Why I Finally Love Pancakes (And My Cinnamon Vanilla Hack!)

Weekends are for sleeping in and waking up to the smell of hot pancakes. But growing up, I hated them.

I was a picky eater as a child and hated anything that was too soggy or too soft. However, my kids and husband LOVE pancakes, so every time I cooked breakfast, I had to make them. 

They had pancakes. I had toast. 

It wasn’t until last year that I decided to finally give pancakes a try. I never understood the hype around them because, in my mind, I felt like they tasted exactly how their batter smelled — like powder. But boy, was I wrong. 

Once I got over the soft texture, I was able to taste the flavor, and for the first time, I became a fan.

I wanted to perfect my Saturday morning pancakes, so I experimented a little and have been making these cinnamon vanilla pancakes for my family for about a year now, and they devour them every time!

Homemade Flavor, Not Batter 

If you came here expecting pancakes from scratch, I’m so sorry to disappoint you. This is a simple and sweet recipe that’s ready in about five minutes, using my favorite box of Pearl Milling Company Complete Pancake Mix that tastes like you made the batter yourself!

The Ingredients:

• 2 cups Pearl Milling Company Complete Pancake Mix (buttermilk or original) 
• ½ cup milk 
• 1-2 tablespoons cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 stick unsalted butter

If you’re cooking for a crowd and don’t own an electric griddle, this is your sign to get one now!

I can cook about 8 4-inch pancakes at one time in 2-3 minutes, which is a lifesaver because cooking breakfast in our house for 7 (bacon, eggs, and yes, these pancakes) used to take over an hour. 

Now, I can cook all this food in about 30 minutes!

Related: Easy Breakfast Casserole

How To Make The Best Saturday Morning Pancakes:

1. Heat your electric griddle to 350 degrees or skillet over medium-low heat. Lightly grease your griddle or skillet with butter. 
2. In a bowl, combine all ingredients and stir until large lumps disappear. Add more milk if necessary to thin the mixture, but do not beat or over-mix. Let stand for 1-2 minutes to thicken.
3. Use an ice cream scoop to pour ¼ cup batter for each pancake onto lightly greased griddle or skillet.
4. Cook for about 90 seconds or until golden brown on the first side, flip, and then cook for another 60 seconds.
5. Top with powdered sugar and serve with Pearl Milling Company’s syrup! 

This recipe is also great for making waffles! That’s one thing I love about using Pearl Milling Company’s pancake mix — it’s so versatile. 

Sometimes, I’ll even add fresh blueberries to the batter just before scooping each pancake onto my griddle, and cook them a little longer until the blueberries burst. And, oh my gosh, I promise you it takes these Saturday morning pancakes to a whole other level! 🤤

If you make these cinnamon vanilla pancakes, let me know! You can tag me on Instagram @danielleskeaton

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