Pancake Squares

Breakfast just got easier with these buttermilk pancake squares – They’re baked in the oven, sliced, and topped with a glossy homemade strawberry syrup.

Pancake Squares

Pancakes are a weekend breakfast staple and while I wouldn’t describe them as difficult to make (mix batter, pour, flip, flip, serve) I will say that the operation to make pancakes, especially pancakes for more than two people, is a bit of a hassle. Unless you have a giant griddle you have to make them in batches, which means you need the oven to keep them warm unless you want everyone eating like it’s a staggered start in a race. – “Oh, lucky you! You drew lane one for the pancakes and get to start eating first!”

These pancake squares are for the times you want a pancake experience without the annoying pancake operational set up. You know, for breakfast at the vacation rental you’re sharing with friends, or for the Saturday morning slumber party breakfast, or for a mid-week breakfast surprise because who makes pancakes during the week? P.S. The frozen ones that go in to toaster don’t count.

I first saw this pancakes-baked-in-the-oven concept on an episode of The Barefoot Contessa where Ina Garten mixed up a simple pancake batter, poured it into a baking dish, baked it and then served the squares piled high with fruit and syrup to some lucky house guest. This episode was circa who knows when and so tracking it down proved to be a bit difficult. So, I turned to the King Arthur Flour website for guidance. I followed their method, but switched things up with the pancake batter and used buttermilk for a little tang and a some butter because, well, butter is good.

Oh, and the topping! An old school combo of butter and maple syrup is always a great option, but if you haven’t tried making your own fruit syrup you’d be surprised how easy it is. Just take some fruit, in this case strawberries, add some sugar, water and cook it on the stove top until the fruit has broken down. It will thicken up and turn a beautiful glossy red.

Tips & Tricks

Buttermilk Pancake Batter

Make the pancake batter the night before to save time the next morning. This recipe is enough to fill a 9×13 pan for thin pancake squares — for thicker squares use a 8×8 baking pan.

Strawberry Syrup

The syrup can also be made ahead — in fact doubling the batch just means there’s extra for ice cream! — and it keeps well in the fridge for several weeks. For a smooth and glossy syrup use a strainer to remove the strawberry solids, but if a chunkier syrup is more you style, go ahead and skip this step.

Serving the Pancake Squares

When the pancake squares are finished baking remove them from the oven and let them cool for just a minute or two before slicing. Slice them, stack ’em up, and top with the strawberry syrup.

Warm pancake squares straight from the oven topped with that beautiful sweet strawberry syrup – is it the weekend, yet?

Want more breakfast ideas?

Strawberry Swirl Muffins

Banana Walnut Muffins

The post Pancake Squares appeared first on Girl Gone Gourmet.