17 Pancake Add-Ins To Take Your Stack To The Next Level

As breakfasts go, pancakes are hard to beat for their balance of simplicity and satisfaction. Whether you like them served with fresh berries, generously drizzled with syrup, or piled with indulgent toppings, this breakfast staple is endlessly versatile. Of course, you can't go wrong with a classic stack of fluffy, buttery pancakes, but sometimes it's fun to switch things up. And one of the easiest ways to do this is mixing a little something extra into the batter.

An unexpectedly wide array of add-ins can fit seamlessly into a basic pancake batter, from crunchy nuts to juicy fruits, and even savory surprises. By tossing in a handful of just one extra ingredient, you can completely transform your breakfast plate, introducing new textures, colors, and flavors. So, next time you're treating yourself to a comforting weekend brunch, try upgrading your usual stack into something special with one of these delicious add-in ideas.

If you fancy injecting some freshness and vibrancy into your pancakes, berries are the answer. Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries are all excellent options for bringing some sweet-tart goodness, with their moreish, juicy pop contrasting the fluffy batter beautifully.

A great approach here is to simply fold fresh or frozen berries into the batter just before cooking. If you're using strawberries, dice them into small pieces for even distribution. Alternatively, you can scatter a handful of berries onto the pancakes after pouring the batter into the frying pan. Or, for an ultra-jammy finish, try roasting the berries in the oven beforehand. As they cook, they'll become soft and syrupy, adding heaps of natural sweetness to the batter. 

Pair your berry-studded pancakes with a drizzle of honey, fruit syrup, or a dusting of powdered sugar for a sweet finish. They'll also taste great with extra fresh fruits, such as sliced banana, mango, or apple, and a dollop of something creamy, such as Greek yogurt or whipped cream.

Bananas are a popular addition to pancakes for good reason, offering a creamy texture and plenty of natural sweetness. They're also a fantastic option if you're looking to give your usual recipe a little more substance, yielding a heartier and more flavorful stack.

To make banana pancakes, start by mashing ripe bananas in a mixing bowl, then throw in the remaining wet ingredients, which might include eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla extract. For the dry ingredients, most recipes call for flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With everything mixed up into a smooth batter, it's time to get frying. Each pancake should take around five minutes to cook, with a flip halfway through.

You can make your banana-infused pancakes even dreamier by pairing this add-in with other complementary flavors, such as cinnamon, chocolate chips, or chopped walnuts. Finish your stack with a drizzle of maple syrup or a spoonful of nut butter, and you've got the ultimate wholesome breakfast.

Melty, gooey, and decadent, chocolate chips can turn pancakes into something altogether more dessert-like. They're incredibly easy to incorporate and ideal for pairing with other add-ins, such as fruit, nuts, and spices.

Mini chips are the best choice here, since they'll distribute nice and evenly through the batter and melt down easily. You can either fold them through the batter before cooking, or sprinkle a few on top of the pancakes right after pouring the batter into the frying pan. And, you could totally go all out by opting for a mixture of white, milk, and dark chocolate chips.

These chocolatey pancakes make the perfect base for building a fully-loaded stack. To really lean into the indulgence factor, try topping them with hot fudge sauce, whipped cream, caramelized bananas, or perhaps an elegant dusting of cocoa powder. They'll taste wonderful with a tangy fruit compote spooned on top, too.

When you're craving brightness, citrus zest is the perfect addition to your stack. This cuts through the richness of the batter brilliantly, making things feel a little lighter and more refreshing.

Lemon, lime, or orange zest will all add heaps of aromatic flavor here. Just finely grate the peel, and add around 1 tablespoon to your batter. Lemon ricotta pancakes are a firm favorite amongst brunch lovers, with the creamy richness of the cheese perfectly balancing the citrusy tang, and making each bite delightfully tender. If you're whipping up a batch of orange pancakes, try adding a splash of orange juice too, to boost the sunny sweetness. Or, for a key lime pie-inspired breakfast, incorporate some graham cracker crumbs into the batter alongside the lime zest.

For a more intense flavor, you can always combine the zest with a citrus extract, too. Just bear in mind that you'll only need a small amount (around half a teaspoon) to give the batter a bold hit of tanginess.

For a mouth-watering crunch and nutty depth, pecans are your go-to. Their buttery, subtly sweet taste and crisp texture can take a simple batch of pancakes to the next level, and toasting them before adding them to the batter will deepen their nutty flavor even further.

If you're toasting the pecans, you can do this by either heating them in a dry skillet until golden and fragrant or spreading them out on a baking sheet and popping them into the oven for around seven minutes. Then, chop the cooled, toasted nuts finely, and fold them right into the pancake batter. These nuts taste particularly incredible with other sweet and spicy flavors like banana, cinnamon, and maple syrup.

Once your pecan pancakes are cooked to fluffy perfection, we highly recommend topping them with a generous pat of butter, a drizzle of caramel sauce, and a scattering of extra chopped nuts.

