Matcha Pancakes
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These green hue Matcha Pancakes really bring the ordinary pancakes to a new whole level because they are packed with antioxidants and flavor.
I just restocked my matcha powder in my pantry from my latest trip to Japan. I decided to make some Matcha Pancakes because I still had half of the previous Red Bean Ice Cream. Matcha and red bean combination seem obvious, given how these two ingredients to Japanese people are like the combination of peanut butter and jelly to Americans.
A big stack of pancakes is something that never gets old. However, these green hue pancakes really bring ordinary pancakes to a new whole level because they are packed with antioxidants and flavor. Moreover, they are very easy to make. The process is like making ordinary pancakes, but you need to put additional matcha powder into your dry ingredients.
I often utilize matcha in baked goods and they turn out delicious. These Matcha Pancakes are also amazing. The matcha adds a refreshing earthy and bitter taste to the pancakes, which balance the sweetness from the toppings. For a touch of sweetness, you can put almost everything from the chocolate drizzle, ice cream, or fresh berries to the pancakes. In my case, I topped them with scoops of Red Bean Ice Cream and toasted almond slices.
Tips for Fluffy Pancakes
Instead of ending up with flat and chewy pancakes, I have some helpful tips to make your pancake fluffy.
1. Do not overmix the batter
When baking powder is activated, it releases CO2 gas in air bubbles. Overmixing your pancake batter will deflate a lot of air bubbles in your batter. Secondly, overmixing will cause the gluten in the flour to form elastic gluten strands, which results in dense, tough, and chewy pancakes.
To avoid overmixing, firstly mix the wet and dry ingredients separately. When combining the dry and wet ingredients, make a well at the center of dry ingredients and then pour in the wet ingredients. Just mix until it is well incorporated. The consistency should resemble a slightly thick, but still lumpy cake batter.
2. Rest the batter
You need to rest the batter so that the starch molecules in the flour are absorbing the liquid in the batter, giving the batter a thicker, more viscous consistency. Moreover, resting allows the gluten in the flour to relax. This means that your pancakes are much more likely to come out light and fluffy.
Ideally, set the batter aside for 15-20 minutes. If you do not have time, rest the batter for 5 minutes minimum. Sometimes pancake batter can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator overnight. Since the baking powder may lose some of its potency overnight, add a little extra.
3. Add sugar
Adding sugar into the batter helps in creating softer and less rubbery pancakes. The reason is sugar binds with the water in the batter and slows the development of the gluten. It also aids in nice browning and gives you those nice edges.
4. Flip gently
Pancakes are ready to flip when bubbles form and start to break on the surface of the batter. Flip your pancakes as gently as possible. Violent flip will burst those air bubbles, causing your pancakes to turn out flat.
More Matcha Recipes
Do you love matcha? I think you will love these matcha recipes!
- Matcha Shortbread Cookies
- Matcha White Chocolate Brownies
- Iced Matcha Latte
- Matcha Panna Cotta
- Eggless Matcha Tiramisu Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup (120 gr) all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tbsp matcha powder
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 cup (240 ml) milk
- 2 tbsp butter, melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, thoroughly whisk together the egg, milk, room temp melted butter, and vanilla extract. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, sift and stir together the flour, matcha powder, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Make a well in the center and pour the wet ingredients until just well combined. Do not overmix.
- Set the batter aside for 15-20 minutes.
- Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium-high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Wait until the top of the pancake begins to bubble, then turn it over and cook until both sides are golden brown.
- Repeat with the remaining batter, brushing griddle with more oil if necessary. Serve while still hot.
These pancakes came out perfect for me, I’m so excited! I often fail at making pancakes, I tend to overcook them, but I followed your directions exactly and they came out amazing! Thank you!
As a note: There is another blogger that seems to have taken your recipe and copied some of your recipe verbatim. I found it while looking up other matcha pancake recipes on Google. Her “notes” section looks like it was copied and pasted from yours. I believe in integrity of recipe developers, so I though I’d let you know this in case you care to mention it to this blogger: https://www.lifebysydelle.com/eats/matcha-pancakes-with-raspberry-compote
Anyways, have a great day, and I love your blog, I can’t wait to make more of your recipes, especially these pancakes again!