The Citrus Juice You Should Be Incorporating Into Your Pancake Batter

When I cook, my absolute favorite ingredient to incorporate into my dishes is lemon. I try to add it into almost anything I make, from sprinkling this fruit over bacon to brightening up chicken noodle soup. Lemon juice happens to be the perfect accompaniment to pancakes as well! 

In store-bought or homemade pancake batter, there's a leavening agent in the mix, like baking powder, baking soda, or both. When lemon juice is added to the batter, the citric acid chemically reacts with the baking soda — giving an extra boost to acidic ingredients like buttermilk or the acids in baking powder. The result is even more gaseous bubbles (carbon dioxide). These bubbles are confined in the pancake batter, and once the batter is heated, they balloon. That expansion of bubbles ultimately produces a light and fluffy pancake you'll be dying to sink your teeth into. 

Not to mention, the lemon juice adds zing and a pop of flavor into the pancake, creating balance in an otherwise sweet and rich breakfast. You can further enhance the lemon taste by adding lemon zest into the batter or on top of the stack. Lemon juice and lemon zest have distinct and inviting flavors and aromas, elevating any pancake recipe. With that being said, why stop at lemon juice? Other citrus and fruit juices pair seamlessly with pancakes, making a short stack that doesn't fall short of delightful.

With pancakes, you shouldn't stop at lemons when searching for fruitiness. Whether you like pulpy or pulp-free orange juice, incorporating it into pancake batter lends acidity as well as sweetness. It brings pancakes a depth of flavor that's only intensified when adding orange zest to the batter and on top of the final product.

If citrus isn't calling your name, other fruit juices can be incorporated into pancake batter instead — like apple juice. Known for its sweet and crisp flavors, apple juice or apple cider could replace some or all of the sweeteners commonly used in pancake batter. Apples and cinnamon are a heavenly pairing, and incorporating a pinch (or two) of cinnamon in your apple juice pancakes could pay homage to a cinnamon-filled apple pie.

As lemons, oranges, and apples are all fruits with agreeable flavors, adding extra accompaniments to your fruit juice pancakes is a breeze. With the lemon pancakes, try adding blueberries both in the batter and on top of the pancakes for an extra tangy burst. Chocolate chips pair well with orange pancakes, as the sweetness of the chocolate chips balances out the acidity from the oranges. And finally, add a touch of whipped cream to finish your apple pancakes to really drive home the apple pie-like flavors.