March 4 is National Pancake day and it’s the best day to celebrate a breakfast classic. The IHOP Company created this national day in 2006. Each year on this day, they give away a free short stack of buttermilk pancakes to all guests who come to the restaurant chain. In return for the free, and delicious, pancakes, guests are asked if they would like to leave a donation for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals or any other designated local charities that may be available for donation. Since the celebration began in 2006, IHOP restaurants have raised $13 million to support charities. This year, their goal is to raise $3 million for charity! So head down to your local IHOP, get some free pancakes and if you’re really feeling generous, leave a donation of any amount to help them reach their goal.
While there’s really nothing better than a free stack of buttermilk pancakes, they may leave you wanting more. What most people don’t realize is that there are hundreds of different ways to make the fluffy breakfast treat. You could add fruit, chocolate chips, or cinnamon. You could top them with peanut butter cups, nutella, and even bacon. You could decorate them with endless amounts of whipped cream, or even turn your batter into a chocolaty treat. The possibilities for pancakes are endless!
So, whether you have an IHOP near you and decide you want more than just that short stack, or if there’s no IHOPS around you at all and you can’t stop thinking about how great those pancakes would be, there are so many different ways you can whip up our own! Here are what TheCelebrityCafe.com believes are the top 10 unique ways to make pancakes, and most of them are nothing like the original buttermilk cakes you’re used to!
Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
[ new page = Apple Pie Pancakes ]
10. Apple Pie Pancakes with Vanilla Maple Syrup
These pancakes are made almost exactly as you would make an original pancakes, except with real apples and cinnamon mixed into the batter for that all-American apple pie taste. To make these taste just like the pie that you’d glob a huge scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of, add vanilla extract and vanilla bean to your maple syrup to get that vanilla topping.
Image: Pinterest
[ new page = Boston Creme Pie Pancakes ]
9. Boston Cream Pie Pancakes
These are twists on another pie we all know and love; Boston cream pie. With their yellow cake mix batter, the fluffy pancakes are probably good enough on their own. But it’s the pastry cream and chocolate that makes these special. Make a stack with sweet, vanilla pastry cream in between each pancake and then top the entire stack with some chocolate ganache for that amazing Boston Crème taste.
Image: Pinterest
[ new page = Chunky Monkey Pancakes ]
8. Chunky Monkey Pancakes
These chunky monkey pancakes have the perfect combination of chocolate and bananas. The batter is a pretty typical one, but it’s the added chocolate chips, diced bananas and chopped pecans that give them that crunchy, sweet and mouthwatering texture. Top with syrup, or if you really have a sweet tooth, some chocolate syrup.
Image: Pinterest
[ new page = S’mores Pancakes ]
7. S’mores Pancakes
Who said s’mores only had to be eaten in the summer roasted over a fire? With these pancakes, you can have the flavors of the best campfire treat all year round. With a batter infused with graham cracker crumbs for that crunchy texture and then mixed in with chocolate chips and mini marshmallows, you get that perfect gooey texture in every might. You know you won’t be able to help yourself from topping these with syrup and even more chocolate chips and mini marshmallows, so just go for it!
Image: Pinterest
[ new page = Chocolate Pancakes with Chocolate Sauce ]
6. Chocolate Pancakes with Chocolate Sauce
If you’re a chocolate lover, these are for you. Their batter is filled with chocolate and cocoa powder and then to top it all off, a chocolate sauce of chocolate chips and heavy cream is drizzled, or poured, all over them, because we all know there’s no such thing as too much chocolate. Top with some strawberries and bananas for a perfect chocolate treat.
Image: Pinterest
[ new page = Cinnamon Roll Pancakes ]
5. Cinnamon Roll Pancakes
The only thing better than having a cinnamon roll for breakfast is having a cinnamon roll pancake. These pancakes are your typical fluffy batter with butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Put the batter in a piping bag and start at the center of the griddle to create a cinnamon swirl. The cinnamon melts out in the most perfect way creating a “crater” like swirl in the pancake, which is the perfect place to put the cream cheese glaze.
Image: Pinterest
[ new page = Strawberries and Cream Pancakes ]
4. Strawberries and Cream Pancakes
Although these are quite simple to make, they are absolutely delicious. Chunks of strawberries are mixed into the batter to keep that sweet taste going throughout the entire pancake. Then they are topped with a cream cheese and vanilla glaze, and of course, even more strawberries for a simple, and beautiful, pancake.
Image: Pinterest
[ new page = Chocolate Chip and Candied Bacon Pancakes ]
3. Chocolate Chip and Candied Bacon Pancakes
Pancakes, chocolate, bacon and nutella…need I say more? Start by candying your bacon in the oven by sprinkling each slice with brown sugar, cinnamon, paprika and cocoa powder for the perfect sweet and salty treat. The pancakes are pretty typical, except that they’re made with chocolate chips and the candied bacon mixed into the batter. Instead of your typical syrup, mix nutella into maple syrup and add a little butter and vanilla for a perfectly creamy texture. Top with as much candied bacon, chocolate chips and nutella syrup as you desire for this mouthwatering pancake.
Image: Pinterest
[ new page = Peanut Butter and Chocolate Pancakes ]
2. Peanut Butter and Chocolate Pancakes
Who doesn’t love peanut butter? And the only thing better than peanut butter is peanut butter and chocolate mixed together. Under all the goodness are normal, buttermilk pancakes. But the original cakes are topped with a frosting made from chocolate frosting and peanut butter. The pancakes and frosting mixture are put together in alternate layers and then drizzles with chocolate syrup, melted marshmallow and as many topped peanut butter cups as you want for this peanut butter dream come true. Yum!
Image: Pinterest
[ new page = Double Stuffed Oreo Pancakes ]
1. Double Stuffed Oreo
The only thing better than an Oreo is a double stuffed Oreo. The chocolate pancake has Oreos crushed up inside and the whipped cream tastes just like the cookie filling you’re used to, except with even more Oreos crushed up into it. Alternate layers of these Oreo filled cakes and cream for a stack as high as you desire. And then, of course, top with even more crushed up Oreos. These are rich and heavenly and everything you would expect a double stuffed Oreo pancake to be like.
Image: Pinterest