I didn’t grow up in a family that had pancakes that often but when we did, my dad would always buy a box of Krusteaz to make for us because it was simple and came out light and fluffy every time. Of course he was no expert in flipping pancakes and sometimes they came out a little more brown than they should, they were always a treat for us. We’d top them with sweet maple syrup and berries just like the picture and those were the days when we felt so American with our delicious breakfast.
Over the years, especially since having kids, pancakes have been a staple in our family. It’s the one thing I know my kids will definitely eat – trust me, they are some of the pickiest eaters. So to keep things fresh and new, I like to change up the toppings. Here are the 3 that we love right now:
Salted butter with maple syrup and fresh berries
Banana macadamia pancakes
Lemon ricotta and blueberries
The salted butter with maple syrup were actually created by accident because I grabbed the wrong butter and didn’t realize until I had some. The saltiness of the butter really compliments the maple syrup and now I actually add a pinch of sea salt on top to really enhance the flavor. You get that combo of sweet salty flavors that just works. I’m a fan!
For the banana macadamia nut pancakes, I recreated from a dining experience on our Honeymoon. Gosh that was so long ago and I dream of the day we can go back for not only the beach, tropical weather, and aloha vibes, but for these pancakes from Leoda’s. Their version didn’t have any pineapple but I had so many on our trip, I sprinkled a little bit on that they just work. When paired with the light and fluffy Krusteaz pancakes, they’re a definite treat for a weekend brunch.
These lemon ricotta pancakes are the perfect spring summer treat. The brightness of the lemons and the creaminess of the ricotta cheese make for an even more wonderful pancake. I added in some blueberries for a fresh burst of berries in every bite! Top it with some maple syrup and butter and enjoy this Italian spin on pancakes.
Krusteaz pancake mix is so great by itself but I love that I can be creative and add whatever I like either as a mix in or topping and they always come out so good yet different every time. The pancake mix is delicious, has quality ingredients, no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives, so I feel good feeding this to my family! If you want to learn how to make the best, light, and fluffy pancakes, check out my tips and tricks in the Youtube video below (embedded video). I’ll walk you through how easy they are to make and with a little bit of tips and tricks, you’ll be on your way to cooking up the perfect stack of pancakes in no time.
Pancake Recipes:
1 cup Krusteaz pancake mix
2/3 cup water
Heat the pan to medium heat and lightly grease it with butter.
In the meantime, measure out the mix and level it off with a knife. Whisk the mix while adding water and make sure not to over mix. It’s very important to let the batter stand for 2 minutes. This will help hydrate the flour and activate the leavening so you don’t end up with clumpy pancakes but with these perfectly light and fluffy pancakes.
Now to cook them up, cook them for 1-1 ½ minutes per side. You only need to flip them once when the tops bubble and the bottoms are golden brown. I’ve found that 75 seconds gives me the best golden brown color and because we lightly grease the griddle, we get those nice lacing details rather than that boring smooth golden brown tops. Somehow I just think they hold the toppings and syrup better without getting super soggy!
To make the salted butter with maple syrup and fresh berries : cook the pancakes according to the directions above and stack 3-4 pancakes. Top with some salted butter and another pinch of sea salt. Add fresh berries and drizzle with maple syrup.
To make Banana macadamia pancakes: Mash ½ a browned banana and add to the pancake mix. Add the water and whisk - be sure not to overmix. Follow the directions as stated and cook for 60 seconds – 75 seconds or until the top is bubbly. Flip over and cook the other side. Transfer to a plate and continue with 2-3 more. Top with some chopped pineapples, sliced bananas, and crushed salted macadamia nuts. Serve with maple syrup and a side of whipped cream.
Lemon ricotta with blueberry syrup: Add 1/4 cup of ricotta and zest from half a lemon to the 1 cup of pancake mix. Add the water and whisk making sure not to overmix. Follow the directions to cook up the pancakes. In the meantime, to a sauce pan, add 1 cup frozen blueberries, 2 tbsps honey or sugar, 1 cup water and cook on medium low heat for 10 minutes until the syrup has thickened and the blueberries are soft. I like to mash the blueberries down a bit so the juices really flavor the syrup. Stack the pancakes on a plate and pour the blueberries on top. Enjoy!
Thank you to Krusteaz for sponsoring this blog post. To learn more about their history and other fun ways to jazz up your pancake mix, check out the link here: https://www.krusteaz.com/makekrusteaz.
