How A Splash Of Ginger Ale Can Effortlessly Improve Your Pancakes

Long heralded as the weekend breakfast of champions, everyone has their go-to pancake recipe for when the craving hits for a hot syrupy stack. And as many recipes as there are for basic pancakes, there are countless more for leveling them up in all sorts of both creative and not-so-basic ways. From experimenting with alt flours to bulking up your hot cakes with protein powder or even cottage cheese, true pancake lovers have likely tried 'em all. One little hack you've almost certainly not given a go is adding ginger ale — that's right, the fizzy, sweetly spicy pop — right into the batter. 

Before you scroll away in disgust, convinced soda has no place in breakfast food, hear us out. Though it may sound unconventional, swapping out water for carbonated drinks to make cakes and baked treats extra fluffy is nothing new. Southern classics like 7-up cakes or Coca-Cola cakes have long capitalized on the fact that adding carbonated soda helps create airy, lofty height by infusing batter with countless tiny air bubbles.

Instead of the milk or water you'd normally add to pancake batter, try a splash of any brand of canned or bottled ginger ale — conventional brand names or the higher-end stuff all work. Just make sure the soda is fresh and bubbly, not flat, since this tip relies on the bubbles in the soda to act as leavening agents in the cakes, creating air and height as the batter bakes. 

America's oldest soda, which yes, is ginger ale, might not enjoy the hype or cultural status of faves like Diet Coke, but it's always there when we need it — to settle queasy stomachs, soothe frequent fliers, or yes, to add height to your baked goods. You can test out this hack in any basic buttermilk pancake recipe, or use it to spruce up a boxed mix. Try using the soda in place of all other liquids, or if you want to dip a toe in, use a blend of soda and H2O. 

Crucially, you'll want to avoid over-mixing the batter — a common pancake-making mistake that leads to flat, chewy texture. So as to not cancel out the lightness and effervescence the ginger ale lends, thoroughly whisk your dry ingredients first, then again once you add the liquids — mixing minimally until ingredients are just combined. 

If you're worried about the spicy ginger flavor overpowering the pancakes, fret not. Generally speaking, as the pancakes cook in the pan, most of the signature spicy flavor and smell will be baked off, leaving you with light, airy, subtly sweetened hot cakes without an overbearing ginger quality. If a more vibrant ginger flavor is what you're after, consider using higher-end brands of the soda which tend to deliver stronger flavor, or a bit of fresh or powdered ginger for a punchier pancake.