Minneapolis Salted Butter Pancakes

When it comes to pancakes, I tend to stick with the basic styles — buttermilk, Bisquick, banana — and my general take is that if you don’t over-mix and you keep an eye on your burner, you’ll be great. Before parenthood, I’d sometimes get excited about a recipe with beaten egg whites, or one of those giant pancakes you bake in the oven for like two hours. But these days, I’m not trying to impress anyone; I just want breakfast.

I tell you all this so you know that I mean it when I say these pancakes are genuinely special. The recipe comes from Tanya Bush, who shared the origin story in her new narrative cookbook, Will This Make You Happy.

“Ideal Diner in Minneapolis serves the perfect pancake, with crispy edges and a custardy center,” she writes. “They’re designed to be drowned in maple syrup — and perfectly salty. I spent years desperately trying to recreate them.”

Tanya’s recipe is as easy and straightforward as any pancake, but it has a couple tweaks. First, malted milk powder — just a teaspoon. “It gives the pancakes a toasted flavor,” Tanya told me. “And a nostalgic depth and richness.” I love this addition and was pleasantly surprised to find malt right there in the breakfast aisle of the grocery store. Second, she fries her pancakes in ghee or clarified butter. It has a higher smoke point than regular butter — which is how you can get those crispy edges without ruining breakfast with a burnt-butter flavor. I don’t know how I got this far in my pancake-making life without realizing this, but it’s a game-changer.

Even if you, like me, have become set in your pancake ways, do yourself a favor and quit being a curmudgeon for just 10 minutes, because that’s all it takes to get these on a plate.

Salted Butter Pancakes
from Will This Make You Happy by Tanya Bush
Makes 6-10 pancakes

125g (1 cup plus 1 1/2 tsps) all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsps baking powder
1 tsp malted milk powder
113g (1/2 cup) salted butter, melted, plus more at room temperature, for serving
118g (scant 1/2 cup) whole milk, at room temperature
100g (1/2 cup minus 1 tbsp) whole milk buttermilk, at room temperature
100g (2 large) eggs
Scant 2 tbsps maple syrup, plus more for drizzling
Ghee or clarified butter*, for frying
Note: If you prefer to make your own clarified butter, here’s a simple method.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and malted milk powder. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, milk, buttermilk, eggs, and maple syrup.

Add the flour mixture to the milk-egg mixture and mix until just combined. Do not overmix. The batter can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days or stored in the freezer for up to 2 months.

In a cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, melt 1 teaspoon of ghee. When the pan is hot, add 60 grams (a heaping 1/4 cup) of the pancake batter to the skillet. (Use less batter if you prefer a smaller pancake.) Cook until the edges start to set and holes appear on the surface, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook the other side until the edges are crispy and golden brown, 1-2 minutes more. (The pancake should be cooked through; cut into the first one to check.) Repeat with the remaining batter, adding more ghee between each pancake as needed if the skillet looks dry. If you are not serving the pancakes immediately, keep them warm in the oven at 200°F (95°C).

Serve the pancakes with a pat of butter and a generous drizzle of maple syrup.

Thanks so much for breakfast, Tanya!

P.S.Overnight baked French toast, the formula for a perfect brunch, and zucchini muffins for school mornings.

(Photos by Tanya Bush.)

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