How to Make Japanese Souffle Pancakes at Home

Learn how to make Japanese souffle pancakes at home. You have probably seen videos online of fluffy, jiggly pancakes and then wondered where to order or how to make them. Read through my post for lots of tips that I have learned by trial and error to make this recipe at home.

You Will Love These Fluffy Pancakes

The very first time I made Japanese souffle pancakes they were so-so and I realized that I need to improve my pancake-making skills, in general. That is why I shared a recipe for making Blueberry Pancake.

It’s easy to try this recipe since it does not require any special ingredients. You can beat the egg whites by hand with a whisk if you don’t have an electric mixer.

The pancakes are sweet and don’t need a lot of sweet toppings. If I serve them as a snack or dessert, I like them plain or with berries, sliced bananas, and perhaps a light drizzle of maple syrup or a dusting of powdered sugar.

I actually prefer this recipe to regular pancakes because it uses more eggs and less flour than typical pancake recipes. It’s a treat to eat them on the side with a savory breakfast.

The key to making fluffy souffle pancakes is whipping egg whites until they are stiff and then folding them into an egg yolk batter gently. Then cook them on low heat on one side and then flip gently and cook some more.

That sounds easy enough especially if you already know how to make souffles, angel cakes, or chiffon cake. My recommendation is to read through the following preparation tips before you start.

Frying Pan and Cooking Temperature

One way Japanese souffle pancakes are prepared differently than what you would expect is that they are cooked on low-medium heat, with a lid on, for a longer time.

The first step is to preheat the frying pan with the lid on. Depending on your stove, plan on 8 to 10 minutes total and set a timer to check.

After about 8 minutes and before you combine the beaten egg whites with the egg yolk mixture, you want to check that the pan is hot enough but not too hot. There’s time to for the pan to adjust while you combine the egg whites with the batter.

• Add a drop of water to the pan.
• If the water does nothing, then raise the temperature slightly to low-medium, and cover for 2 to 3 more minutes.
• If the water immediately sizzles and evaporates, your pan is too hot. Lower the temperature and/or take the lid off.

Important Pancake Batter Tips

To make the fluffiest egg whites, it’s important that the egg whites and the bowl and mixer paddle are completely clean and dry. Wash and carefully dry your electric mixing bowl and paddle to beat your egg whites. Allow the bowl and paddle to air dry for a few minutes before adding the eggs.

Separate the egg whites and yolks carefully. The egg whites must not have any traces of egg yolk or eggshell fragments in them. If you need practice, you can crack the egg whites into a separate bowl and then add them to your mixing bowl one at a time.

Make the egg yolk mixture while your mixer beats the egg whites (approximately 5 minutes). Before you fold the egg whites into the yolk, adjust your pan temperature as needed (see above).

Fold 1/4 of the beaten egg whites into the egg yolks. Use a spatula to cut through the center of the bowl, lift the egg yolk batter over the egg whites, rotate the bowl a quarter turn, and repeat.

Then pour the egg yolk batter into the mixer bowl with the rest of the egg whites and fold the egg whites into the batter until mostly mixed. Do not overmix and fold gently to avoid deflating the batter.

Make Fluffy Souffle Pancakes

The temperature of the frying pan is just right when a drop of water bubbles. Add a small pat of butter (1 teaspoon) and use a silicone brush to butter the pan.

Work quickly to drop a large scoop (approximately 2/3 cup) of pancake batter into the pan to make 3 pancakes. Top them off with a half scoop of batter (1/3 cup). Cover the pan with a lid.

Cook the souffle pancakes on low-medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes on each side until golden brown. Use a non-stick silicone turner to peek under the pancakes. They’re ready to flip when the pancakes are set and slightly golden brown. Carefully slide the turner under the pancake and reposition the turner to allow room to turn the pancake over gently.

The batter is a little bit fragile and will deflate, so work quickly and gently without deflating the eggs.

Troubleshooting: Recipe Testing Notes

Here are some of my recipe testing notes which helped me feel confident that you can make this recipe too.

1. I preheated the frying pan on low heat for nearly 10 minutes with the lid on. This creates a very warm environment to cook the pancakes until golden brown with a light crisp on both sides.
2. Check that your cream of tartar and baking powder are fresh. My first few batches of souffle pancakes deflated quickly when served but were still delicious. A new container of cream of tartar made a big difference.
3. When scooping some pancake batter into the pan, leave a little bit of space so that you can easily flip the first pancake and flip the pancakes with a light touch, like rolling them over.
4. I also tried making pancakes with Japanese souffle pancake rings. The pancakes stuck to the rings and did not cook evenly when I flipped the pancake with the ring attached.

Vanilla and Flavor Variations

I use Rodelle vanilla extract to add sweetness and flavor to my pancakes. Rodelle makes nut-free extracts and I think a great value for people who bake frequently (8 ounces for less than $20).

