Okay, beer lovers, if you aren’t using beer in your pancake batter you’re definitely missing out.  D’oh!  Beer adds a unique flavor to pancakes, something akin to sourdough.  Now, the truth is I recently returned from a trip to Mexico and was feeling nostalgic so happened to have some Pacifico Cerveza (beer) on hand.  However, don’t worry if Pacifico isn’t the beer you normally stock in the fridge as most any beer works for this recipe.

 

If you are at all familiar with Fox’s “The Simpsons” you can probably imagine Homer Simpson loving this beer pancake recipe for the simple fact it contains beer.  In fact, he might just adapt his typical Do-Re-Mi Beer Song (the one based on the tune in The Sound Of Music and danced by this Belgium Flash Mob) to something like the one below:

 

DOUGH-RAY-ME BEER PANCAKES

 

Dough, the batter I make with beer.

Ray, my friend who pours the beer.

Me, the man who mixes flour with beer,

Fa, la, la, la, la, beer.

So, my pancakes need more beer.

La, I guess I’ll drink another beer.

Tea, forget it, why not beer?

That will bring me back to

Dough, Tea, La, So, Fa, Me, Ray, D’oh, beer!

 

Whether you like old Homer or not, you may enjoy singing and dancing along as you cook up your pancakes.  One thing for certain:  It’s bound to entertain the kids!  Hopefully, you’ll also be surprised at how good these pancakes taste—with or without the bacon bits, they make a delicious variation to the normal fare.

 

Let’s Gather The Ingredients

 

2 cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

2 cups Pacifico (or about 1-12 ounce bottle of your favorite beer)

4 Tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

1 Teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup bacon bits (optional)

Maple Syrup or other topping.

 

Preparation

 

These pancakes go together fast, so start by preheating your pan or griddle.  While a griddle may work best if you have lots of pancakes to make, a good non-stick pan will do in a pinch.  Today, I used a flat bottomed frying pan on the stove and set my burner on medium heat.

 

Grab a large mixing bowl and add the eggs and the beer.

 

Melt your butter in the microwave and add it to the mix.  You can substitute cooking oil, if you prefer.

 

Add the sugar, salt and flour next.  I used whole wheat pastry flour as I like whole grains, but any flour should do.   I usually make my batter a little soupy as I prefer thinner pancakes to thick ones.  You can adjust this to your preference by adding more beer or more flour to go thinner or thicker.  Start with a 1 to 1 beer to flour ratio and adjust as needed.  Combine well with a whisk to get out any lumps.

 

Measure out and sprinkle the baking powder over the top.  Again, combine until well mixed.

 

If you want to use a little oil in the pan to help keep the pancakes from sticking, it works well to use a spray on oil like Pam Olive Oil Spray.

 

You can add bacon bits to your pancakes or not.  I often buy the big bag from Costco and love the flavor of bacon—I cooked my pancakes with and without for today’s recipe.  If you are adding bacon bits, toss pre-cooked bits into the pan and pour your batter directly over the top.  Otherwise, just add the batter to the pan.

 

If you have a bottle of maple syrup on hand, pour it in a microwave-safe cup or dish and heat it up while the pancakes are cooking.

 

When the pancakes start to bubble and the bubbles no longer fill in, the pancakes should be ready to flip.  You can also lift a corner to check if you’re unsure.  Flip and cook to brown both sides.

 

These pancakes go great with maple syrup, butter, brown sugar, whip cream, berries, cinnamon or all of the above.  And don’t forget the beer!

 

Enjoy!

 

By Bob Anderson
© 2011 Javabird LLC.  All rights reserved.

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If you enjoyed this recipe you may want to read:
Incredible Buckwheat, Buttermilk and Walnut Pancakes
Instant Presto Candy Bacon

Or for more recipe ideas visit our new Recipe page by clicking here.

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