Here we will discuss runny pancake batter, why it ends up this way, and what to do about it if it needs to be fixed. We have done some tests on pancake batter that is really loose and runny to see how it functions when cooking pancakes. We will provide that information here for you after we explain what is going on with runny pancake batter.
A runny pancake batter means that the thicker and more dry ingredients (specifically the flour) possibly isn’t enough to absorb all of the liquid ingredients in the pancake batter mix to give the pancake batter a thicker overall consistency. However, from our tests and experience with making pancake batter in restaraunts, this doesn’t always mean that the pancake batter needs to be “fixed”.
Also, some people are used to making pancakes from really runny pancake batter, and are actually experts at doing it. Great pancakes can definitely be made from a runny pancake batter. It is actually better to use a more loose pancake batter to make pancakes if you are aiming to make the easiest most perfect circle looking pancakes possible.
A more runny pancake batter will spread out easier on the griddle or in the pan to make a round circle, than a pancake batter that is too thick and lumpy would. For instance, pancake batter begins to immediately cook when it touches a hot and ready pan or griddle. This means that if the temperature is too hot and the pancake batter is too thick, it may not spread out fast enough to form a good shape for a pancake in the pan or griddle, because the batter is moving like cool molasses.
A more runny pancake batter is also less messy too, as it will not get stuck on the utensils or tools used to pour the pancake batter for cooking. It will also cook faster than a pancake cooked using a thick batter.
However, in some cases, you may need to thicken up the pancake batter if it is just too runny. A really runny pancake batter will leave the individual cooking the pancake batter and ending up with flatter pancakes that may not have any rise. In some cases, the pancakes will come out looking like tortillas (thin and/or flat pancakes). These are known as crepes or poor man’s pancakes. The ratio of flour to the wet ingredients (water/milk) for these type of pancakes is around 50/50 give or take. Poor man’s pancakes are usually made with only water, flour, and sugar.
If this is not what you want, then to fix this problem, more flour has to be used in ratio to the water or milk used in the batter. We recommend adding a small amount of flour in increments at a time and mixing it in to avoid making the pancake batter too thick and dry. You may end up with the reverse problem of having really dry and thick pancake batter if you add too much flour or dry ingredients at a time.
If you are using a substitute for regular flour in your pancakes, like a different kind of flour, starch, oats, or any other dry ingredient, then the same rules apply for fixing your runny pancake batter: add more of the dry ingredient to make the batter less runny.
That’s great, but is it okay for my pancake batter to be runny?
Now, we don’t want you to leave here with uncertainty on whether or not a runny pancake batter is okay or not, so we will look into this a little further. We know that some individuals are also making pancakes from a recipe given by someone else, or are just simply following the instructions given on their instant pancakes box. Many times when following these instructions all the way through with the exact measurements, people end up with a runny pancake batter. They may not be used to this, since they usually deal with a thicker pancake batter.
Usually if an individual follows all of these instructions and doesn’t forget any of the ingredients instructed on the package or box, then they will end up with good pancakes that aren’t thin and flat, despite the pancake batter being a little runny. They probably won’t be extra fluffy, but they won’t look like tortillas either. This is also taking in consideration that the recipe is a good recipe.
Is Pancake Batter Supposed To Be Runny?
In this video here you can see very runny pancake batter being used from following the instructions given on the container:
From the video, you can see how the pancake batter is runny. It produces thinner pancakes, but it is easier to cook and make perfectly round pancakes with using the more runny batter. So, runny batter isn’t always a bad thing. It depends on the individual’s preferences. If an individual struggles with making decent pancakes, then a more runny batter than a thick and lumpy one is usually easier to deal with. This is also what we found to be true when testing out loose pancake batter versus thick pancake batter.
There are some people that say that pancake batter isn’t supposed to be runny, but lumpy. However, this simply isn’t completely true. Some restaurants make the best pancakes using a runny pancake batter that has no lumps at all. These same pancakes can also be very fluffy, as we have tested this using runny pancake batter too at home.
Great pancakes can be made with lumpy batter, but it complicates things and unnecessarily confuses the individuals trying to learn how to make decent pancakes at home, or in a restaurant, by adding in an unstable variable (how lumpy the pancake batter is) as a tip to making decent or excellent pancakes. It can lead to the individual going on a long rendezvous with pancake batter, just playing around with the lumps in their batter.
Dry flour is usually what is found in pancake batter with lumps, which can lead to pancakes that taste like flour. Eating uncooked flour can lead to possible food poisoning or temporary sickness. We recommend that you always mix your pancake batter until there are no longer any lumps in the batter.
