I live in a household of fluffy pancake lovers, and this Pancake Day, I checked to see if you can make them in the air fryer. The internet said yes, so I gave my usual recipe a whirl in my best air fryer and was impressed by how evenly cooked it ended up being.
I also tested the same batter the old-fashioned way in a pan on the stove-top and I have to say, those pan cooked ones definitely came out on top for taste and texture.
What you'll need
Combine equal volumes of:
- All purpose flour
- Eggs
- Milk
- Optional: 1-3 level teaspoons of baking powder
- Optional: Fruits and sauces or syrup of your choosing
- Optional: Silicon molds or round air-fryer-safe dish
As a rule of thumb, I use two eggs per adult, and one egg per child and therefore match the total volume of egg, with equal amounts of milk and flour. If your mix is runnier than you'd like, add more flour until it's a suitable density.
What I did
- Preheat your air fryer. Set it to 180° Celsius (about 355° Fahrenheit) on the Bake option. If you don't have a Bake setting, use Air Fryer mode.
- As per the ingredients and ratios above, add your wet mix of eggs and milk to your flour and combine till evenly mixed. If adding baking powder, mix that into the flour.
- Grease your air fryer tray and pour your mix in the center. I used a soup ladle so I could add the same amount each time.
- Air fry for five minutes. There's no need to flip, but if the edges curl like mine did, flip for the last minute to flatten.
- Top with your preferred fruits, and enjoy.
I didn't have any silicon molds or a round glass dish to hand, so I ditched the raised pan insert that allows for draining in my Tower air fryer and poured my batter straight in to the tray after greasing with a drizzle of my normal cooking oil. You can also use paper liners, available at Amazon in bulk, for easy clean up.
Stove-top vs air fryer pancakes
For comparison, I also used the same batter to make a pancake in a shallow pan, the old-fashioned-way on my stovetop. The stove-top came out on top for flavor, texture, fluffiness and speed, but didn't appear quite as even in color as the air fryer. My pan's textured surface is probably to answer for that!
In the air fryer, I found the pancake's edges curled up and it needed a flip in the last minute to flatten the pancake. The texture of the air fryer pancake was more rubbery, and didn't rise or taste as good as the stove-top pancake.
My husband and I tasted both, and we preferred the stove-top one.
Whilst the air fryer pancakes weren't perfect, they were very easy and it's handy if you want to pop your batter in and then get on with something elsewhere.
Pastry chef Katherine Sprung adds, 'It's possible to technically make pancakes in an air fryer, but the result is not going to be the same as in the pan or a griddle. There are videos floating around on social media that show a method that, I believe, is totally fake!
'People can still achieve acceptable results, if they're using methods that will set themselves up for success, but you won't get that beautiful golden brown pancake with crispy edges like you would in a pan or griddle.'
I couldn't agree more!
Final scores: The air fryer one was 6/10, whilst the stove-top one was a 9/10 for better taste and texture.
Pancake day essentials
These are safe, easy, non stick and perfect for use in the air fryer, oven or pan. There are 11 more color, shape and number options on the listing.
Forget ladles and pancake batter drips, measure, mix and drop your batter in the pan or your air fryer with this nifty handled multi-functional jug.
Make clean up easier by using throwaway liners in your air fryer when cooking. Simply lift and pop in the trash when you're done. You can also use a reusable silicone liner, also available at Walmart to lessen your impact on the planet.
PFOA free, this nifty crepe pan is suitable for all stove-tops including induction. Spread your batter with the little paddle for an even cook.
These dishwasher-safe mini cookie cutters are perfect for pancakes, fondant and other fun baking shapes.
This 12-inch stainless steel whisk is the perfect replacement for any black plastic ones you have in your cutlery drawer. It's non toxic and durable.
If, like me, you've noticed the non-stick coating of your air fryer pan is starting to flake, it's time to switch to one of the best non-toxic air fryers. This will reduce your household's ingestion of harmful microplastics and will make a great addition to your kitchen appliances.
Now you've cooked up your pancakes, leave the washing up to someone else!
