The Simple Trick To IHOP's Perfect Pancakes Is More Important Than It Seems

There's no denying that IHOP's pancakes live up to the chain's name, with a wide selection of classic and unique flapjacks that beat out other chains like Denny's by a long shot. If you're wondering what the secret is behind IHOP's perfectly fluffy pancakes, a recent TikTok video from an IHOP executive chef sheds some light.

In the video, IHOP chef Scott Randolph whips up a batch of IHOP's buttermilk pancakes, saying, "We use cold water" in the wet ingredients. While water temperature may seem insignificant, it's a crucial factor to a pancake's fluffiness because it inhibits gluten development. Gluten development is important to baking bouncy, chewy boules of bread, but in the case of pancakes, gluten forms a strong, elastic network out of the wheat crumb, which results in a dense and rubbery flapjack. Consequently, adding warm water to pancake batter is a major mistake to avoid if you don't want flat, deflated pancakes because, unlike cold water, it hastens gluten development.

Randolph also recommends keeping the batter lumpy to avoid overmixing. Overmixing the batter will pop all those coveted air bubbles that are a huge factor in fluffiness and rise. Chef Randolph even demonstrates an easy whisking method, explaining that you should "whisk the wet ingredients together, turn the bowl one direction while we whisk in the opposite direction."

Chef Randolph spoons a good quarter-cup of batter over the flat top per pancake and says the air bubbles will form and fluff up the batter after two minutes, signaling it's time to flip. He finishes off a stack with a dollop of whipped salted butter, which is both easily spreadable and the perfect complement to all that super sweet maple syrup you'll be pouring over the pancakes. You can make your own restaurant-worthy whipped butter at home. And just as the air bubbles in the pancakes help them rise, incorporating air into softened butter gives whipped butter its characteristic fluffiness.

There are even more TikTok videos from IHOP employees to help you make pancakes like IHOP. And, along with a gentle mix and the cold water trick, IHOP chefs also want you to avoid buttering your skillet or flat top. The pancake batter will brown more evenly if you simply spoon it on a bare, heated griddle. A step that many pancake chefs on social media agree upon is letting the batter sit for a few minutes before spooning it onto the griddle. Resting the batter for a few minutes will help the flour hydrate and further relax the gluten, contributing to a fluffier pancake. While cold water is the simplest wet ingredient addition, many pancake makers swap water for milk in recipes or pancake boxed mixes for more richness. The same rule applies; use cold milk when you combine your wet ingredients.