Japanese fluffy pancakes (also known as souffle pancakes) are soft pillowy treats that take this popular breakfast food up to dessert heaven. Similar to Japanese cheesecake, these pancakes involve separating the egg yolks from the egg whites and beating the egg whites into a meringue that's folded into the batter, thus giving it that irresistible airy texture. It's the perfect treat to whip up for dessert or an extra special breakfast - if you have a hand mixer they aren't much more complicated than your regular pancakes! So it's time to make this easy halal Japanese fluffy pancake recipe and level up your pancake game.
Ingredients (for 3 pancakes)
- 3 tbsp flour (27g)
- 2 tbsp of sugar (24g)
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp milk
- ½ tsp vanilla essence
- 2 eggs, separated
- Oil, for cooking
- Some water, for cooking
Directions
- In a bowl, combine egg yolks, milk and vanilla essence. Whisk well to combine.
- Sift in the flour and baking powder. Whisk well to combine. The mixture should resemble a thick paste - if your mixture is too thick (i.e. it just clumps on your whisk), add just a tiny bit more milk to loosen it.
- In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until they turn frothy and white. Add the sugar, then continue beating until stiff peaks form - when you lift the beaters the peaks should hold their shape.
- Heat a non-stick frying pan on the lowest heat possible for your stove. Add a bit of oil and wipe it around the pan with a paper towel.
- Add about a third of the egg white mixture into your batter and whisk well to incorporate - this will help the batter get lighter so it's easier to incorporate with the rest of the egg whites.
- Add the entire batter to the rest of the egg whites and gently fold in until the entire mixture is combined.
- Using a ladle or an ice cream scoop, dollop a scoop of the batter onto your frying pan to form one pancake. Repeat and form 2 other pancakes (it's best to use a pan that can fit all three pancakes so you can cook everything together at once!). Add another scoop of batter onto each pancake. Cover and let cook for 3 minutes.
- Remove the lid and add the remaining batter onto the 3 pancakes evenly, forming tall pancakes. Add a spoonful of water to the pan (sprinkling it on the open areas of the pan not covered by pancakes), cover and let steam for another 3 minutes.
- Remove the lid and carefully flip each pancake over (the pancake should release quite easily from the pan, and the cooked surface should be golden brown. If the pancake sticks to the pan let it continue cooking until it releases easily). Add another spoonful of water, cover, and let cook for another 3 - 4 minutes.
- Serve with butter, maple sugar, powdered sugar, whipped cream or any of your favourite toppings.
Notes:
- Instead of scooping the batter into the pan, you can also opt to transfer the batter to a piping bag, then pipe in the batter onto the pan.
- If you want souffle pancakes with a more cafe-style perfect cylindrical shape, use a ring mould - place it directly on your pan and fill it with batter. If you don't have ring moulds you can make your own using baking parchment cut into strips, shaped into a circle and taped together. Place this in the pan and proceed with adding your batter.
It's time to make this fluffy Japanese pancakes for as a treat for yourself or earn some brownie points by whipping them up for a loved one!
P.S. Complete your Japanese-inspired meal by making this easy oyakodon recipe or making yummy ramen! Check out our full list of easy Japanese recipes too.