Orange-Cardamom Pancakes Recipe (2024)

By Klancy Miller

Orange-Cardamom Pancakes Recipe (1)

Total Time
20 minutes
Rating
4(825)
Notes
Read community notes

It’s no wonder pancakes are a weekend staple: Their batter comes together in just 5 minutes using ingredients you’re likely to have on hand. Here, ground cardamom and fresh orange zest provide an aromatic boost that is sweet and addictive, but subtle enough that you can still pair your pancakes with any typical accompaniments. The recipe is plentiful enough for 12 full-size pancakes, or twice the number of mini pancakes if preparing brunch for a crowd. (As a bonus, the pancake base also doubles as a waffle batter.) A drizzle of maple syrup and a pat of butter are mandatory; a dollop of warmed orange marmalade or chopped Medjool dates would be rousing.

Learn: How to Make Pancakes

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Ingredients

Yield:12 pancakes (4 to 6 servings)

  • 2cups all-purpose flour
  • 2tablespoons granulated sugar
  • teaspoons baking powder
  • 2teaspoons ground cardamom
  • ½teaspoon kosher salt
  • cups whole milk
  • 2eggs
  • 1teaspoon orange extract
  • 1tablespoon fresh orange zest
  • 3tablespoons butter, melted, plus more for greasing and serving
  • Maple syrup, for drizzling

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

281 calories; 10 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 40 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 7 grams sugars; 8 grams protein; 308 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Orange-Cardamom Pancakes Recipe (2)

Preparation

  1. Step

    1

    Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, cardamom and salt to a large bowl and whisk to combine. In a medium bowl, whisk the milk, eggs, orange extract, orange zest and 3 tablespoons melted butter until combined.

  2. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry mixture and mix to combine using a large spoon or rubber spatula. Using a whisk or a handheld electric mixer on high speed, beat the batter until smooth, about 30 seconds.

  3. Step

    3

    Heat a large nonstick skillet or griddle over medium. Add butter for greasing, tilting the pan to coat the bottom. Working in batches, cook the pancakes, using about ⅓ cup batter for each. Cook each batch of pancakes until bubbly on top and golden-brown underneath, 1 to 2 minutes, then flip and cook until golden-brown on the second side, 1 to 2 minutes. Repeat with the remaining batter, adjusting the temperature and adding more butter as necessary.

  4. Step

    4

    Transfer pancakes to serving plates. Drizzle with maple syrup and top with butter, as desired.

Ratings

4

out of 5

825

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

Enid Coleslaw

The orange and cardamom are such simple additions but made a nice difference. If you like both, the amounts of zest and cardamom can be easily doubled without them overpowering the pancakes. Also, no need for a mixer...a few quick stirs with a rubber spatula did the trick. Glad to have taken the advice of other commenters and happily substituted orange juice for orange essence.

Annie

I found the orange extract to be overpowering and somewhat chemical in nature. I would use orange juice or Cointreau next time instead. The cardamom is wonderful.

Liz Harris

I substituted fresh orange juice for orange extract. It was delicious.

Sabena

Followed the recipe but added half a teaspoon of Grand Marnier. Pancakes were delicious eaten with maple syrup and bacon. I would definitely make it again. It was a perfect brunch for Easter Sunday.

Hopsing

Good Flavor. I did make a few adjustments. Orange oil - as I keep that on hand. (See King Arthur Flour.com for other great uses), and utilized plain yogurt for 1/3 of the milk. I don't ever beat pancake batter with a mixer (whisk instead) as there is so little fat that it makes the end result on the tough side for me. That said, these are guest worthy and I will make them again. Any good pancake recipe with cardamom and orange zest and oil oil/extract would be a good blend.

Non dairy

I can't do dairy and all I had in hand was coconut cream. I thinned it with some carbonated water and the pancakes came out so fluffy. I do keep orange extract on hand, when I have a glut of oranges I cut off strips of zest and put it in a jar with vodka. I served the pancakes with a segmented orange and it's juice mixed with chopped dates and maple syrup. That syrup was amazing.

Raffi

To up the cardamom flavor, use fresh pods. Toast them in a dry skillet on medium heat for a few minutes, shaking the pan now and then. Let them cool, then remove and grind the seeds. I mucked up and toasted the seeds themselves, out of the pod, but still liked the results. You can put the empty pods in a French press to gently cardamomize your coffee.

sarah

These pancakes were delicious! I don’t have kids so I always forget about pancakes. I didn’t have anything in the house for breakfast so I thought oh pancakes are a great idea! Surprisingly I had all of the ingredients including orange extract. I did add more zest to the recipe but they came out delicious. For some reason I’ve been on a cardamom kick. The flavor combo of the cardamom and the orange is really good.

