Fluffy Pancakes with Cherry Maple Syrup and Cinnamon Butter

Ready to up your pancake game without much extra work? With clever shortcuts and simple tweaks, you can make fluffy pancakes worthy of a fancy brunch. The secret is a tempura mix that includes baking soda, giving the pancakes a tall, airy rise. The toppings are equally stellar-so much so that we suggest setting up a toppings bar for everyone to customize their own stack.

Choose from cinnamon and brown sugar butter, maple syrup amped up with cherry jam and fresh lemon juice, lemony crème fraîche and candied pecans-or really go for it and have them all! This recipe is perfect for a leisurely weekend breakfast or a special occasion.

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Ingredients

7 Cinnamon & Brown Sugar ButterView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 LemonView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

8 Crème FraîcheView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

3 PecansView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

4 Cherry JamView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

8 Maple SyrupView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

6.75 MilkView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

4 Ricotta CheeseView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 EggsView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

246 Tempura BatterView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

0.45 SugarView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 Cooking OilView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

5 ButterView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

Instructions

1. Bring the cinnamon and brown sugar butter to room temperature. Wash and dry the lemon. Zest the lemon and quarter it. Place 2 tablespoons of plain butter in a small microwave-safe bowl; microwave until melted, about 30 seconds. Reserve 1 packet (about 2 tablespoons) of crème fraîche for the batter.
2. Heat a small nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add the pecans, 3 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon salt and 4 tablespoons water. Cook, stirring, until the water has evaporated and the pecans are sticky and coated, 3-5 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside on a plate to cool. Once cooled, use your hands to separate the pecans into small clusters of 2-3 pieces each. Wash out the pan.
3. In a small bowl, combine the remaining crème fraîche, ¼ teaspoon lemon zest, ½ teaspoon sugar, a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Mix well and set aside.
4. Heat the same pan used for the pecans over medium-high heat. Add the cherry jam and maple syrup; cook until bubbling, 1-2 minutes. Turn off the heat, then stir in 3 tablespoons butter until melted. Add 1-2 squeezes of lemon juice and a big pinch of salt. Set aside.
5. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, ricotta, melted butter, reserved crème fraîche, 1 teaspoon of the remaining lemon zest and the juice from 1 lemon wedge. In a large bowl, combine the tempura mix, ¼ cup sugar and ½ teaspoon salt. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and whisk until just combined (do not overmix).
6. Heat a drizzle of oil in a large nonstick pan over medium heat. Add ¼-cup scoops of batter to the hot pan. Once bubbles form on the tops of the pancakes (about 1-2 minutes), flip and cook until golden, 30-60 seconds more. Lower the heat if the pancakes brown too quickly. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining batter, adding more oil between batches. You can also use butter instead of oil or use two pans or a griddle for faster cooking.
7. Warm the cherry-maple syrup over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, 2-3 minutes. Assemble a toppings bar! Serve the pancakes on a platter with the candied pecans, lemony crème fraîche, cherry-maple syrup and cinnamon and brown sugar butter in separate bowls on the side.

Recipe Tips

FAQ

Can I use regular flour instead of tempura batter?

Tempura batter gives the pancakes a light, airy texture. If you substitute all-purpose flour, the pancakes will be denser. You can try a mix of flour and cornstarch for a similar effect.

Can I make the toppings ahead of time?

Yes! The candied pecans, cherry-maple syrup and lemony crème fraîche can be made a day in advance and stored separately in the refrigerator. Reheat the syrup gently before serving.

What can I use instead of ricotta cheese?

You can substitute ricotta with cottage cheese (blended smooth) or Greek yogurt for a similar creamy texture.