Brown Butter Pancakes with Flakey Sea Salt
The addition of brown butter gives these pancakes a nutty flavor while cooking them in the cast iron adds a crisp crust.
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Brown butter pancakes sound a lot more fancy than they really are. The butter used as the fat in the batter is first cooked until the milk solids separate and the butter has a warm, toasty, almost nutty smell. Make these as is or stir in your favorite pancake add-ons like chocolate chips or fruit for a delicious weekend breakfast.
Brown Butter Pancakes with Flakey Sea Salt
Table of contents
What is Brown Butter?
Brown butter or beurre noisette is used commonly as a sauce over a pasta dish like butternut squash ravioli or in French pastries. As you cook the brown butter it will crackle and foam as it cooks and as it stops crackling, keep an eye on it so that it does not burn. It will turn from a yellow to a pale brown and then to a deep golden brown and smell nutty.
Key Ingredients in This Recipe
- Brown butter – Brown butter makes this recipe a bit more luxurious and adds a toasted, nutty flavor to the fluffy pancakes. I add some to the batter and use the rest for cooking the pancakes.
- Baking soda – Baking soda is a leavening agent which rises when it’s exposed to acid, like buttermilk leading to fluffy pancakes.
- Baking powder – Baking powder is double acting, it reacts first when it encounters a liquid and once more when it encounters heat.
- Buttermilk – The typical American buttermilk is low-fat. It also has a rich, tangy flavor and a texture more similar to sour cream or yogurt than cream or milk. The acid in it causes a reaction in baking soda making for fluffy pancakes.
- Sea salt – Flake sea salt has a crunchy pyramid shape making it a wonderful finishing salt. I particularly like Maldon or Jacobson brand salts.
How to Make Brown Butter Pancakes
- Melt butter. Heat a medium sauté pan over medium heat, add the butter and allow to melt.
- Make brown butter. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the butter turns deep golden brown and small brown bits form at the bottom, about 8 minutes. Immediately pour the butter into a small bowl to stop the cooking process. Set aside and let cool to room temperature.
- Mix dry ingredients. In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Mix dry ingredients into wet. In another large mixing bowl whisk together 2 tablespoons of the brown butter, egg, buttermilk, brown sugar and vanilla until combined. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined.
- Heat pan. Heat a medium non-stick skillet or griddle over medium-low heat. Next, add about 2 tablespoons of the remaining brown butter and heat.
- Add pancake batter. Add about ½ cup of the pancake mixture to the pan and cook until bubbles appear and the underside is golden brown, about 2 minutes.
- Cook pancakes.Use a spatula to carefully flip the pancakes and continue to cook until the pancakes are cooked through and golden brown, about an additional 2 minutes. Set aside and repeat with the remaining batter and brown butter.
- Serve pancakes. Serve hot, topped with maple syrup and flake sea salt.
How to Keep Pancakes Warm
If making many pancakes, preheat the oven to 200°F and arrange pancakes on a baking sheet covered loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm while the rest of the pancakes are cooked. This method works well when feeding a crowd.
Optional Mix-ins
- Try adding 1 cup of your favorite fruit to these pancakes, like blueberries, raspberries or diced apples.
- Add ½ cup chocolate chips to your batter for rich chocolate pancakes.
- Top with fresh fruit like strawberries or sliced banana and a dollop of whipped cream.
Tips and Tricks for This Recipe
- For the best, evenly cooked pancakes, cook them on medium heat.
- I recommend using a griddle, cast iron pan or non-stick pan for the best pancakes. A pan with low sides is best because it makes flipping the pancakes easier.
- Be careful not to overmix the batter.
- Use ingredients at room temperature for fluffy pancakes.
Other Recipes to Try
If you enjoy this recipe, I recommend checking out some of these:
- Blueberry Pancakes with Blueberry Ginger Compote
- Apple Pancakes
- Diner-Style Buttermilk Pancakes
- Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Mixed Berry Compote
Brown Butter Pancakes with Flakey Sea Salt
Ingredients:
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large egg, at room temperature, lightly beaten
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 cup, plus 2 tablespoons low-fat buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Maple syrup, for serving
- Flake sea salt, for serving
Instructions:
- Heat a medium sauté pan over medium heat, add the butter and allow to melt.
- Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the butter turns deep golden brown and small brown bits form at the bottom, about 8 minutes. Immediately pour the butter into a small bowl to stop the cooking process. Set aside and let cool to room temperature.
- In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In another large mixing bowl whisk together 2 tablespoons of the brown butter, egg, buttermilk, brown sugar and vanilla until combined. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined.
- Heat a medium non-stick skillet or griddle over medium-low heat. Add about 2 tablespoons of the remaining brown butter and heat.
- Add about ½ cup of the pancake mixture to the pan and cook until bubbles appear and the underside is golden brown, about 2 minutes.
- Use a spatula to carefully flip the pancakes and continue to cook until the pancakes are cooked through and golden brown, about an additional 2 minutes. Set aside and repeat with the remaining batter and brown butter.
- Serve hot, topped with maple syrup and flake sea salt.
DID YOU MAKE THIS?
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These brown butter pancakes were AMAZING! My son loves pancakes and is somewhat of a pancake connoisseur. This is his favorite recipe so far!!! They are so light and fluffy-just delicious!!!