Michelle

I also substituted fresh juice for extract. Who keeps orange extract on hand? I also added a little vanilla extract. It was delicious and we will make it again. One batch fed two adults and one teen boy.

viv

Hello Shiv, perhaps you might have zested your orange too enthusiastically and caught the white pith bits below the zest. That part is bitter. About the stiffness and dryness, check out the comment by Hopsing below, you've likely over-beaten batter, the gluten got all worked up, so you lost the fluffy factor. :( I'm sure you'd find joy at your next attempt :)

Outstanding!

I used fresh orange juice and 1 and a half cups of white flour and a half cup of ground flaxseed to make them healthier, worked like a charm. Will definitely repeat.

Nick

I made these as written except substituting 2 tsp Cointreau for the 1 tsp orange extract. Flavor was good (more cardamom would’ve been too much) but texture was on the dry side. Served with a quick syrup made from boiled up chopped dates and walnuts in a little orange juice and plenty of maple syrup—great combination.

Lin

Delicious! Used cardamon seeds which I had to grind and a tad of oj as I didn't have any orange extract. Fantastic!

Maria

I used Fiori di Sicilia instead of orange extract and used one cup whole milk and one cup of buttermilk. I let the batter rest or about an hour. This made the lightest, tastiest waffles I've had in a long time.

Diana

Add unsweetened coconut flakes!

substitutions

We made these on a trip and forgot to pack the cardamom. Substituted some finely chopped candied ginger. And used extra zest and a tablespoon of fresh OJ instead of the extract. They were delicious.

Tess

I didn't have cardamom so I subbed for 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger. Turned out delicious - I thought they might be ok, they turned out being REALLY good. I also halved the recipe because I didn't need that much and still had leftovers, so it definitely feeds a lot.

Michael

The orange and cardamom make for a delicious combination of flavors—quite a refreshing mix for breakfast. We used a whole cara cara orange for the zest and half the orange for juice to replace the extract. The remaining portion of the orange we served alongside the pancakes as decoration.For a future iteration, I'd be interested in replacing a portion of the milk with buttermilk to give a slightly sour flavor.

michelem

I also make these with a Tbsp of pumpkin puree in place of the orange, and adding nutmeg and cinnamon for a nice fall Pumpkin Pancake.

chrissy

You know the first pancake of the batch - the wonky reject? Every pancake I make is a reject. My bad luck with flapjacks ends with this recipe.No wonky cakes here - only perfectly fluffy rounds of goodness with a crisp, golden halo. I didn’t even use clarified butter, or add an extra yolk. Can’t wait to make it as written. The secret is in the hot pan!

LC

Top with applesauce and chopped pecans and walnuts

Ed Brereton

I juiced the orange and made a caramel sauce with butter and brown sugar, cream and maple syrup. Custom caramel!

ines' chicken

i added tsp of cinnamon and ground ginger each to the dry ingredients, made for a delicious addition!

DennisD

Try it with syrup made from lightly-heated orange-juice concentrate, butter and sugar.

CS

Didn't have enough cardamom so added 1/4-1/2 tsp each of allspice and ginger. Used oranges instead of orange oil. Zested and Added juice of 2 oranges and milk to equal 1.5 cups.

Sandie Robinson

Used half whole wheat and half white flour. Used beaten egg whites, Cara Cara orange zest and juice and buttermilk ( which I always use in pancakes and waffles). Upped the amount of cardamom and used fresh ground seeds. Delicious!

CJ

A fun way to zazz up your pancakes in the winter! Enjoyed the different taste and was a nice way to take advantage of both oranges and cardamom. I don't keep orange extract on hand so used juice of half an orange and it was just fine!

Lillie

Absolutely fantastic. Cardamom is my favorite spice so I doubled the amount. Also zested an entire orange and the pancakes had an incredible aroma. I didn’t have orange essence on hand so I substituted a couple drops of orange blossom water. Could not stop eating these!!

freja

I didn't have orange extract, used almond instead. No fresh zest, used grated dried orange peel instead, added twice the amount. This was delicious. I'll try the orange juice tip next time

Jill MKE

So good, served with a plantbased breakfast sausage, and maple syrup. The orange was very strong which I like but I could barely taste the cardamom. Next time I'll adjust the recipe as I will be making these again.

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Orange-Cardamom Pancakes Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret of amazing pancakes? ›

This is the easiest tip for better pancakes: Commit yourself to 20 minutes at the skillet and really pay attention while you cook the pancakes as they cook. Are they browning too quickly? Turn the heat down a bit and cool the pan for a minute before the next batch.

