Can You Freeze Pancake Batter?

Last updated on September 12th, 2022 at 05:50 pm

Pancakes are a family favorite and a crowd-pleaser. They are quick and easy to prepare, and the whole family will enjoy them! 

From maple syrup to whipped cream, the toppings you can add to pancakes are endless. You can make pancake batter in a pinch which makes them a good go-to breakfast! 

Pancakes are a fluffy and comforting meal, and one simply cannot go wrong with serving them up at breakfast, lunch, or dinner! If you want to prepare your pancake batter in advance or if you have some leftover pancake batter, you might be wondering if you can freeze pancake batter. 

You can freeze pancake batter ahead of time. In an airtight container pancake batter should last 2-3 months before it begins to lose its consistency or flavor. 

Freezing pancake batter in advance offers many benefits! 

First, you will be able to save time on busy mornings by not having to make the batter from scratch. 

Secondly, you will also be able to always have a backup meal in case of a busy weekday night or morning. 

Third, you will be able to cut down on food waste by freezing the batter instead of either throwing away the excess batter or letting it go bad in the fridge. As you can see, freezing pancake batter is really a life-saver!

You can freeze pancake batter easily! The process for freezing and eventually thawing pancakes is also straightforward and simple.

With recipes such as pancakes, it is easy to accidentally prepare too much batter. You could, of course, cook the batter and freeze already prepared pancakes, but a more space-effective option would be to freeze the pancake batter instead. 

This is a practical solution that eliminates both food waste and space waste. Also, many of us want a quick breakfast as we hurry out the door. If you are someone that loves pancakes, but cannot be bothered to make pancake batter from scratch every morning then frozen pancake batter is the answer for you!

It is easy to freeze pancake batter! Besides the obvious necessities (pancake batter, and a freezer) you really only need a freezer-safe bag or container in order to successfully freeze pancake batter. 

The process of freezing the batter is also very straightforward.

How Do You Freeze Pancake Batter In A Freezer Safe Bag? 

When freezing your pancake batter you really only have a couple of options, freezer bags or containers. Most people prefer using freezer bags since they will take up less space. How do you freeze your pancake batter in these bags? 

​To freeze pancake batter in a freezer-safe bag, you must simply pour your batter into the bag. You will need to make sure to not fill the bag completely as you will only want to fill the bag about 3/4ths of the way full. 

This will give the batter room to expand without the bag opening up. 

After the bag is filled, seal the bag completely only leaving a corner that is still open. Then you will need to push the excess air that is in the bag out of this opening. 

Once your freezer bag is free from excess air, seal the bag then you are good to go! You will want to be sure that you are using not only plastic bags but freezer-safe plastic bags. 

If you do not use freezer-safe bags, your pancake batter will most likely not be sealed properly, and it will cause the pancake batter to go bad.

How Do You Freeze Pancake Batter In A Freezer Safe Container? 

​If you don’t have any freezer-safe bags, you can always freeze pancake batter in a freezer-safe container as well. You will want to make sure that the container that you use is freezer-safe though. 

If you do not use a freezer-safe container, the container may crack in the freezer. 

After you have made the pancake batter, fill up the container leaving 1-2” at the top. After you’ve filled the container, you can go ahead and put it in the freezer until the next time you’re craving pancakes.

That 1-2” at the top of the container is important as it allows the batter room to expand without popping the container open. It’s always better to leave a bit of extra room to make sure that your container doesn’t break or pop open making your batter get freezer burned. 

Can You Freeze Pancake Batter With Eggs? 

​If you make your pancake batter with eggs, you might be wondering if that will make pancake batter difficult to freeze. Well, it depends. 

If your recipe calls for whole eggs then it will be totally fine to freeze the batter. Pancake batter that just contains egg whites should not be frozen. 

However, sometimes when you freeze a batter with whole eggs in it, the freezing process will make the batter separate. It is no different with pancake batter. 

If you thaw your batter and it separates, the batter is not ruined! Simply mix up the batter and prepare like normal. 

Sometimes the consistency might be too thick after freezing pancake batter that is made with eggs. To solve this issue, you can just add either water or milk to the batter while mixing until you attain the consistency you desire. 

Sometimes a recipe will call for just egg whites instead of whole eggs. Unfortunately, you will not be able to freeze this type of pancake batter. 

The pancake density and texture will just not hold up if you freeze pancake batter with egg whites in it.

How Do You Defrost Pancake Batter? 

​When it comes time to prepare the pancakes, you are going to need your batter to be defrosted. Knowing the proper way to thaw the batter will help you maintain its consistency and taste: 

There are two options for thawing pancake batter. You can either thaw the batter overnight in the fridge or if you need a more efficient method, you can thaw the frozen batter in warm water. 

The method that will retain the proper consistency and is overall more recommended is to thaw the batter in the fridge overnight. If you are in a pinch, thawing the batter in warm water will still be acceptable. 

You may just have to stir the batter and/or add the appropriate amount of liquid to get that original consistency again. 

After the batter has thawed, you can cook up the pancakes as normal! A helpful tip is that if you freeze the batter in a freezer-safe bag, simply push your thawed batter away from a lower corner of the bag and snip the corner off with some scissors. 

Now you can just funnel the pancake batter out of the plastic bag itself.

How Long Can You Keep Pancake Batter In The Freezer? 

Now that I have covered everything about how to freeze and thaw pancake batter you likely have another important question… how long will the batter will keep in the freezer? 

​In theory, you can keep pancake batter in the freezer indefinitely, but it is recommended to use it within 2-3 months. If you use the frozen batter after this time frame the flavor, texture, and density of the pancakes will most likely be affected. 

For this reason, it is best to date your frozen bags when you first put them in the freezer. This way you know how long the batter has been frozen and you can use the oldest batter first. 

In conclusion, freezing pancake batter saves money, time, and space. You simply can’t go wrong with pancakes for any meal, and freezing your batter in advance will make the process much more efficient!