The Ice Cube Tray Hack For Adorable Mini Pancakes

There is no denying TikTok is flooded with "TIL" a-ha moments and delightful life hacks of all kinds. Food hacks in particular have proven to be extremely popular, and with the spike in home chefs in recent years, it is easy to see why. While not everyone can whip up perfectly delicate French crepes like Julia Child, most amateur cooks can follow this latest cooking trend: ice cube tray mini pancakes.

Pancakes, especially silver dollar ones, bring out the kid in everyone and brighten up any morning (or night, if breakfast for dinner is your sorta thing!), but making them can be messy and time-consuming. That's where this frozen food hack comes in clutch. All you need are an ice cube tray, a griddle, and your favorite pancake batter (from the box is fine, we won't judge). Not sure if it is worth testing out? TikTok user @justataste says it is.

Kelly Senyei, aka @justataste, shared a video on the platform showcasing the simple process of making ice cube tray pancakes. First, she starts off by mixing her favorite light and fluffy pancake recipe. Then, she carefully pours the batter into an ice cube tray and tops it with yummy add-ins — Senyei suggests frozen blueberries, chocolate chips, and fresh fruit. Bonus tip: try to keep the batter from spilling over the sides so the cubes pop out more easily when ready to cook.

Next, she places the trays in the freezer, and once frozen, she pops them out and evenly spaces them on the griddle. Senyei suggests keeping the griddle on LOW heat, as she says "low and slow" is the key to cooking these mini pancakes to perfection. Then she flips the silver dollars until both sides are browned, drizzles on the syrup, and digs into the tasty dish

Other content creators like Instagram's @kalejunkie and TikTok's @dliciouslyinspired have also contributed to popularizing this pancake trend, but not every food critic is on board with it. Taste of Home tested out the food prep hack and gave not-so-raving reviews. Three downsides were highlighted: a "plasticky 'freezer' taste" from the ice cube trays, the mess and time related to filling the trays, and the greater length of time required to cook the frozen batter (which brings up the question of whether or not the hack is really a time-saver).

Pancakes can be made sweet for a delicious dessert, or they can be loaded with oats, nuts, and fruit for a hearty, nutritious meal. Whether you decide to test out this trending food hack or stick to your traditional method, make sure to perfect your pancake recipe before you stack the next batch of cakes on the griddle.