Easy, Fluffy Eggnog Pancakes

These easy eggnog pancakes make for a fluffy, simple Christmas breakfast. They’re also a delicious way to use leftover eggnog when the holidays are over!

If you’re looking for a simple holiday breakfast that comes together in minutes, look no further than these fluffy, delicious eggnog pancakes. They’re perfect for Christmas breakfast, and my kids made an entire batch disappear in a matter of minutes–it was practically a magic trick.

And even if Christmas is over, you can use up that extra bit of eggnog in the fridge and make yourself a giant stack. Who’s keeping track anyway?

Flavor Profile: What Eggnog Pancakes Taste Like

These light, fluffy pancakes taste of the richness of eggnog, with a hint of spice from the nutmeg. They have the texture of a regular pancake, soft and delicate. The extra egg and sugar in the eggnog that isn’t present in a pancake made with buttermilk or regular milk makes for a more flavorful, luscious pancake.

Marion Cunningham’s recipe for Easy Buttermilk Pancakes was the starting point for this recipe. Since it’s my go-to recipe, I decided to substitute eggnog for the buttermilk, add a bit of nutmeg, and tweak the baking soda and powder ratios.

Eggnog Pancake Ingredients

• 2 cups eggnog — I’ve included a note below on the different kinds of eggnog for these pancakes.
  
• 2 large eggs — Get your eggs out of the refrigerator a few minutes before mixing the batter. They will mix into the other ingredients better when at room temperature.
  
• Melted butter — Melt the butter, then allow it to cool down before adding it to the other wet ingredients.
  
• Vanilla extract — I only use real vanilla extract for recipes like this–the flavor is so much better than imitation vanilla!
  
• All-purpose flour — Flour holds the batter together, but too much will give you dry, tough pancakes. If you are measuring using cups, fluff the flour with a spoon, then scoop it into the measuring cup.
  
• Salt — Even in sweet dishes, salt balances flavors and makes them richer.
  
• Baking soda & baking powder — These are the rising agents in the pancakes that make them light and fluffy.
  
• Nutmeg — Is any eggnog complete without a dash of nutmeg? It adds the perfect level of warming spice to the pancakes.

The Best Eggnog for Making Pancakes

My favorite kind of eggnog to use (and the only kind I’ll drink) is homemade eggnog. It’s a simple recipe that you can find by clicking here, and it makes the pancakes extra delicious!

However, if you prefer to buy your eggnog premade, you can absolutely use that for pancakes too! Different brands can have different consistencies, so you may need to add a bit more to the batter if your eggnog is on the thick side.

I’ve never made these with an alcoholic eggnog, but it should work well. The flavor profile will be a bit boozy, but if that’s how you like it, go for it!

How to Make Eggnog Pancakes

Mixing the Pancake Batter

In a mixing bowl, combine the eggnog, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Whisk them until they’re well blended.

In a separate, smaller bowl, stir together the flour, salt, baking soda and powder, and nutmeg until they are well mixed.

Sift the dry ingredients into the wet and whisk until the batter is mixed. Don’t over mix it–you don’t want large chunks of flour, but slightly lumpy batter can lead to better pancakes. Also, over mixing can cause the gluten in the flour to develop, making the pancakes slightly tough and less tender.

Cooking the Pancakes

To cook the pancakes, heat a griddle and lightly grease it with a bit of butter. Add about 1/4 cup of batter onto the hot griddle.

After about 1-2 minutes, flip the pancake with a spatula. You’ll know it’s ready to turn when bubbles appear on the top of the pancake, and the edges should start to look a bit dry.

Cook on the second side for another 1-2 minutes, then remove the pancakes. Continue cooking until all of the pancake batter is gone.

Recipe Notes and Tips

• Because some kinds of eggnog are thicker than others, you may need to add a bit more eggnog to the batter. If you batter seems thick and won’t spread out easily when put on the griddle, add 2-4 more tablespoons of eggnog to the batter.
• I like using a ladle to pour the pancakes onto the griddle. It’s less messy than a measuring cup. You can also use a cookie or ice cream scoop.
• Serving the pancakes with fluffy whipped cream with a small sprinkle of nutmeg makes them all the more reminiscent of a glass of fluffy eggnog.

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