The soft and fluffy pancakes, known as fluffy pancakes, are a Japanese specialty that stand out from American ones for their spongy and light texture, which remains intact even after several hours after preparation. The secret of this incredible fluffiness lies in the preparation of egg whites beaten with sugar, creating a frothy and compact mixture that does not deflate when mixed with other ingredients. The ingredients for these pancakes are essential and simple: only four are needed. They do not contain yeast, but rise thanks to the preparation of the batter and cooking at a low temperature, enriched by the addition of a little water to maintain the right humidity. They are easy to prepare, and once tried, it will be difficult to go back. To make them even more delicious, we can flavor them with powdered sugar, maple syrup, or our favorite spread. Perfect also with fresh fruit, they adapt to any variant and it will be hard to resist the temptation to have seconds.
For pancake lovers, I also recommend
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 6
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Japanese
- Energy 79.55 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 12.47 (g) of which sugars 8.98 (g)
- Proteins 2.94 (g)
- Fat 2.31 (g) of which saturated 1.16 (g)of which unsaturated 1.12 (g)
- Fibers 0.11 (g)
- Sodium 25.41 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 30 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup sugar
- A few drops lemon juice
- 1 1/2 tbsp milk
- as needed vanilla extract (or vanilla powder)
- as needed butter (to grease the pan)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Tools
To prepare the batter, I recommend an electric whisk and for cooking, a good non-stick pan about 10 inches in diameter.
- 1 Electric Whisk
- 1 Pan
Preparation
Separate the egg whites from the yolks and place them in two different bowls. Add a few drops of lemon juice to the egg whites and start beating them with the electric whisk at maximum speed. When they start to thicken, gradually add the sugar, a little at a time, continuing to beat until you obtain well-formed and frothy egg whites. When raising the whisk, the egg whites should not slide off but remain well attached, indicating they are properly beaten.
Once the egg whites are well beaten, mix the yolks with the milk using the whisk. Add the flour and vanilla extract, then continue mixing until a homogeneous mixture is obtained. At this point, turn off the whisk. With a spatula, gently fold the beaten egg whites into the yolks, adding them a little at a time to avoid deflating them. Use circular motions from bottom to top to incorporate everything well, achieving a frothy and compact batter.
When the batter is ready, lightly grease the pan with butter or oil, depending on your preference. Place the pan on the stovetop, and when it is hot, reduce the flame to the minimum. Begin preparing your fluffy pancakes. Due to the batter’s consistency, you have two options: you can put a single spoonful of batter to create a thinner pancake, or as you see in the photo, add a second spoonful over the first to form small fluffy mounds. The cooking time will vary based on the thickness you give to the pancakes.
The cooking is a crucial step and should be done over low heat. Cover the pan with a lid to keep moisture inside the pancakes. Additionally, add a few drops of water in the empty space of the pan, being careful not to let it touch the pancakes. This will help maintain the right moisture and cook them evenly without drying them out.
NOTES
The cooking is fundamental to achieving perfect fluffy pancakes. If it’s your first time, I recommend starting with just one layer of batter, as seen in the photo, which will still be much higher than traditional pancakes. They will be very soft and will need about 4 or 5 minutes of cooking on each side, over low heat, to ensure the right consistency.
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