If you don’t have time to make pancakes from scratch, consider freezing the batter. You can freeze pancake batter for later use with little loss of quality.
Pancakes are a delicious and popular breakfast item for adults and kids alike. However, you may not always have the time to prepare them, or perhaps your pancake recipe makes too many pancakes for a single serving. That’s when freezing the batter comes to rescue.
Can you freeze it?
Pancake batter can be mixed and then frozen for later use. This is useful if you want to make a large batch of batter at one time, and separate it into breakfast-sized portions. You can freeze enough to feed an entire family, or just enough to feed one. However, you will lose some fluffiness in the resulting pancakes. The leavening agent in most pancake batter is baking powder, which is double-acting. This means its initial activation occurs when it becomes moist in the batter. This will be lost when you freeze the batter. However, it will also activate when heating, so your pancakes will still fluff, just not as high as they would with fresh batter. Pancake batter made with baking soda should not be frozen, as it is single-acting, using all its leavening power immediately, and pancakes made from the frozen batter will not rise.
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Should you freeze it?
Freezing pancake batter can make it easier to prepare pancakes later, with very little loss of quality. If you frequently make only a few pancakes at a time, it makes sense to freeze your leftover batter. Pancake mixes have a limited shelf life, so freezing the batter will also help extend the life of your store-bought mixes. Making up a large batch of pancake batter can also help you use up milk, eggs, and fruits before they go bad, freezing them for later use. Check your recipe or store-bought mix to ensure that it does not use baking soda, as these pancakes will not rise after having been frozen. Some manufacturers do not recommend freezing their product.
How to Freeze Pancake Batter
Pancake batter should be frozen in a shallow container, or in a plastic bag. Divide the batter into your desired portion. A typical pancake takes about 1/4 cup of batter, so use this as a guide to determine how many pancakes you will make from each frozen portion. It is a good idea to label your container with a date and quantity. If you freeze batter in a plastic bag, when you are ready to use it you can simply snip off a corner of the bag and use it to dispense the batter onto your griddle. Be sure to remove all excess air from your container before freezing.
If you would prefer, you can also freeze pre-cooked pancakes to be eaten later. Allow pancakes to cool, and then place them in a plastic bag, separating layers with parchment or wax paper. Alternately, you can freeze pancakes in a single layer on a tray, and transfer them to a plastic bag once they are fully frozen. These pancakes can be reheated in the microwave or toaster oven for a fast and easy breakfast.
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Thawing
Pancake batter can be thawed in the refrigerator overnight. If you need to thaw the batter faster, place your container is a bowl of warm water, and allow to gradually thaw. Remember to keep your batter cool until you are ready to use it. Once thawed, you can cook your pancakes as usual.
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