batter and found the way they were stirred made a big difference.

You want to stir super gently — *just* enough to barely combine the wet and dry ingredients, making sure to keep some of the lumps intact.

tasty.co

It's a simple step, but an important one. Don't smooth it all out!

Cook's Illustrated says those lumps — along with "a few streaks of flour" — should carry right over to the pan.

Tasty

The result, once cooked? Super-fluffy pancakes — with height and pockets of air.

Tasty

In its test, Cook's Illustrated used its easy pancakes recipe, but as Instagram commenters point out, this method works with other basic pancake recipes, too.

Many commenters were quick to jump in and swear by the low-mix lumpy route.

instagram.com

Some were surprised.

instagram.com

HI JEN 👋

And some swore by other tricks for max fluffiness.

instagram.com

Either way, with a sky-high stack of airy pancakes as the end result, you can't go wrong.

tasty.co

Recipe: Perfect Buttermilk Pancakes

What's your go-to trick or recipe for perfect pancakes? Share in the comments! 👇