Description

These Christmas Fluffy Gingerbread Pancakes combine festive spices with a light, airy texture for the perfect holiday breakfast. Made by folding whipped egg whites into a spiced batter, these pancakes are fluffy, tender, and full of seasonal warmth. Enjoy them with your favorite toppings and optional add-ins like molasses, chocolate chips, or candied ginger for a delightful festive treat.

Ingredients

Scale

Wet Ingredients

3 eggs, room temperature, whites and yolks separated
3 oz butter, melted
3 cups milk, dairy or dairy-free, lukewarm

Dry Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
2.5 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon powder
1/2 tsp ground ginger powder
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg powder

Optional Sweetener and Add-ins

Sweetener (brown sugar, coconut sugar, or erythritol), to taste
Optional add-ins like molasses, ground cloves, vanilla extract, chocolate chips, chopped dates, dried fruit, nuts, candied ginger, or orange zest (quantities vary)

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Instructions

The Pre-prep: Sift all dry ingredients (flour, gingerbread spices, baking powder) into a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Separate the egg whites and yolks into two separate medium bowls, ensuring no yolk is mixed with the egg whites. Whisk the egg whites at medium speed until almost-stiff peaks form. Gradually add any sweetener to the egg whites while whisking to stabilize them. In the bowl with the yolks, add melted butter and lukewarm milk; mix well until combined.
Mix the Pancake Batter: Add the wet ingredients mixture to the flour mixture, stirring until fairly smooth without overmixing. Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the batter in increments: first mix 1/4 of the whites fully, then carefully fold in the remaining 3/4 to maintain airiness. Use the batter immediately to preserve fluffiness.
Cook the Pancakes Using a Small Pan: Heat a small 6-inch pan over low heat and grease lightly. Pour about 1/2 cup batter per pancake. Cook gently for 2-3 minutes until bubbles form and start popping on the surface, then flip and cook another 2-3 minutes. Use a toothpick to check doneness before removing. Repeat with remaining batter to make 8-10 pancakes.
Cook the Pancakes Using a Large Skillet (Souffle Style): Scoop 1/4 cup batter into the skillet, add 1 tablespoon water, cover, and cook for 1 minute. Add another 1/4 cup batter on top, cover, and cook 2-3 more minutes. Flip carefully, cover, and cook 3-5 more minutes until cooked through. Pancakes may deflate slightly and only brown on top and bottom using this method.
Serve and Enjoy: Serve the warm gingerbread pancakes immediately with your preferred toppings such as syrup, butter, fresh fruit, or festive add-ins.

Notes

Keep cooked pancakes warm in a 200ºF (95ºC) oven side by side, not stacked.
Avoid overmixing batter to preserve the fluffy texture; lumps are okay.
Adjust cooking times based on pancake thickness and stovetop heat.
Do not frequently lift the lid when cooking souffle-style pancakes to maintain rise.
Cook pancakes over low heat to avoid burning and deflation.
Make a test pancake to perfect cooking times and texture.
Use multiple pans or an electric griddle to cook more pancakes simultaneously.
Press any chunky add-ins gently onto the batter in the pan rather than mixing into the batter to avoid weighing it down.
Optional add-ins include 1 tbsp molasses, 1/4 tsp ground cloves, 1/2-1 tsp vanilla extract, 1/3-1/2 cup chocolate chips, chopped dates, dried fruits, nuts, candied ginger, or 1 tsp orange zest added before folding in egg whites.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 pancake
Calories: 250 kcal
Sugar: 6 g
Sodium: 300 mg
Fat: 10 g
Saturated Fat: 6 g
Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 32 g
Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 7 g
Cholesterol: 110 mg