Pancakes and waffles are the ultimate breakfast superstars. You have so much freedom in making them and in suiting them to your liking. You can either add fillings or toppings or even coat them with syrup, butter, and basically anything you want – they’re versatile like that.
Deciding which one to prepare to start your morning can be tricky because, despite the similarities in some ingredients, these two are not the same. And while it is fairly easy to distinguish a pancake from a waffle, the challenge is in determining the difference between pancake batter and waffle batter because, contrary to what many people think, these two mixes are not interchangeable. Luckily though, you can’t go wrong with either of them.
Here are some things worth noting before preparing your most important meal of the day, whether you go for fluffy and tender pancakes or crispy and chewy waffles to kickstart on those carbs.
Pancakes
Pancakes, flapjacks, hotcakes – call it what you want, they all refer to the same delicious breakfast. They’re thin but fluffy, soft, and spongy bread cakes.
You make them by whisking the same ingredients as waffles (with a bit less sugar and less egg) into a lump-free batter that you then pour onto a medium-high griddle or skillet. Once the exposed side starts to bubble and pop, you flip it over and cook the second side for a slightly shorter amount of time. From there, you can start building your pancake stack.
Generally, they’re denser and moister compared to a waffle. Its sponge-like texture makes it ideal for soaking up syrup or even chocolate!
All you need are a few simple ingredients to whip up a batch of pancakes: flour, eggs, baking powder, sugar, butter, and milk. You can easily make them from scratch. Otherwise, you can purchase a ready-mix from your local stores.
Waffles
Crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, waffles are made from batter or leavened dough that doesn’t require kneading. You simply mix the batter and cook it on patterned hot plates, giving them a square-shaped surface and making them either round or square.
With origins in Belgium, these treats are quite similar to pancakes in that they both employ the same ingredients. They are, however, mostly differentiated by the cooking technique, increments, and the final product itself.
Waffles have a crunchier texture than pancakes for a purpose, after all. They’re usually sweeter than pancakes, and they’re cooked on a two-sided, dual-heated griddle that’s usually well-greased before they’re served. Due to a small caramelization effect caused by the added sugar and a well-greased griddle (which softly fries the waffles’ surface while they’re baking inside), the waffles’ exterior is crunchy and fluffy.
If you’re making waffles the old-fashioned way, you’ll separate the yolks from the egg whites, beat the whites, and then fold the whites and yolks into the battery separately. It produces a fluffier waffle, although most people no longer use this method. Whatever the case may be, the nicest thing about waffles is how well they can support a mountain of melted butter and syrup, not to mention the myriad different toppings you can put on them!
Similar to pancakes, you can create your waffles with the help of your waffle-making machine at home or buy a healthier, pre-made organic waffle mix or just the regular mix from your local grocery.
Pancake Mix vs. Waffle Mix
So, are pancake and waffle mixes the same? The short answer is no. These mixes may have similar basic ingredients – flour, eggs, butter, sugar, and leavening agents, but that’s where the similarities end. These mixes both have their own increments that render them different from each other.
What Makes Them Different
For one, pancakes are meant to be lighter and more cake-like, so most box mixes contain less sugar and fat. On the other hand, a waffle mix has high sugar levels necessary for caramelization and greater fat content for a crisp exterior. The ratios are apparently off, so it’s a no-brainer that these two are not interchangeable.
Additionally, when preparing the batter for these two, the batter’s texture is crucial. Chefs who make these breakfast meals from scratch usually add more baking powder and butter to waffles; while folding whipped egg whites into the pancake batter for that extra fluffiness with every bite.
Aside from that, making waffles involve fewer stages because the eggs are beaten first, and then everything else is added. Pancakes require mixing the wet and dry ingredients separately before combining them.
Lastly, a notable difference lies in how they are cooked. Waffles require a waffle maker or iron, while pancakes can be made easily with just a frying pan. The difference in cooking surfaces creates the gap between the final appearance and outcome on a pancake and a waffle.
Verdict
Basically, pancakes and waffles are made from the same base, so one can assume that they have the same taste. However, there are slight vital differences that you should consider since these make for the difference in taste.
With their versatility, you can easily make either one to savor right after you get out of bed. With the variety of pancake and waffle mixes available on the market nowadays, you will have no difficulty in preparing that breakfast meal you so deserve.
Although, regardless of their differences, did you know you can actually make waffles using a pancake mix? With a few tweaks (i.e., extra fat and oil), you can still enjoy waffles if you ever run out of waffle mix. Just a little life hack to keep in mind!