These Christmas pancakes are fluffy buttermilk pancakes with a teaspoon of cinnamon in the batter, stacked high and topped with maple syrup, red cranberries or pomegranate seeds, and a snowfall of powdered sugar. The batch makes about 16 pancakes, enough for 4 to 6 people, in 30 minutes.
The trick is to stop stirring while the batter is still lumpy and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes while the pan heats. That rest is what makes them tall and soft instead of flat and chewy.
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- Makes: about 16 pancakes from 1/4 cup of batter each, 4 to 6 servings
- Time: 10 minutes to mix, about 20 minutes at the stove
- Spice: 1 teaspoon cinnamon in the batter; nutmeg or cardamom optional
- Lift: 1 tablespoon baking powder plus 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, which reacts with the buttermilk
- Keep warm: single layer in a 200°F (95°C) oven
- Make ahead: dry and wet mixes the night before, or freeze cooked pancakes for up to a month
What Each Ingredient Does
All-purpose flour gives enough structure without making the pancakes heavy. The 2 tablespoons of sugar are there as much for browning as for sweetness. Baking powder does most of the lifting, while the baking soda reacts with the tang of the buttermilk and keeps the inside soft. Salt sharpens the cinnamon.
Buttermilk adds tang and moisture, eggs bind the batter and give it a springy bite, melted butter makes the edges lightly crisp, and vanilla rounds out the spice. Use the buttermilk at room temperature. Cold buttermilk sets the warm melted butter into little flecks. If that happens, leave the bowl for 5 minutes and stir gently once the butter softens.
Buttermilk or Regular Milk?
I have tried both. Buttermilk pancakes stay tender longer and taste slightly tangy, which suits tart cranberries. With plain whole milk the flavor is flatter and the pancakes cool into something denser, and the baking soda has no acid to work with. No buttermilk? Put 2 tablespoons of lemon juice or white vinegar in a 2 cup measure, fill it to the line with milk, and let it stand for 5 minutes until it thickens slightly.
Mixing a Fluffy Pancake Batter
Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl. In a second bowl, whisk the buttermilk, eggs, melted butter and vanilla until smooth.
Pour the wet mix into the dry and fold with a spatula until you no longer see dry flour. Stop there. Small lumps are fine; they disappear on the griddle. Overmixed batter builds gluten and gives flat, rubbery pancakes. Let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes. The flour hydrates, the batter thickens a little, and bubbles start to form on the surface. If you like more spice, a pinch of nutmeg or cardamom goes in with the cinnamon.
Cooking the Pancakes
Heat a nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat and brush it lightly with butter or oil. Test it with a drop of water: it should dance and disappear in 2 to 3 seconds. If it vanishes at once the pan is too hot, and the outsides will brown before the middles set. Cook one test pancake first and adjust the heat.
Pour 1/4 cup of batter per pancake and leave it alone for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip when bubbles on top pop and stay open and the edges look dry and matte. Cook the second side for 1 to 2 minutes until golden. Do not press the pancakes with the spatula; that pushes out the air you just built.
For a family, set the oven to 200°F (95°C) and put a wire rack on a baking sheet. Lay the finished pancakes on it in a single layer. Stacked on a plate, they steam each other and go soft.
Toppings and Sugared Cranberries
Maple syrup is my constant, warmed so it does not cool the stack. Fresh cranberries are sharp on their own, so I scatter only a few, or use pomegranate seeds, which are sweeter and just as red. Powdered sugar sifted over the top looks like snow.
Sugared cranberries are the garnish people remember, and they are what some people call snowball cranberries. Heat equal parts sugar and water until the sugar dissolves, then let the syrup cool until warm. Stir in the fresh cranberries, drain them, and roll them in granulated sugar. Let them dry on a wire rack for at least 1 hour until the coating is crisp. They keep at room temperature for a day, so make them the evening before. A rosemary sprig next to them finishes the plate.
Ways to Make Them Look Like Christmas
- Pancake tree: cook pancakes in three sizes (1/4 cup, 2 tablespoons and 1 tablespoon of batter), stack them largest to smallest, and top with a sugared cranberry star.
