Oil vs. butter, which should you use in pancakes?
Should you use oil or butter in your pancakes? This is a good question. What you decide to use can depend on several things.
Are you cooking-challenged?
If you make beautiful baked chocolate cakes, have a delicious crème brulee, and can knock out a homemade
For best the best look and taste, I would suggest using butter. Either way I would suggest butter in the pancakes, cooking challenged or not, but if you aren’t cooking savvy, I would suggest oil in the pan.
I suggest oil because when using butter on the pan, it has the tendency to burn, which can in turn burn your pancakes or at least give your pancakes a burn film. Either way, it’s not what you want.
There are three ways to avoid burning butter:
- Use oil. Oil doesn’t burn like butter.
- Be careful and watch the pan making sure it’s not too hot. Don’t use too much butter, or the butter that accumulates around the pancakes will burn. Use less butter, and if you have to, add more as necessary.
- Clarify your butter.
How to clarify butter: melt it first, preferably in the microwave, but be sure not to let it bubble over. When it’s melted, skim off the white milk solids from the top with a spoon or with a fine seethe, then put it in a jar or container and let it cool. This might seem like too much work for pancakes, but if you make them often, you can clarify a big batch of butter and keep it for later.
If you think you can make it by using butter, go ahead. I think it gives a nice buttery flavor and crisps more, but you can always add butter later if you decide to use oil. You might choose to use only a little oil, just enough to keep it from sticking, if you don’t like crispy pancakes.
Health conscious?
If you are worried about your health, you might choose to use butter, or another alternative altogether, such as your favorite butter substitute. Figure out what you can eat to stay healthy and look into different nonstick methods.
If you are looking to replace the butter or oil in the pancakes, you can use a substitute, or you can try to use unsweetened applesauce. They won’t be exactly the same, but it’s worth the try if you are trying to cut back on fat and calories. Of course, if you’re trying to cut back, make sure you don’t spread butter on top or you’ll defeat the purpose!
What do you prefer?
Ultimately, this decision may just boil down to personal preference. If you like to cook with oil, use oil, if you like to cook with butter, use butter. Both fats bring about similar results and in the end, you get pancakes.
Make your decision and get flipping!