Don't Skip This Easy Batter Trick For Super Fluffy Pancakes

Basic buttermilk pancakes drizzled in syrup are a weekend staple, and one of those things you probably think you know how to make already — without any specific tips. In reality though, everyone knows that the first pancake usually falls flat, and you can make the same exact recipe a dozen times with different results. Burnt, undercooked, flat, gooey in the middle, or chewy cakes are common pitfalls, even when following tried and true recipes. 

Chowhound caught up with certified flapjack expert, chef Emily Yuen at the New York City Wine & Food Fest at the Seaport. Yuen is a celebrated chef, a James Beard-award nominee, and a semifinalist in the 2025 JBF Best Chef NY. Her day job is head chef at Lingo in Brooklyn, which features pancakes on the brunch menu. 

Whether you're at a James Beard-nominated establishment or whipping up easy pancakes from a boxed mix next Sunday, Yuen told us it's all about the egg whites when it comes to fluffiness in the creations on her menu and the stacks you make at home. "I would say any pancake recipe that you have, take the egg whites out of that and whip the egg whites into stiff peaks and then fold it back into the batter and then cook it," says the chef. Whipping "aerates the egg whites" to make a fluffy batter — which translates into fluffy cakes.

Most chefs can master a basic pancake, but Emily Yuen has a specific connection to the dish. It was a pancake that she first tackled as a newbie pastry chef in the early days of her career. Specifically, she mastered the Japanese souffle style pancake, known for its airiness and height, which she now features at Lingo with the Apple Tart Tatin Pancakes. It's the same approach she takes for these super airy cakes that she advises we all keep in mind when making the standard American pancake. 

Egg white whipping aside, Yuen also says one of the most common pancake-ruining mistakes she sees is too much or too little oil. "If you want to go for a crispy edge, put a lot of oil [in the pan] to make the edge nice and crispy," she advises, "so it's kind of like deep-fried around the edges."

Yuen's tips and others go a long way in ensuring height and fluffiness — like mixing dry ingredients first to avoid overbeating the batter. Still, some elements of the perfect stack comes down to practice, and vibes, admits Yuen. When asked how she ensures every batch she makes for restaurant guests are perfect each time, she says, "it's just a feeling." She looks for the ideal golden brown hue, to "know it's cooked" and ready to be plated for guests and enjoyed. In other words, practice makes perfect, so get to mixing and flipping.