Applesauce Is The Flavorful Addition For Unbelievable Boxed Pancakes

Few breakfast foods can beat a perfect pancake's powerfully delicious carbohydrate load. For breakfast lovers, the combination of fluffy cake and decadent toppings makes pancakes the dish of choice for a hot morning meal. These griddle staples can satisfy the sweet tooth and savory connoisseur alike and make for a filling breakfast. From mixed berry pancakes to bacon chocolate chip pancakes, recipes abound for elaborate upgrades. While these variations are loads of fun (who doesn't like melted chocolate for breakfast?), sometimes the best recipe upgrade is a simple tip that improves the overall dish. When it comes to pancakes, this game-changer is applesauce.

If you're looking to significantly improve your pancake-making abilities without a complicated new technique, try adding applesauce to the batter. This easy trick doesn't add time to the preparation and works great with boxed pancake mixes. The consistency of the thick apple purée makes for an unbelievably tender and soft flapjack. Plus, the applesauce introduces a hint of sweetness that enhances the flavor profile of an otherwise bland, regular pancake.

Because of its high moisture content, applesauce is a great substitute for other liquid ingredients in pancake batter, especially oil. While the amount of applesauce will change depending on which pancake mix you use, typically you replace the oil with the same measurement of applesauce. Applesauce pancakes are fluffy and generally more moist and tender than a traditional pancake. If you're worried about completely removing the oil from the recipe, you can start by using a half-part applesauce with a half-part oil to see how it impacts your mix. Besides improving the consistency of the pancakes, applesauce is a nutritious alternative to standard cooking oils. 

Both sweetened and unsweetened applesauce will work — the choice is based on preference. If you go with the unsweetened variety, you might try adding some cinnamon. If you've got a real sweet tooth, you can try adding maple syrup to your applesauce. Whether you're using store-bought or homemade applesauce, simply drizzle some gooey maple syrup into the sauce and blend to taste. The syrup will add a smooth texture to your pancake batter and will ultimately match the rich flavor of the maple syrup used as a topping.

Beyond applesauce, there are quite a few ingredients you can use to create a stack of memorable pancakes. If you're interested in texture, a spoonful of mayo is the secret to the fluffiest pancakes. Simply add a few dollops of your favorite mild mayonnaise to the pancake batter and proceed with cooking. When the mayo comes into contact with the baking powder in the mix, it forces the pancake batter to rise. This combination leads to towering, fluffy cakes.

You might also try replacing regular milk with buttermilk. Unlike regular milk, buttermilk is a cultured dairy product that has been fermented. During production, active bacteria cultures are added to regular milk to create buttermilk. This gives it a tangy taste and makes it thicker and creamier than regular milk. When it comes to pancakes, buttermilk will impart a bit of its sour profile, giving more depth of flavor. Like creamy mayonnaise, buttermilk causes the pancakes to rise more and creates extremely thick and fluffy flapjacks.