Saturday Morning Pancakes: Our Family Tradition

Most Saturdays start the same way: two boys in pajamas dragging chairs to the counter, a bag of flour that somehow ends up on the floor, and a griddle warming up. Pancakes aren't really about breakfast in our house. They're about being together before the week starts again.

Want to skip ahead? The recipe's right below.

Why we let the kids help (even though it's messier)

Sure, I could make these faster alone. But cracking eggs, stirring, and flipping are exactly the kind of small, doable jobs that make a kid feel proud. The mess washes off. The memory doesn't.

The Recipe — Fluffy Family Pancakes

Prep: 5 min · Cook: ~10 min · Makes: ~10 pancakes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 1 egg
• 3 tbsp melted butter
• 1 tsp vanilla

Steps

1. Whisk the dry ingredients in a big bowl.
2. In another bowl, whisk the milk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla.
3. Pour the wet into the dry and stir until just combined — lumps are fine, and overmixing makes them tough.
4. Pour 1/4-cup scoops onto a hot, lightly greased griddle.
5. Flip when bubbles form on top, about 2 minutes, then cook 1 more minute.

Make it yours

• Toss in blueberries or chocolate chips after pouring.
• Double the batch and freeze extras for busy mornings.
• Let the birthday kid request the "shape of the week."

Stack 'em high. Saturdays are for slowing down.