Breakfast Peanut Butter Pancakes

Two-ingredient peanut butter pancakes are a weekday breakfast shortcut for parents who need a hot meal on the table in 10 minutes flat. Peanut-butter-flavored pancake mix gets whisked with milk into a smooth batter and ladled onto a hot skillet for nutty-scented, golden-brown rounds.

A few things separate good shortcut pancakes from rubbery ones. The skillet has to be properly preheated before any batter touches it. Sprinkle a few drops of water on the pan and they should dance and skip, not sit there steaming. That dancing-water test is the home cook’s thermometer.

Flip only when the surface bubbles pop and stay open, and the edges look dry and just-set. Flipping too soon tears the cake. Flipping twice gives you tough, dense pancakes. Once is the rule.

Kitchen Tips

• Let the mixed batter rest 2 to 3 minutes before cooking. The flour hydrates and the pancakes turn fluffier.
• Wipe the pan with a paper towel between batches to keep the surface lightly greased, not pooled.
• Top with sliced bananas and a drizzle of warm maple syrup for a classic peanut butter and banana flavor pairing.
• Stack with a pat of butter and let it melt between layers for the diner-style ooze.
• Leftover pancakes freeze well, layered with parchment in a zip bag, and reheat right from frozen in a toaster.

Variations

• Stir a handful of mini chocolate chips into the batter for peanut butter cup pancakes.
• Swap the milk for buttermilk for a tangier, more tender crumb.
• Add a spoonful of cocoa powder for chocolate peanut butter pancakes.