Strawberry Shortcake Pancakes

If you love strawberry shortcake and fluffy homemade pancakes, these Strawberry Shortcake Pancakes are the perfect breakfast mashup. Soft buttermilk pancakes layered with sweet cream cheese filling, fresh strawberries, and crushed graham crackers bring all the flavors of classic strawberry shortcake into one easy brunch recipe. Whether you’re making a special weekend breakfast, Mother’s Day brunch, or just craving something sweet and homemade, this strawberry pancake recipe is simple, impressive, and always a hit.

Ingredients

• Pancakes
• All-purpose flour
• Buttermilk
• Sugar
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Butter
• Vanilla extract
• Egg
• Strawberry jam or strawberry flavoring
• Cream cheese
• Powdered sugar
• Milk
• Fresh strawberries
• Graham crackers
• Whipped cream (optional)

How to Make Strawberry Shortcake Pancakes

Make the Pancake Batter
In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk, melted butter, vanilla, egg, and strawberry jam or flavoring until smooth. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined. Do not overmix. A few lumps are fine.

Cook the Pancakes
Heat a non-stick skillet or griddle over medium-low heat and lightly grease it. Pour batter onto the pan and cook until bubbles form on the surface and the edges begin to set. Flip and cook the other side until golden brown and cooked through. Repeat with remaining batter.

Make the Cream Cheese Filling
Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and a splash of milk. Mix until creamy and spreadable. Add a little more milk if needed to loosen it.

Assemble
Spread a layer of cream cheese filling over a pancake. Add sliced strawberries and a sprinkle of crushed graham crackers. Top with another pancake and repeat as desired.

Serve
Finish with more strawberries, crushed graham crackers, and whipped cream. Serve warm.

Tips for the Perfect Pancakes

There is nothing like sinking your fork into a mile high stack of pillowy pancakes. Perfectly crisp on the outside and airy inside, they’re a food group unto themselves. Whether you’re making homemade pancakes from scratch or using your favorite Gluten Free mix, here are some top tips to make the best pancakes.

• Don’t Overmix the batter! – It’s better to have a few lumps in your batter than it is to over mix. Overmixing your batter will create a tough and chewy pancake instead of a tender and airy bite.
• Let your batter rest. – After mixing up your pancake batter, allow it to rest for at least ten minutes. This will let it relax, giving you that tender bite.
• Make sure your pan is fully heated – A hot pan or griddle equals happy pancakes. Make sure your griddle or skillet is fully heated. This will give you that golden brown exterior and prevent the pancakes from spreading out and being too thin as the heat helps cause them to puff. 
• Don’t scorch your pancakes! – You want a hot pan to cause that puff, but you don’t want your pan or griddle so hot that the exterior of your pancakes burn before the interior has a chance to cook. Maple syrup makes everything better, but not burnt pancakes.
• Grease your griddle or skillet. – Make sure that you use either melted Dairy Free butter or nonstick spray on your pan or griddle before adding your batter. Even if you’re using a nonstick pan, this helps the to easily release.
• Measure your batter. – Use a ladle or squirt bottle to easily and evenly distribute your batter. Cooking consistent sized pancakes at the same time makes it easier to manage.
• Don’t overcrowd your pan or griddle. – It’s better to make your pancakes in batches than it is to try and make too many at one time. Not only does the batter drop the temperature of the hot surface, but you also risk them running together. Plus, they’re easier to flip when they’re more spread out. 
• Flip Once – Be careful of over flipping your pancakes. The first side may cook a little longer than the second side and that’s okay. How do you know when to flip your pancakes? Watch for bubbles. You will see bubbles begin to form both on the outside edges of the pancakes and also in the middle. Gently ease your spatula under the cake, and then flip with confidence.
• The first pancake is never perfect. – If your first pancake isn’t Instagram worthy, this isn’t a big deal! Crepes and pancakes have an unwritten rule, the first one might look a little wonky. This is a great way to gauge the heat of your pan or griddle, if you have enough grease, and how long to let your pancakes cook.