The Simple Ingredient That Can Give Pancakes A Delicious Nutty Flavor

Pancakes are a joy-filled breakfast that foodies from ages 8 to 80 enjoy. Although a classic stack of buttermilk pancakes is a timeless way to enjoy this sweet, dessert-inspired breakfast, one simple ingredient can take them from ordinary to extraordinary. Enter almond paste.

Almond paste is a confection made from almond meal, sugar, egg whites, and occasionally almond extract for extra flavor. Think of almond paste as a precursor to marzipan, which typically has more sugar and boasts a smoother, more pliable consistency. While marzipan is often enjoyed independently, almond paste is frequently tucked into recipes. 

Introducing almond paste to your pancake batter is a simple way to imbue it with a new dimension of flavor not commonly seen in a traditional griddle cake recipe. With a sweet, nutty flavor accented by notes of honey and earth, almond paste provides pancakes with a cozy, fragrant taste and aroma that transforms the dish without removing its quintessential buttery richness. Plus, almond paste works well with many other pancake provisions, ensuring that you never have to compromise on or omit your favorite fixings.

Almond paste is found in most grocery stores and supermarkets in the baking aisle. However, it's easy to make from home by pulsing almond meal, sugar, and egg whites in a food processor until it forms a pasty consistency. Simply add the paste to your go-to pancake before frying — et voilà — almond-kissed pancakes.

Adding a dollop of almond paste to pancake batter is enough to give the final product a flavor face-lift. If you want to continue innovating, however, there are plenty of ingredients that can enhance and complement a stack of almond-tinted pancakes.

For a total almond takeover, smother your pancakes in almond butter, pure maple syrup, and slivered almonds for a crunchy finish. Dot the nutty batter with bittersweet chocolate chips for a sharp, but not quite astringent, taste that tempers the sweetness of almond paste while providing the pancakes with a rich and melty trim of chocolatey goodness. Top the pancakes with a garden-fresh cherry compote for a layer of invigorating tartness that soothes their sugary sweetness and uplifts that earthy almond taste. To bolster the floral undertones of almond paste, consider swapping maple syrup for locally sourced honey.

Although it's just one of the many unique ways to upgrade pancakes, adding almond paste is one of the most subtle yet transformative. Once you try them, you'll never look at plain pancakes the same again.