Japanese Fluffy Pancakes (Gluten Free & Dairy Free)
Updated: Jun 6, 2021
Makes 6 fluffy pancakes.
Truthfully the cutest thing you will ever eat.
Japanese Fluffy Pancakes/スフレパンケーキ are a very light and airy pancake from Japan. There are pretty much no ingredients that are different to a normal pancake, the only thing that is different in the process. While it does take a little longer, it is a perfect project for the weekend.
Equipment
For this recipe you will need a NON-STICK frying pan with a lid, and an electric beater for the egg whites. You will also need a spatula, a hand whisk, and 2 bowls.
You could also use crumpet rings to shape your pancakes in the frying pan, but this isn't necessary unless you want perfect circles.
Japanese pancakes are characterised by the perfectly browned bottom and top, and white around the middle with a lot more height than a regular pancake. They are slightly sweet, but you will get more flavour from the topping. These pancakes are much more about the texture than anything else.
I N G R E D I E N T S
3 eggs
2 tbsp caster sugar
3 tbsp whole milk/plant milk (I've used almond milk and it works well)
¼ tsp vanilla extract
60 grams gluten free flour
½ tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
Vegetable oil
Topping Options:
Berries
Fresh Cream
Nutella
Icing Sugar
Bananas
Bacon
Maple Syrup
Honey
ANYTHING
M E T H O D
Preparing the mixture:
Seperate the 3 egg whites and 2 yolks into two seperate medium sized bowls and put the egg whites into the fridge until you need them.The last egg yolk is not needed for this recipe, so please feel free to make a tiny custard.
To the egg whites, add the cream of tartar and whisk with an electric beater, slowly adding in the sugar. You will know when the egg whites are ready when they are thick glossy and form peaks that slightly bend at the peak
To the egg yolks, add the plant based or whole milk and vanilla essence and whisk until frothy.
Sift in the gluten free flour and baking powder into the egg yolk mixture and whisk again until just combined. You don't want to over mix this bit!.
Heat a frying pan to a low-medium heat. Brush the frying pan with oil, being careful to cover the entire base.
Gently mix in half of the egg white mixture to the egg yolk mixture at a time. When combining the mixtures, be super careful not to break the air bubbles in the egg white mixture.
Gently combine the rest of the egg white mixture.
Cooking the pancakes:
Make sure the frying pan is preheated.
For each pancake, scoop a heaped serving spoon of the pancake mixture into the pan, NB: I usually cook 3 pancakes at a time in a 20 cm frying pan.
Add another heaped scoop on top of the initial scoop, building up the pancakes.
Pour a couple of drops of water in the spaces between the pancakes and then place the lid over the pan. This will keep the pancakes moist and allow them to rise.
After about three minute, remove the lid and top up the pancakes with another heaped spoon of the pancake mixture. Place the lid back on top and leave them for another 5 minutes.
Now it's time to flip them! Don't worry - it's not as hard as it seems. You will know they are ready when the bottoms are browned and the mixture on top should be a little set. Using a spatula, gently slid it underneath the pancake, it might be a little stick around the edges so be careful. Quickly flip the pancake, if it doesn't land exactly on the other side, don't worry, it will just have a bit of character.
Cook for a further 5 minutes and then serve with your choice of toppings.
