The Simple Trick To Getting Your Pancakes As Crispy As Waffles

Pancakes. They're such a scion of breakfast that we have an entire restaurant dedicated to them. The ideal pancake is golden brown on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside, and there are many ways to make them. While they are similar to waffles, there is one area where they fall, well... flat, and that's crispiness. There's something about the crunchy crisp first bite of a waffle that's just sublime. So what if we told you that your pancakes could be just as crispy with a bit of maple syrup?

That's right, maple syrup is the only thing you need to add crunch to your pancake game and it's already a regular at the breakfast table. The key to gloriously golden and crispy pancakes is its high sugar content. A classic pancake partner, it can elevate your breakfast to the next level by providing candied crispiness when added directly to your pancake skillet. Get ready for crisp deliciousness.

In order to produce a pancake that has a crunchy outer shell, it comes down to making sure that pancake is candied. Maple syrup presents the perfect way to do this, since it's already a familiar taste. This hack originates in Lukas Volger's cookbook, Start Simple. For the actual pancake, your go-to recipe will work fine. This is all about finishing it with flair. Return your pancake to the skillet and drizzle maple syrup over it, using about as much as you normally would at the table.

The magic happens when the maple syrup begins to cook on the heat and bubble at the edges. As the syrup cooks down, it creates a layer of crisp browned sugar on the outside. The inside of the pancake is also transformed from its normal airy texture to one that is chewy like old-fashioned maple syrup candy. It doesn't take long, and you'll want to keep an eye on it — caramelized sugar is fun but burnt sugar is not.

Once your pancake is ready to be plated, finish the dish off with a sprinkle of sea salt. Salted caramel is a popular flavor profile, and this one is similar — rich maple sugar mingling with the sharp bite of salt to give your mouth a burst of flavor. The end result is a pancake that is soft and chewy in the center, with perfectly candied edges and a bit of crunch.

This trick for pancakes will upgrade your breakfast, but there's no reason you can't lean into the decadence and take it a little further. Crushed pecans or walnuts across the top of the pancake are an option if you want something that is not only sweet, but a little nutty. Belgian waffles are often topped with ice cream, and there's no reason you can't add a scoop of vanilla to these pancakes to make a breakfast that feels more like dessert.