- Cookie-cutter shapes: cut cooked pancakes with star, tree or gingerbread man cutters while they are warm. Serve the trimmings to the cook.
- Red and green plate: pomegranate seeds or cranberries with a rosemary sprig or a few chopped pistachios.
- Snowy stack: a heavy dusting of powdered sugar through a small sieve, right before serving so it does not melt in.
For the kids, the same batter works for reindeer pancakes and snowman pancakes.
The Night-Before Plan
Whisk the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another, cover both, and refrigerate the wet bowl. In the morning, take the wet mix out 20 minutes early so the butter loosens, then combine, rest and cook. You can also mix the whole batter up to 24 hours ahead; it rises a little less, so fold it gently once and do not stir out the bubbles.
Leftover pancakes keep in the fridge for 2 days. To freeze, separate them with parchment, seal in a bag, and freeze for up to a month. I do this for busy December mornings. Reheat in a toaster or a dry skillet; the microwave makes the edges soft.
Rounding Out a Christmas Breakfast
A plate of eggnog French toast next to the pancakes covers both camps at the table. A pat of maple butter melts nicely into the warm stack, and a pot of Christmas hot chocolate keeps everyone happy while the second batch cooks. If you want a baked dish you can make ahead, Christmas bread pudding reheats well.
For ordinary weekends, the same method works for my cinnamon pancakes.
Save this one to your holiday board so it is ready for December. If you try a new topping or turn them into a pancake tree, tell me about it in the comments.
Christmas Pancakes Recipe
These Christmas pancakes are fluffy buttermilk pancakes made with flour, cinnamon, eggs, melted butter and vanilla, then stacked with maple syrup, cranberries or pomegranate seeds and powdered sugar. The recipe takes about 30 minutes and makes about 16 pancakes, enough for 4 to 6 people. The batter is stirred only until lumpy and rested for 5 to 10 minutes, so the baking powder and soda lift the pancakes tall and soft. Serve them for Christmas morning breakfast or Christmas brunch, cut them into stars and trees, or stack them into a pancake tree with sugared cranberries. Mix the dry and wet ingredients the night before, and freeze leftover pancakes for up to 1 month.
Ingredients
- FOR THE PANCAKE BATTER
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 cups buttermilk (room temperature)
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup unsalted butter (melted and slightly cooled)
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- FOR THE TOPPINGS
- Maple syrup (to taste)
- Fresh cranberries or pomegranate arils
- Powdered sugar (for dusting)
- Optional: Sugared cranberries and a rosemary sprig for garnish
Instructions
- MAKE THE BATTER: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract until smooth. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir gently until just combined. The batter should remain slightly lumpy. Let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes while you heat the pan.
- COOK THE PANCAKES: Preheat a nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat and lightly grease with butter or oil. Pour ¼ cup of batter onto the skillet for each pancake. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until bubbles form on the surface and the edges begin to set. Flip and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes until the second side is golden brown. Transfer finished pancakes to a warm oven (200°F / 95°C) while you continue with the rest of the batter.
- ASSEMBLE THE STACK: Arrange pancakes on a plate and drizzle with warm maple syrup. Top with fresh cranberries or pomegranate arils and a dusting of powdered sugar. Garnish with sugared cranberries and a rosemary sprig, if desired, for a festive finish.
Notes
Use room-temperature buttermilk so the melted butter does not set into flecks. No buttermilk: put 2 tablespoons lemon juice or white vinegar in a 2 cup measure, fill with milk, and let stand 5 minutes. Do not overmix; small lumps are fine. Flip when bubbles on top pop and stay open. Keep cooked pancakes in a single layer on a rack in a 200°F (95°C) oven so they do not steam. To make sugared cranberries, toss fresh cranberries in simple syrup, then roll in granulated sugar and let dry on a wire rack for at least 1 hour. Pancake batter can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for up to 24 hours; it rises slightly less, so fold gently. Leftovers keep 2 days in the fridge or 1 month frozen.
