Fluffy Japanese Pancakes are light, tall, and as fluffy as clouds! They're made with a soufflé technique using whipped egg whites, and have buttermilk to give them a subtle tang. They are a fun treat you can make in less than 30 minutes on a lazy Saturday morning!
🔍 Quick Look: Fluffy Japanese Pancakes
- 🕒 Ready In: 20 minutes
- 🍴 Servings: 4 pancakes
- 🔥 Calories: ~359 per serving
- ⭐ Main Ingredients: Buttermilk, cream of tartar, egg whites
- 📖 Dietary Info: Vegetarian
- 👩🍳 Method: Mixer, stovetop
- ⭐ Difficulty: Intermediate
These fluffy Japanese pancakes are unlike any pancake you've ever had. When I first saw them in Japan, I couldn't believe how tall and jiggly they were. I knew I had to try making them at home! Made with a soufflé technique using whipped egg whites, they come out incredibly light and cloud-like. My daughter, London, loves making these with me on weekend mornings. She gets so excited watching them rise in the pan! They do take a little more effort than regular pancakes on the griddle, but one bite and you'll never want to go back.
Want to spice up your mornings? Try these other fun recipes too: Belgian Liege Waffles, Creme Brulee French Toast, and Strawberry Crepes.
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❤️ Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Super Fluffy - These pancakes are several inches tall, and they're so light and jiggly! It's literally like biting into a cloud, but in pancake form.
- Made with Buttermilk - Most Japanese pancake recipes use regular milk, but I like how buttermilk adds a subtle tang that balances the sweetness perfectly. Fun to Make with Kids - If you like finding new recipes to make with the kids, this one is sure to be a hit! It's so fun to watch these pancakes rise in the pan.
- Simple Ingredients - Believe it or not, there are no special ingredients needed for this recipe. I can guarantee you already have everything on hand!
🛒 Key Ingredients
- Buttermilk: While you can certainly use regular milk, I love the tangy flavor that buttermilk adds to the pancakes.
- Egg whites: I recommend using a hand mixer to whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form. You want the egg whites to be light and fluffy.
- Cream of tartar: Cream of tartar helps egg whites reach their full volume, and it stabilizes them, resulting in fluffier pancakes!
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
🔄 Substitutions & Variations
- Buttermilk: If you don't have buttermilk, you can make a quick buttermilk substitute by adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to a cup of milk and letting it sit for 5 minutes until it looks curdled.
🥞 How to Make Japanese Pancakes
- Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, mix together milk, butter, vanilla, and egg yolk.
- In another bowl, mix the egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form.
- Pour the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients and stir.
- Gently fold in the egg whites.
- Preheat a skillet. Grease the inside of a baking ring and place it in the pan.
- Fill the ring halfway full with batter. Cook until bubbles start to form on the surface.
- Flip the pancake and cook for 2-3 minutes or until golden.
- Serve with syrup and your choice of toppings.
🌟Expert Tips
- Don't skip the cream of tartar. It stabilizes the egg whites and keeps them from deflating as you fold them into the batter. This is what makes the pancakes tall.
- Fold, don't stir. When combining the whipped egg whites with the batter, use a gentle folding motion. Stirring will knock out all the air you just whipped in.
- Low heat is everything. Cook these pancakes on the lowest setting. Higher heat will brown the outside before the center is cooked through, and they'll collapse when you take them off the pan.
- Preheat the pan before adding batter. If the pan isn't warm enough when the batter goes in, it will spread instead of holding its shape.
- Make sure your egg whites are fully whipped. You want stiff peaks, meaning the tip stands straight up when you lift the whisk. If they flop over, keep beating.
- Use the batter immediately. Don't let it sit. The longer it sits, the more the egg whites deflate and the flatter your pancakes will be.
💭 FAQs
This part is super important, make sure you're not over-mixing the batter once you combine the wet and dry ingredients. Over-mixing can deflate the air from the whipped egg whites, leading to flatter pancakes. Also, check that your baking powder is fresh and active.
Yes, you can definitely double or halve the recipe. Just be sure to adjust the cooking time slightly if the pancakes become thicker or thinner due to the batch size.
My Easy Lemon Curd, Buttermilk Syrup, or Slow Cooker Apple Butter along with some fresh fruit, would be delicious on these pancakes.
Yes! The batter is thick enough to hold its shape without the molds, though they won't be quite as perfectly round or as tall. If you want that classic tall cylinder shape, ring molds (affiliate link) help a lot. Just make sure to grease the inside well so the pancakes slide out easily.
🍳 More Breakfast Recipes to Try
📋 Recipe
Fluffy Japanese Pancakes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cups buttermilk
- 4 tablespoons butter melted
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg yolk
- 3 egg whites
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt with a wire whisk.1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt
- In a separate bowl, mix together buttermilk, butter, vanilla, and egg yolk.1 ¼ cups buttermilk, 4 tablespoons butter, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 egg yolk
- In another bowl, mix the egg whites and cream of tartar with a hand or stand mixer until stiff peaks form.3 egg whites, ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- Pour liquid mixture into dry ingredients and stir until just combined (don't over mix it.)
- Gently fold in the whipped egg whites.
- Preheat a skillet over low heat. Grease the inside of a round food ring (I used 3"x2.5") and place it in the pan.
- Fill the ring halfway full with batter. Place the lid on top of the pan and cook for 5 minutes or until bubbles start to form on the surface.
- Use a spatula to flip the pancake, and tongs to hold the mold in place while you flip the pancake. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until golden.
- Serve with syrup and your choice of toppings.
Notes
- Buttermilk Substitute: Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to one cup of milk. Let stand for 5 minutes or until curdled.
Ashley says
Spice up your breakfast with this fun and unique recipe! The pancakes are light and fluffy, perfect for serving with your favorite toppings.
Priya says
Yum
Tim says
What size baking ring?
Ashley says
Hi Tim! I recommend using a mold that is at least 3-4 inches in diameter and 1-2 inches in height. I appreciate you asking, I've updated that in my recipe. 🙂 Happy baking!