Dr Pepper pancakes are ordinary soda pancakes made with 1 cup of Dr Pepper in place of the milk, mixed into flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, an egg and oil, and cooked on a buttered skillet over medium heat. Serve them with a syrup of Dr Pepper boiled down by half and stirred into maple syrup.
The batter is written up from The Takeout's soda pancakes with Dr Pepper as the soda, and the syrup comes from The Dallas Morning News' Dr Pepper waffles. I have not taken this through my own kitchen yet, and the card says exactly what I adapted.
Can you put soda in pancake batter?
Yes. Swapping the milk for soda is an old trick, and The Takeout traces lemon-lime soda pancakes to the 1950s. GoodtoKnow's version replaces the milk in the pancake mixture with an equal amount of Sprite and suggests experimenting with other fizzy drinks. The carbonation is meant to make a lighter, fluffier pancake, so use Dr Pepper from a freshly opened can or bottle, mix the batter just before cooking, and do not overmix it.
Do Dr Pepper pancakes taste like Dr Pepper?
Only a little, on their own. A cup of soda in a batch of batter gives a mild sweetness and a hint of cherry and vanilla, but cooking flattens it. That is why I would not skip the syrup: boiling a can of Dr Pepper down by half concentrates its flavor before the maple goes in, so that is where most of the Dr Pepper taste on the plate comes from.
Can you make Dr Pepper waffles?
Yes, and the original Dallas Morning News recipe is a waffle. It whisks 2 cups flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, then folds in 1 cup Dr Pepper, 1/2 cup milk, 6 tablespoons melted butter and 4 eggs, and cooks each waffle about 2 minutes in a heated, greased waffle iron. It makes 4 to 6 waffles, served with the same syrup.
More Dr Pepper sweets
For dessert rather than breakfast, try Dr Pepper cookies, a Dr Pepper chocolate cake or a Dr Pepper milkshake. The Dr Pepper syrup page is a different thing, a homemade soda syrup for sparkling water. Everything else is in the Dr Pepper recipes.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use pancake mix?
Yes. I have not tried it, but it should work the same way: GoodtoKnow swaps the milk in a pancake batter for an equal amount of soda, so use Dr Pepper in place of the milk or water your box asks for. That is my untested extension of their method, and mixes vary, so adjust the batter's thickness with a splash more soda or mix.
How do I make Dr Pepper syrup for pancakes?
Boil a 12-ounce can of Dr Pepper for 10 to 15 minutes until it is down by half, add a cup of maple syrup and warm it for another 2 or 3 minutes.
Can I use Diet Dr Pepper?
I have not tested it. Diet soda has no sugar to concentrate, so I would not use it for the boiled syrup, and I cannot say how it changes the pancakes.
Is it safe to taste the batter?
No. It has raw egg and raw flour, and the FDA advises against eating raw dough or batter. Cook the pancakes through first.