Cinnamon has long been one of the most reached for pancake additions, and it certainly delivers the cozy vibes. It works especially well in fall-inspired recipes, perhaps paired with pumpkin, apples, or toasted nuts, but this spice is just as fantastic in a simple buttermilk stack.

To use cinnamon in your homemade pancakes, combine it with the dry ingredients (typically flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt) and whisk everything together well. This mixture can then be folded with the wet ingredients for a fuss-free, lightly spiced batter. For the ultimate convenience, you could even bake this sheet pan style instead of frying individual pancakes.

If you're feeling more adventurous, have a go at making some cinnamon bun pancakes. For these, you'll mix half of the batter with cinnamon and molasses, and pipe this on top of the non-spiced batter in eye-catching swirls as the pancakes cook. Top the finished pancakes with a cream cheese glaze or dusting of powdered sugar for the full cinnamon bun experience.

Get your pancakes fall-ready with the addition of sweet, earthy pumpkin puree. This adds heartiness, a tender texture, and a gorgeous golden orange hue. What's more, opting for canned pumpkin means there's no pre-chopping or mashing required.

Incorporate the pumpkin puree by simply stirring it into the wet ingredient mixture, making sure to adjust the quantities to achieve the right consistency. You might also like to add some complementary spices to the dry ingredient mixture. Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves all pair beautifully with pumpkin, helping you to create a pumpkin pie-inspired flavor profile.

Toppings wise, whipped cream is a fitting match for the pumpkin-infused stack. To really amp up the indulgence, go for a dollop of cream cheese frosting, or add a generous pouring of salted butterscotch sauce. For a boozier finish, try combining maple syrup with a glug of bourbon and splash of vanilla extract, and drizzling this atop the warm stack.

Butterscotch chips are a must-try pancake add-in for those with a sweet tooth. These melt down just enough during cooking to create little pockets of golden, buttery richness, and make a fun alternative to chocolate chips if you feel like switching things up.

Once you've prepped your pancake batter as usual, toss in a generous handful of butterscotch chips, and fold everything together. You can absolutely pair the chips with other add-ins if desired, with bananas and nuts being fitting accompaniments.

Cook your butterscotch pancakes on the griddle or in a large frying pan, flipping them over once bubbles start to appear on the surface of the batter, and enjoy the warm stack with your favorite toppings. Butterscotch sauce is of course a natural choice here, which tastes particularly great with a sprinkling of flaky sea salt. Diced pears or apples will also complement the sweet, caramelized flavors brilliantly.

Make your pancakes fit for a celebration with some vibrant pops of color and sweetness. Funfetti-style pancakes can be created with the simple addition of some candy sprinkles, and they're great for pleasing a crowd (whether that's kids or adults!).

The key here is adding the sprinkles to the batter immediately before cooking, to prevent the colors from bleeding too much. Rainbow sprinkles are the obvious choice, but you can absolutely opt for chocolate or pastel varieties instead, to fit the specific occasion. You'll find that each tiny morsel will melt a little as the batter cooks, leaving playful streaks of color in each bite.

When it comes to toppings, adding a vanilla icing glaze is a great way to play on the birthday cake theme. This can be made by mixing powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and pourable. Another tempting approach is to serve the stack with a scoop of ice cream on the side.

Bananas and berries aren't the only fruits that can naturally sweeten up pancake batter. Apple is an equally flavorful option, and it brings added moisture into the mix, making the final stack lovely and soft. It's a clever way to sneak fruit into breakfast, and shredding the fruit is the most seamless way to incorporate it.

Prep your apples by peeling and grating them, then gently fold the shreds into the batter. If you'd prefer to incorporate larger chunks of apple, dicing the fruit is also an option, but you'll need to precook it on the stovetop beforehand if you want to achieve a tender result. You can also toss the shreds or chunks in some lemon juice, cinnamon, and sugar, for an apple pie-inspired flavor.

To complete your stack, spoon over extra caramelized apples or a handful of toasted walnuts. This cozy dish will taste fantastic with a steaming mug of coffee.

Who says pancakes have to be sweet? If you're after something savory, scallions are an ideal add-in. They give the batter a hint of aromatic flavor and a striking pop of green, creating a batch of pancakes with a fantastically fresh and wholesome feel.

While you can certainly add finely sliced scallions to a standard fluffy pancake batter, another popular option is to create a batch of Chinese-style flaky scallion pancakes. These are made by mixing up a dough with flour, salt, and water, rolling this out into a rectangle, and topping it with a Sichuan peppercorn-infused scallion mixture. Next, you'll roll the dough up into a log, just like you would with a cinnamon bun, and slice it into rounds, ready for pan-frying.

Scallion pancakes taste amazing topped with a dollop of sour cream or crème fraîche. You can also serve them with soy sauce for dipping, or pair them with other savory brunch foods like crispy bacon, poached eggs, or smoked salmon.