Foodies will be interested in trying Rodelle’s Single Origin Vanilla Assortment, which features pure vanilla extracts from different regions. Besides Madagascar Bourbon, the assortment will contain vanilla extracts made with beans grown in Papua New Guinea, Uganda, and Tanzania, each with a different flavor profile.

The other way you can vary this recipe is to serve it with different toppings such as berries and sliced fruits on the side, powdered sugar, maple syrup, whipped cream, butter, etc..

I personally like a savory breakfast and I like to eat the pancakes plain and served with 1-2 fried eggs, some chicken sausages, and fruit. I start cooking the chicken sausages in water at the same time I start making the pancakes. As soon as the first pancakes start cooking, I start preheating a third frying pan to make eggs.

Allergy Aware Souffle Pancakes

This recipe is free of peanuts, tree nuts, soy, fish, shellfish, and sesame as written.

It would be easy to modify for a milk allergy, use a dairy-free milk that is suitable for your allergies. Instead of butter, use a neutral oil or a dairy-free butter alternative, such as Earth Balance’s buttery sticks.

Substituting all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten free flour might also work for people with a wheat allergy or gluten intolerance. But that may require some testing depending on the type of gluten free flour you use.

I already have ideas on how to make the recipe egg-free (hint: see my recipe for Aquafaba Baked Alaskas). Let me know in the comments if you would like to try an egg-free version of this recipe and I will test an egg-free souffle pancake recipe over the coming months.

Print

Japanese Souffle Fluffy Pancakes

Learn how to make Japanese souffle pancakes at home. You have probably seen videos online of fluffy, jiggly pancakes and then wondered where to order or how to make them.

Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine Japanese

Keyword japanese fluffy pancakes, Japanese souffle pancakes

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings 6 pancakes

Author Sharon Wong

Ingredients

• 4 large eggs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/4 cup milk any kind I use non-fat milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons butter use neutral oil as needed
• sliced fruit, whipped cream, powdered sugar, maple syrup optional toppings

Instructions

1. Preheat a large 12 inch frying pan* with a lid on for 8-10 minutes on low heat. The pan will be ready when a drop of water bubbles and sizzles in the pan.
2. Separate the egg whites into an electric mixing bowl and egg yolks into a regular mixing bowl.
3. Add the 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar into the egg whites and use the whisk attachment to beat until there are stiff peaks (5 minutes).
4. At the same time, add 1/4 cup milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to the egg yolks and beat with a whisk until foamy. In a small bowl combine 1/2 cup flour and 1 teaspoon baking powder and add to the yolk mixture. Use a spatula to mix until mostly combined, do not overmix.
5. Check the frying pan, add one drop of water and if it bubbles then it’s just right, replace the lid and continue making the batter. If the water drop sizzles, bounces, and evaporates immediately, lower the temperature and remove the lid for a few minutes.
6. When the egg whites have stiff peaks, remove the whisk attachment and transfer one large scoop of egg whites to the egg yolk mixture. Gently fold to combine and then pour the batter into the egg whites. Use a spatula to fold gently until the egg yolk batter is mixed into the egg whites. Avoid overmixing or deflating the egg whites.
7. When your batter is ready to cook, raise the temperature to low-medium. Check that the pan is hot enough with a drop of water. If it doesn’t bubble or sizzle, cover the pan with a lid and preheat for another minute at low-medium.
8. Add 1 teaspoon butter and use a silicone brush to spread the melted butter in the pan. Use a large spoon to scoop approximately 2/3 cup of batter per pancake, make 3 pancakes per batch. Add an additional 1/3 cup of batter on top of each pancake and then cover the pan with a lid and cook for 5-6 minutes until the bottom is golden brown.
9. If at 5 minutes the pancake bottom doesn’t look close to browning, add a drop of water to the pan to see if it’s hot enough and adjust the temperature while cooking the other side. Flip the pancakes gently in a rolling over motion rather than lifting the spatula and dropping the pancake back in its place. Cover with a lid and cook for 5-6 more minutes.
10. Serve immediately with optional toppings. Wipe the pan clean with a paper towel and repeat steps 8 and 9 to cook the remaining batter.

Recipe Notes

*If you only have a 10-inch frying pan with a lid, I recommend making 2 pancakes at a time in 3 batches so that you have room to gently flip the pancakes in a rolling over motion. Refrigerate the batter in between batches.

Allow enough time to preheat a non-stick frying pan and lid on low heat, and 1-2 minutes before you are ready to cook the pancakes, cook at low-medium heat.

Fold the beatened egg whites into the egg yolk batter gently, be careful not to deflate the egg whites when handling the batter. Be careful to flip the pancakes carefully and serve and eat immediately.

The pancakes will deflate a little bit but if you have any extras. Refrigerate the leftovers, they are still good to eat even when not at its maximum fluffiness.