Heart-Shaped Pancakes Recipe

Ingredients You’ll Need

Before we start flipping pancakes, let’s gather everything we need:

For the Pancake Batter

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk (or substitute with milk + 1 tablespoon vinegar)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons melted butter (plus more for cooking)

For Toppings (Optional, But Highly Recommended!)

• Fresh berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries)
• Whipped cream
• Maple syrup or honey
• Chocolate chips
• Powdered sugar

Got everything? Great! Now let’s move on to the fun part—shaping and cooking the pancakes.

How to Make Heart-Shaped Pancakes

Making heart-shaped pancakes is easier than you think! You don’t need a fancy mold—just a bit of technique and creativity.

Step 1: Prepare the Batter

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk, egg, vanilla extract, and melted butter until smooth.

Gradually pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stirring gently until combined. Be careful not to overmix—some lumps are perfectly fine! Overmixing can lead to dense pancakes instead of light, fluffy ones.

Step 2: Shape the Pancakes

Now, here’s where the magic happens. You have three ways to shape your pancakes into hearts:

1. The Freehand Method – Pour the batter into the pan in a rough heart shape. Then, use the back of a spoon to gently spread and shape it.
2. The Cookie Cutter Method – Pour the batter into a greased metal heart-shaped cookie cutter placed in the pan. Once the bottom is set, carefully remove the cutter.
3. The Squeeze Bottle Trick – Transfer the batter into a squeeze bottle or a ziplock bag with the tip cut off. Pipe a heart shape directly onto the pan for more precision.

Step 3: Cook to Perfection

Heat a non-stick pan or griddle over medium heat and lightly grease it with butter. Pour your pancake batter using your chosen shaping method.

Cook until bubbles start forming on the surface (about 2 minutes), then flip gently and cook for another minute or until golden brown. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining batter.