Description

These Christmas Fluffy Gingerbread Pancakes are a delightful holiday breakfast treat featuring warm gingerbread spices and a light, airy texture achieved by folding in whipped egg whites. Perfect for cozy winter mornings, these pancakes can be cooked in a small pan for thick, sealed edges or in a large skillet for a souffle-style fluffiness. Customize with optional sweeteners and festive add-ins for a seasonal twist.

Ingredients

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Wet Ingredients

3 eggs, room temperature, whites and yolks separated
3 oz butter, melted
3 cups milk, dairy or dairy-free, lukewarm

Dry Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
2.5 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon powder
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger powder
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg powder

Optional Sweetener

Sweetener to taste – brown sugar, coconut sugar, or sugar-free option like erythritol (optional)

Optional Add-Ins

1 tablespoon dark molasses
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2-1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
1/3 to 1/2 cup dark, milk, or white chocolate chips
1/3 to 1/2 cup finely chopped dates
1/3 to 1/2 cup dried fruits like raisins, currants, cranberries, dried apricot
1/3 to 1/2 cup roughly chopped nuts such as walnuts, pecans, almonds
Pieces of crystallized or stem ginger
1 teaspoon orange zest

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Instructions

The Pre-prep: Sift all the dry ingredients (flour, gingerbread spices, baking powder) into a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Separate the egg whites and yolks into two medium bowls, ensuring no yolk contaminates the whites. Whisk or mixer beat the egg whites over medium speed until almost-stiff peaks form. If using sweetener, gradually add it spoonful by spoonful during beating to stabilize the whites. To the yolks, add melted butter and lukewarm milk and mix thoroughly.
Mix the Pancake Batter: Add the wet ingredients to the dry flour mixture and stir gently until fairly smooth, avoiding over-mixing to prevent tough pancakes. Fold in the whipped egg whites in increments—mix the first quarter in normally, then carefully fold in the remaining whites to maintain airiness. Use the batter immediately for best results.
Cook the Pancakes Using a Small Pan: Heat a small 6-inch pan over low heat and lightly grease with cooking spray or a drop of oil. Pour about 1/2 cup of batter per pancake and cook gently for 2-3 minutes until bubbles form and pop on the surface. Flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes until cooked through. Use a toothpick to check doneness. Repeat with remaining batter for 8-10 pancakes.
Cook the Pancakes Using a Large Skillet: Scoop 1/4 cup batter onto the pan, add 1 tablespoon water, cover, and cook for 1 minute. Add another 1/4 cup batter on top of each pancake, cover, and cook 2-3 more minutes. Flip carefully, cover again, and cook for 3-5 minutes. Check doneness with a toothpick. Note pancakes may deflate slightly and only top and bottom brown.
Serve: Serve the warm fluffy gingerbread pancakes immediately with your favorite toppings such as butter, maple syrup, whipped cream, or festive garnishes. Keep cooked pancakes warm in an oven at 200ºF/95ºC if cooking in batches.

Notes

Keep pancakes warm in the oven (200ºF/95ºC) in a single layer while finishing batches.
Avoid over-mixing the batter to retain fluffiness and avoid rubbery texture.
Adjust cooking time based on pancake thickness, pan, and stovetop heat.
When cooking large skillet souffle pancakes, avoid lifting the lid too often to maintain rise.
Cook pancakes over low heat to ensure even cooking without burning or deflation.
It's normal for some lumps to remain in the batter for extra fluffiness.
Make test pancakes to familiarize yourself with cooking time and settings.
Use multiple pans or an electric griddle with a lid to cook several pancakes simultaneously.
For optional add-ins, gently press them onto pancakes in the pan instead of mixing into batter to avoid weighing down fluffiness.
Recommended add-ins include molasses, cloves, vanilla extract, chocolate chips, dates, dried fruits, nuts, candied ginger, and orange zest.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 pancake
Calories: 180 kcal
Sugar: 5 g
Sodium: 220 mg
Fat: 7 g
Saturated Fat: 4 g
Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 25 g
Fiber: 1 g
Protein: 6 g
Cholesterol: 70 mg