Does baking soda make pancakes fluffy? ›

Pancakes and waffles typically both contain baking soda, which causes them to rise. As soon as the baking soda is combined with the wet ingredients (which contain an acidic ingredient, like often buttermilk), it starts producing carbon dioxide gas bubbles that cause the batter to rise.

Why are my pancakes tough? ›

Over-mixing pancake batter develops the gluten that will make the pancakes rubbery and tough. For light, fluffy pancakes, you want to mix just until the batter comes together—it's okay if there are still some lumps of flour. Fat (melted butter) makes the pancakes rich and moist.

How to make Joe Wicks pancakes? ›

blueberries and raspberries - to serve.
  1. Whizz up the banana, protein powder, egg and oats in a blender to make your batter.
  2. Heat up half the coconut oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat.
  3. Pour little puddles of batter into the pan – I usually get 3 pancakes, with about half the batter in the pan at once.
May 4, 2020

Why do restaurant pancakes taste better than homemade? ›

Restaurants use better quality ingredients

Restaurants tend to use real, farm-fresh eggs and real milk when making their pancakes, which as you might guess, adds to a richer, higher-quality eating experience.

Why are IHOP pancakes so delicious? ›

Marie Grimm, IHOP's vice president of culinary innovation, revealed to Delish that to make a killer batter, the wet ingredients should be "ice cold." Using cold eggs, milk, butter, oil, and water prevents the ingredients from prematurely heating the gluten in the flour, explains Grimm, which is responsible for creating ...

What happens if you add an extra egg to pancake mix? ›

Eggs are a crucial ingredient. They provide the cakes with the structure to hold light bubbles. Eggs also give the batter additional, richer flavor from the yolk fat. If you add too many eggs, you'll have “pancakes” that look more like custard or crepes.

What makes fluffier pancakes milk or water? ›

Milk helps make pancakes fluffier than water. Since milk is thicker than water, it creates a thicker batter. Further, if you use whole milk or low fat milk, the fat content helps yield tender, fluffy results.

Do you let pancake batter rest? ›

Q – Should I make my batter in advance? A – Ideally make your batter and let it rest for about 30 minutes before cooking. This allows the flour to absorb the liquid, making the pancakes lighter and fluffier.

What not to do when making pancakes? ›

Don't let the lumps fool you into overmixing!
  1. You ignore the heat during cooking. If you are not using an electric skillet, you must pay attention to the heat when you start cooking the pancakes. ...
  2. You've been using the wrong pan. ...
  3. You flip your pancakes too soon. ...
  4. You don't fully preheat your pan.

Is it better to cook pancakes on high or low heat? ›

The ideal temperature for cooking pancakes

Either way, it's obvious that delicious pancakes require an ideal griddle temperature (and a little bit of patience) to get that nice, fluffy texture. Simply put: the best temperature for cooking pancakes is 375°F on a griddle or medium to medium high heat on the stove.

How to make Queen Elizabeth pancakes? ›

Beat two eggs with 4 tablespoons of sugar and about one teacup (or 3/4 of a cup) of milk. Add 4 teacups of flour and mix in another teacup of milk "as required" Mix in 3 teaspoons of cream of tartar and 2 tablespoons of bicarbonate soda (baking soda) Fold in 2 tablespoons of melted butter.

What oil does IHOP use for pancakes? ›

In addition, we use highly refined soybean oil in our fryers, which the FDA exempts from being labeled as an allergen.

What is the key to making fluffy pancakes? ›

5 Tips for Fluffier Pancakes
  1. Allow the Batter to Rest. A good rule of thumb when you're wondering how to make fluffy pancakes is to let the batter rest. ...
  2. Beat the Egg Whites. Separate your yolk from the egg white then beat to create a fluffy pancake. ...
  3. Don't Over Mix! ...
  4. Wait for the Bubbles. ...
  5. Follow a Good Recipe.
Dec 1, 2019

How to get perfect pancakes every time? ›

Things to Avoid When Making Pancakes
  1. Don't overmix the batter. ...
  2. Don't let the griddle or skillet get too hot! ...
  3. Don't add the butter or shortening until after the griddle or skillet has been preheated.
  4. Don't go overboard with butter or shortening. ...
  5. Don't press down on the pancakes while they're cooking.
  6. Don't overflip.
Jan 18, 2023

How are restaurant pancakes so good? ›

Restaurants use hot griddles that are perfectly-calibrated for quick, even cooking. We can't ever recall cooking a bad pancake at home (or, at least, one that wasn't still edible). Yet we also have to admit our amateur cooking skills often seem to be lacking when compared to the pros.

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