Americans love ‘decadent pancakes’: The latest in flapjack fashion and flavor

Pancakes are a breakfast staple, perfectly satisfying with a simple topping of butter and maple syrup. However, flapjacks are also endlessly adaptable and delicious with a wide variety of add-ins. Students of the baking and pastry arts can find countless creative ways to put a fun and decadent spin on the classic.

Try out some of these tasty recipes to unlock the possibilities of pancakes:

Taking granola pancakes over the top with four-vice syrup

If you want a comforting stack that truly stands alone, you can prepare granola pancakes with a uniquely indulgent syrup featuring bacon, coffee and whiskey. Esquire offered directions for this treat that begin with dicing the bacon and cooking it to a crisp. Place in a saucepan with maple syrup, ground coffee and rye whiskey and heating the mixture on low until it starts to simmer.

To make the pancakes, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Create a well in the center and add melted butter and milk. Whisk until the ingredients are barely combined and fold in a cup of granola.

Set a griddle to medium-low and grease with butter before adding spoonfuls of batter. After bubbles develop and most pop, flip the pancakes over. Set them on a plate, covered with aluminum foil, and then serve covered in the syrup.

A hybrid of breakfast favorites

Along with pancakes, cinnamon rolls are another reliably comforting breakfast classic. Rachel Ray suggested a way to combine these eye-opening greats. The recipe calls for mixing melted butter with cinnamon, brown sugar and grated nutmeg, and then transferring the cinnamon butter into a squeeze bottle.

Add pancake batter to a buttered griddle set to medium. Squeeze on a spiral of the cinnamon butter. After one or two minutes, flip. Serve the cinnamon roll pancakes with a topping of cream cheese frosting.

Peanut butter pancakes are simple and irresistible

Peanut butter can make anything better, even pancakes. Fit Foodie Finds presented an easy way to add that beloved flavor, without even using any actual peanut butter. Instead, the recipe uses peanut flour and a banana.

Mash the fruit in a bowl. Then, whisk in two eggs and two tablespoons of the flour. Coat a pan with nonstick cooking spray and set on medium-low heat.

Place two tablespoons of batter on the pan at a time, cooking for about a minute on either side. Make a sauce by stirring together the peanut flour and almond milk. Pour onto the pancakes before serving.

Pancakes fit for a celebration

With “cake” right in the name, it was only a matter of time before someone brought together pancakes and cake batter. The directions from How Sweet Eats ensure you’ll enjoy the most festive flapjacks you’ve ever had.

This dessert-style pancake starts with mixing yellow cake mix, all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Add two eggs, a cup of milk and vanilla extract, stirring until the mixture is smooth. Add more milk if necessary to achieve a moderately thick batter.

Fold sprinkles into the batter. Prepare a glaze by mixing milk, vanilla extract and powdered sugar. Pour quarter-cup portions of the batter into a skillet set on medium heat.

Cook the pancakes for two to three minutes before flipping and cooking another minute. Serve with the glaze drizzled on top.

Pancakes are one breakfast food that can be adapted to fit any meal and incorporate a huge range of ingredients. Culinary academy students who appreciate the infinite potential of their flapjacks will find plenty of inspiration to customize their own recipes.