Cinnamon Bacon Pancakes
Read a little before you cook
Adventure Time!!!
Have y’all ever watched that one episode of Adventure Time when Jake was singing the bacon pancake song? There was this remix of that song with the Empire State of Mind song and it might be the greatest remix of all time (I’m so for real, please search “bacon pancakes new york remix”). The inspiration for this recipe came from that show, but I’m not sure if Jake made the pancakes - I did though, so y’all should try them.
Pancakes and waffles are the same, ingredient-wise, however, the latter requires you to put oil in them. When it comes to the sheer versatility of pancakes, it’s endless: lemon ricotta, blueberry and cream, chocolate chip, chicken and pancakes…need I go on? It’s one of the ultimate breakfast foods, and if someone says they don’t like pancakes, they’re probably lying.
In the recipe below, some ingredients may make you say, “What is he thinking adding this in here,” but I promise it works. Here are a few ingredients I want to highlight:
Brown Butter: When you cook butter, the milk solids separate from the butter. When you cook the butter long enough, it starts to foam, and those milk bits become crispy. This gives the butter that nutty flavor and changes it to an amber color.
Pepper: Yes, ground black pepper. If you have ever had a dish with cinnamon and black pepper, then you know why this works. They have the same bioactive compound, which may be why.
Dark Brown Sugar: dark brown sugar tends to clump together, and when the sugar melts, it becomes so gooey. If you don’t break up all the clumps when mixing, don’t worry, you’re doing great.
Ready to cook?
The Recipe
Prep your ingredients:
2/3 cup of all-purpose flour (100g)
3/4 cup of milk or milk sub (150g)
2/3 tablespoon of baking powder (7g)
2 tablespoons of brown butter (28g)
1 tablespoon of dark brown sugar (12g)
1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon (8g)
1/8 teaspoon of salt (1g)
1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper (<1g)
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 egg
How to cook:
The brown butter
Heat a skillet or pot over medium heat. Add one stick of sliced butter to the pot, whisking frequently.
When the butter is melted, you will see foam that will go away eventually. Brown bits will form at the bottom of the pan with a nutty aroma permeating the air.
When those brown bits appear, remove the butter from the heat and pour it into a bowl to stop it from cooking. Let the butter cool slightly before adding it to the pancakes.
The pancakes - makes 3
Cook your bacon based on the package instructions. I prefer to bake the bacon as it reduces oil splatter and cooks all the pieces evenly. Once done cooking, drain the residual oil, chop the bacon into bite-sized pieces, then set aside.
Combine your dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon, pepper, and salt) and whisk together into a bowl until combined. If your brown sugar clumps a little bit, don’t work too hard to break the clumps up, as that will add a surprise after the pancakes are done.
Add your egg, vanilla extract, and brown butter to the bowl, then slowly stream in the milk as you whisk. The batter does not have to be completely smooth, but make sure no dry spots are visible.
Once the batter is mixed, fold in your bacon pieces. Leave a few pieces out for garnish later (or a snack). After this point, turn your stove onto medium heat and allow your non-stick pan to warm up.
Add a layer of butter to the pan and pour roughly a third of your batter into the heated skillet (it should come out to about half a cup). It takes me two scoops to get a full-sized pancake.
After about 2 minutes (or when the side starts to form little bubbles) the pancake is ready to flip. You can also peak at the underside of the pancake as it’s cooking to check the color. Cook the other side using the same cooking methods.
Repeat steps 5 and 6 until no batter remains. As your pancakes are cooking, place the cooked ones in the oven so the pancakes stay warm while the others cook.
Once all pancakes are cooked, add your favorite toppings (mine are butter, bacon, natural syrup) and enjoy!
