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Whether you consider yourself a newbie to the pancake world or a pancake guru, sometimes your pancakes might stick to the pan.
Why do pancakes stick to the pan?
How can we fix it so you can carry on with your pancake-loving self and not just cry over how much is left on the bottom?
Pancakes can stick to the bottom of a pan for a number of reasons: not enough oil, the pan is the wrong type, a worn out pan, too much sugar content, and too high temperatures.
But don’t fear, with a few tweaks, you’ll have those pancakes sliding off the bottom like silk in no time.
Here are 5 easy solutions to making sure your pancakes don’t stick to your pan (plus one bonus one that is going to have you being like, “that’s a thing?”)
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Hey! Want more pancake-related cooking hacks? Check these out!
- Can you make pancakes in the microwave (and should you?)
- Can you freeze pancake batter?
- How to make pancake without eggs
- How to make pancakes without milk
- Making pancakes without baking powder
- Should you make pancake batter the night before?
- Can you use waffle mix to make pancakes?
1. Use a non-stick pan
The easiest way to make sure that your pancakes aren’t sticking to the pan is to use a non-stick pan, duh!
There are different types of pans in cooking, and not all of them are non-stick.
If you don’t have a non-stick pan, you can buy this awesome non-stick pan for pancakes here, or use this non-stick pan to add to your cooking haul.
One thing to keep in mind is the general safety of non-stick materials.
Over the years, Teflon has changed the chemicals used in its non-stick technology to make them safer for cooking and food consumption, but this only occurred around 2013.
Make sure to buy a pan that is available in stores today, not one passed down from a friend or family member or bought at something like a garage sales.
2. Turn the heat down
Too high of a heat on your stove could make your pancakes stick to the pan.
The reason for this is that the butter would brown before the rest of the ingredients start cooking, making it stick to the bottom of the pan as the others catch up.
Ideally you want your ingredients to cook all together, not have one racing in front of the others, so turn the heat down some and let the pancake cook for longer at a lower temperature.
More often than not, this is the culprit for pancakes sticking to the pan.
Even if you have the pan at a very low heat, the pancake will cook. It will just take more minutes, but you’ll end up with a better final pancake.
3. “Season” the pan
One hack for making a pan non-stick is to “season” a regular pan with oil and salt (do not do this to a pan that is non-stick already).
Simply pour some oil into a pan and heat it up.
Add a pinch of salt into it, and then use a towel (a real kitchen one, not a paper towel) to rub the bottom and sides of the pan with the oil and salt.
This will help act as a barrier for your pancake to help it slide more easily off of the pan and not get stuck to the bottom.
4. Reduce sugar content
Did you know that a high sugar content in your pancake recipe can cause it to stick to the pan?
You don’t have to sacrifice the sweet goodness of your pancake, but try reducing the sugar content by 1/4 in your recipe.
It may be that the recipe is calculated incorrectly or you are using more sugar than it calls for on accident.
5. Get a new pan
Even if your pan is technically a non-stick pan, it may be that it has worn out.
There’s nothing stickier than a worn out non-stick pan!
If you’ve tried all of the other options and nothing is working, just invest in a new non-stick pan and enjoy the results.
We prefer this one.
Sometimes, it’s not you, it’s your equipment, particularly with something like pancakes which start as a batter and can be prone to sticking to the pan if everything isn’t exactly right.
6. Microwave your pancakes
Yes, seriously. If you can’t solve the problem of why your pancakes are sticking to the pan, you can microwave your pancakes instead of cooking them on the stove.
You’re not going to get the same sort of browning as you do on a regular pancake, but if your pans are not working and you need pancakes now (and we don’t blame you), use this guide on microwaving pancakes to make sure that you can still enjoy the fluffy goodness with maple syrup without needing to scrape them off the bottom of your pan.
