Making pancakes is a rare treat at our house, mostly reserved for hosting a holiday brunch or special weekends. After a recent hotel stay at the Westin in Downtown, DC where we enjoyed a wonderful breakfast at the veggie-forward onsite restaurant, Root & Vine, and shared the most delicious pancakes we'd even eaten, I was so inspired to come home and recreate those delicious, light and fluffy pancakes topped with a luscious berry compote. With the addition of vanilla in the batter and just a hint of spice from the cinnamon, these pancakes are immediately elevated to next level.
INGREDIENTS
Pancakes
- 2 Cups All Purpose Flour
- ¼ Cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 tsp. Baking Soda
- 1 Tbsp. Baking Powder
- 1 tsp. Kosher Salt
- ¼ tsp. Ground Cinnamon
- 2 Cups Whole Milk
- 3 Tbsp. White Vinegar
- 2 Lg. Eggs
- 1 Tbsp. Vanilla Extract
- 2 Tbsp. Butter
- 1 Tbsp. Powdered Sugar
- Maple Syrup
Berry Compote
- 2 Cups Mixed Fresh Berries such as Strawberries, Raspberries, and Blueberries, etc.
- ¼ Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Scant Pinch Kosher Salt
DIRECTIONS
Step 1: Gather all of your ingredients. I absolutely love these storage containers from Progressive International Prepworks for keeping my baking shelf organized!
Step 2: Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl: Flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
Step 3: In a large, liquid measuring cup, stir together milk and vinegar. Set aside to allow the chemical reaction to occur. The milk will start to bubble, curdle and thicken.
Step 4: Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture. The combination of ingredients will begin to bubble.
Step 5: Add the vanilla extract. In a small mixing bowl, scramble the eggs and add to the batter. Whisk everything together to combine. The mixture will be frothy.
Step 6: Allow the batter to sit for about 15-20 minutes, creating a light and airy pancake batter. You'll want to run a rubber spatula around the sides and the bottom of the bowl to make sure there are no remaining dry ingredients not incorporated.
Step 7: In the meantime, gently combine berries with the other ¼ cup of granulated sugar and a scant pinch of kosher salt in a small bowl. The sugar and salt will help release the natural moisture in the fruit and create a syrup, so continue to fold every so often. Maintain the integrity of the fruit by being mindful not to crush any of the berries.
Step 8: Begin heating your cast iron skillet or non-stick pan over medium high heat. You can check to see when your pan is hot enough by sprinkling on a few drops of water- if the droplets bounce, you're ready to go.
Step 9: After your pancake batter has rested, and your pan is hot, gently grease by rubbing a little butter around the entire bottom of the pan. You don't want to add too much butter to avoid frying your pancakes.
Step 10: You'll notice that the majority of the large air bubbles have dissipated. Give your batter a final whisk before making your pancakes. This will release any lingering air bubbles in the batter as well as making sure there are no lumps.
Step 11: Using a ¼ cup measuring cup, portion 2 oz of batter and pour directly onto the center of the hot pan. This will ensure your pancakes come out the same size and cook evenly.
Step 12: Allow bubbles to form as the batter cooks on the first side. Using a slotted, flat rubber spatula, run underneath all around the edge to ensure you can easily release the pancake.
Step 13: Slide the spatula underneath, and quickly flip the pancake to the reverse side. The side facing up should be a nice, even, golden brown color. Cook 1-2 minutes, just until the opposite side is golden brown, and set pancake aside on a separate plate. Repeat with the remaining batter, lightly regreasing the pan with additional butter as needed. This recipe yields approximately 14 pancakes.
Step 14: Give the berry compote another gentle fold. It should be ready to serve.
Step 15: Stack pancakes onto individual serving plates, top with berries and dust with powdered sugar. Serve with maple syrup!
Delicious Cinnamon Vanilla Pancakes with Berry Compote
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Small Mixing Bowl
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Cast Iron Skillet or Non-Stick Pan
- Large Liquid Measuring Cup
- Flat, Slotted Rubber Spatula
- Rubber Spatula
- Metal Whisk
- Small Bowl
- Fork
- Paper Towel
- Plate
Ingredients
Pancakes
- 2 Cups All Purpose Flour
- ¼ Cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 tsp. Baking Soda
- 1 Tbsp. Baking Powder
- 1 tsp. Kosher Salt
- ¼ tsp. Ground Cinnamon
- 2 Cups Whole Milk
- 3 Tbsp. White Vinegar
- 2 Lg. Eggs
- 1 Tbsp. Vanilla Extract
- 2 Tbsp. Butter
- 1 Tbsp. Powdered Sugar
- Maple Syrup
Berry Compote
- 2 Cups Mixed Fresh Berries such as Strawberries, Raspberries, and Blueberries, etc.
- ¼ Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Scant Pinch Kosher Salt
Instructions
- Gather all of your ingredients.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl: flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
- In a large, liquid measuring cup, stir together milk and vinegar. Set aside to allow the chemical reaction to occur. The milk will start to bubble, curdle and thicken.
- Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture and add the vanilla extract. The combination of ingredients will bubble.
- In a small mixing bowl, scramble the eggs and add to the batter. Whisk everything together to combine. The mixture will be frothy.
- Allow the batter to sit for about 15-20 minutes, creating a light and airy pancake batter. You'll want to run a rubber spatula around the sides and the bottom of the bowl to make sure there are no remaining dry ingredients not incorporated.
- In the meantime, gently combine berries with the other ¼ cup of granulated sugar and a scant pinch of kosher salt in a small bowl. The sugar and salt will help release the natural moisture in the fruit and create a syrup, so continue to fold every so often. Maintain the integrity of the fruit by being mindful not to crush any of the berries.
- Begin heating your cast iron skillet or non-stick pan over medium high heat. You can check to see when your pan is hot enough by sprinkling on a few drops of water- if the droplets bounce, you're ready to go.
- After your pancake batter has rested, and your pan is hot, gently grease by rubbing a little butter around the entire bottom of the pan. You don't want to add too much butter to avoid frying your pancakes.
- You'll notice that the majority of the large air bubbles have dissipated. Give your batter a final whisk before making your pancakes. This will release any lingering air bubbles in the batter as well as making sure there are no lumps.
- Using a ¼ cup measuring cup, portion 2 oz of batter and pour directly onto the center of the hot pan. This will ensure your pancakes come out the same size and cook evenly.
- Allow bubbles to form as the batter cooks on the first side. Using a slotted, flat rubber spatula, run underneath all around the edge to ensure you can easily release the pancake.
- Slide the spatula underneath, and quickly flip the pancake to the reverse side. The side facing up should be a nice, even, golden brown color. Cook 1-2 minutes, just until the opposite side is golden brown, and set pancake aside on a separate plate. Repeat with the remaining batter, lightly regreasing the pan with additional butter as needed. This recipe yields approximately 14 pancakes.
- Give the berry compote another gentle fold. It should be ready to serve.
- Stack pancakes onto individual serving plates, top with berries and dust with powdered sugar. Serve with maple syrup!