A classic add-in for cookies and cakes, raisins are also great for jazzing up pancakes. Their natural sweetness and chewy texture makes for an irresistible contrast to the fluffy batter, and the result is undeniably wholesome.

Before you add the raisins to your batter, it's best to plump them up so they don't feel too dry. You can do this by soaking them in hot water, apple juice, or even rum for around 10 minutes. Once they've swelled nicely, drain away the liquid, and fold the rehydrated raisins into the batter.

Raisins are a delicious accompaniment to warming spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg, and you could totally craft an oatmeal cookie-themed stack by incorporating whole rolled oats into the batter. For toppings, the classics like honey and maple syrup are a top pick, and extra raisins are always welcome. Apples complement raisins especially well, too, whether that's in the form of diced fresh fruit or gooey caramelized chunks.

For a tropical twist, shredded coconut is a simple yet transformative choice. It adds both texture and sweetness, plus a good dose of fiber and healthy fats. Mixed through the batter alone, or combined with other add-ins like berries or chocolate chips, coconut is sure to bring some excitement to your stack.

Depending on your taste preferences, you can use either sweetened or unsweetened coconut here. This can be mixed with the dry ingredients as is, or toasted first to deepen that natural nutty taste. The coconut shreds will add a subtle crunch whilst retaining the overall lightness of the pancakes.

Coconut and fruit are the perfect match, so go ahead and top your pancakes with slices of mango, passion fruit, pineapple, or banana to build the ultimate summer stack. A swirl of whipped coconut cream, finished with a vibrant maraschino cherry, is another great topping combo for enhancing the exotic vibes even further.

If you love a sweet and salty combo, bacon is the pancake add-in for you. It's smoky, savory, and crisp, which means it does the most wonderful job of balancing the light, buttery batter. We often see strips of bacon arranged atop a pancake stack, but incorporating bite-sized pieces directly into the batter ensures that every bite is packed with meaty flavor.

Start by cooking your bacon until it's nice and crispy, either in the oven or in a frying pan. Then, let it cool slightly before chopping it into small pieces. Fold the bacon bits into your prepared pancake batter, or just sprinkle them onto the pancakes during cooking to produce a more striking, bacon-studded look.

For toppings, a generous glug of maple syrup is a natural pairing, contrasting the saltiness of the meat with its rich, caramel-like sweetness. If you want to lean further into the savory theme, you can also pile your brunch plate with some extras, such as fried eggs, hash browns, grilled tomatoes, or sliced avocado.

Fantastically versatile and packed with rich, savory flavor, cheese is a seriously underrated pancake addition. Add some of your favorite sharp, melty, or creamy cheese into the batter, and you'll be left with something surprisingly moreish.

Cheddar cheese is one of the most popular choices, bringing just the right amount of tang and saltiness, while still melting down with ease. Just grate it finely and fold it through the batter before cooking. You can also enhance the richness of the batter by incorporating some sour cream and olive oil.

Other cheeses like feta, mozzarella, or Parmesan will also work great here. To give the pancakes a spicier profile, go for a cheese that's been infused with chili peppers or black pepper. Alternatively, try swirling cream cheese into the mixture for a wonderfully tender texture. Your freshly cooked cheese pancakes can be served with a creamy dip, or a medley of savory toppings, such as caramelized onions, a tangy tomato salsa, or slices of creamy avocado.

To give your pancakes a more sophisticated edge, consider flavoring them with a drop or two of almond extract. It'll impart a deliciously fragrant, nutty sweetness that feels a little more elegant than the commonly-reached-for vanilla, while being just as easy to use.

You'll need to add the extract to the wet ingredient component of your pancake batter, starting with just a small amount. A little goes a long way with these highly concentrated extracts, so around ¼ teaspoon is ideal. Almond extract works brilliantly alongside fruits like cherries, apricots, and peaches, so feel free to fold some extras into the batter too. Another great technique is to scatter some flaked almonds on top of the pancakes during cooking and before flipping, for an even nuttier result.

The final step is choosing the perfect selection of toppings, and the usual fruits and syrups are a great way to round the dish off. Chocolate is another top-tier almond pairing, which can be added to your plate in the form of chocolate sauce, chips, or perhaps a simple dusting of cocoa powder.

Combining these two beloved morning staples is a no-brainer, and with instant espresso powder, it couldn't be easier to bring the deep, roasty richness of coffee into your stack. Since espresso powder is finely ground, it'll dissolve readily in your pancake batter, with no need for pre-brewing. Around 2 tablespoons of the powder should be enough to elevate your stack with plenty of comforting coffee flavor, and this can be mixed with the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt before you add the wet ingredients.

These pancakes serve as a versatile base for building an epic stack. Coffee and chocolate are a particularly mouth-watering combo, so finishing things off with a drizzle of melted chocolate is always a great idea. For some complementary crunch, chopped, toasted hazelnuts or almonds are another delicious option. You can also layer the pancakes up with boozy mascarpone and cocoa, for a tiramisu-inspired twist.