Description

Celebrate the festive season with these Christmas Fluffy Gingerbread Pancakes, packed with warm spices like cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, providing a soft, airy texture perfect for holiday breakfasts. Made with separated eggs whipped to fluffy peaks and a lightly spiced batter, these pancakes offer a delightful mix of traditional gingerbread flavors with a fluffy, souffle-style pancake texture that can be cooked in a small pan or skillet.

Ingredients

Scale

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

Wet Ingredients

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

Optional Sweetener

Sweetener optional – brown sugar, coconut sugar, or a sugar-free option like erythritol, adjust amount to taste

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Instructions

The Pre-prep: Sift all dry ingredients (flour, spices, baking powder) into a large bowl and stir together. Separate the egg whites and yolks into separate bowls, ensuring no yolk contaminates the whites as this will affect whipping. Whisk the egg whites on medium speed until almost stiff peaks form, gradually adding sweetener if using to stabilize the whites. In the yolk bowl, mix the melted butter and lukewarm milk until fully combined.
Mix the Pancake Batter: Add the wet mixture (egg yolks, butter, and milk) to the dry flour and spice mix and stir gently until smooth but do not overmix. Fold in the whipped egg whites carefully using a spatula in increments—first 1/4 mixing normally, then gently fold the remaining 3/4 to preserve fluffiness. Use the batter immediately before it loses air.
Cook the Pancakes - Using a Small Pan: Heat a small (6 inch/15 cm) pan over low heat and grease lightly. Pour approximately 1/2 cup of batter per pancake. Cook gently for 2-3 minutes until bubbles form on the surface and begin to pop. Flip and cook another 2-3 minutes until cooked through, check with toothpick for doneness. This method yields 8-10 thick, well-shaped pancakes.
Cook the Pancakes - Using a Large Skillet: Scoop 1/4 cup batter portions into pan, add a tablespoon water and cover to steam for 1 minute. Carefully add another 1/4 cup on top of each pancake, cover and cook an additional 2-3 minutes. Flip, cover, and cook for 3-5 minutes until browned and cooked through. Test with a toothpick. This produces more jiggly souffle-style pancakes with browning only on top and bottom.
Serving: Serve immediately with desired toppings such as syrup, butter, or festive add-ins like molasses or chocolate chips. Keep cooked pancakes warm by placing them in a 200ºF (95ºC) oven side by side.

Notes

Keep pancakes warm by storing cooked ones side by side (not stacked) in a 200ºF/95ºC oven.
Do not overmix batter to avoid losing air and resulting in rubbery flat pancakes.
Adjust cooking time depending on pancake thickness, pan type, and stove heat.
For large skillet method, keep lid closed to maintain steam and rise.
Cook over low heat to ensure thorough cooking without burning.
It is okay if the batter has lumps—this will help retain fluffiness.
Make a test pancake to adjust technique and timing before cooking the whole batch.
Use multiple pans or an electric griddle with a lid to cook several pancakes at once.
Optional add-ins include 1 tablespoon molasses, 1/4 tsp ground cloves, 1/2 to 1 tsp vanilla extract, chocolate chips, chopped dates, dried fruit like raisins or cranberries, nuts such as walnuts or pecans, candied ginger, or a teaspoon of orange zest added before folding in egg whites.
When adding chunky add-ins, press them gently onto pancakes in the pan rather than mixing in to avoid weighing down batter.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 small pancake
Calories: 150 kcal
Sugar: 4 g
Sodium: 180 mg
Fat: 7 g
Saturated Fat: 4 g
Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 18 g
Fiber: 1 g
Protein: 5 g
Cholesterol: 85 mg