Can You Freeze Pancakes?

Last updated on September 24th, 2022 at 12:19 am

When I make pancakes, I always make extra in case someone is really hungry. With lots of syrup and extra butter, pancakes are always a big favorite to eat! 

Whenever we travel, we always get a hotel with a continental breakfast included. Some hotels will have a pancake machine in their breakfast areas. That always was a big thing for my kids to see. The first time they saw one, they were so fascinated with it, that they started making way more pancakes than they could eat! 

Then they gave them away to everyone in the breakfast area just so they could make more. As much as I was glad that they were willing to give them away to people, I needed to stop them as it was a bit much with what they were doing. 

Having too many pancakes is great, as this way you have some for another time. But what if you don’t want them the next day or even 2-3 days from the time of making them? What can you do with the extra pancakes? Can you freeze them?

Pancakes can be frozen as long as they are in a freezer tight container or a freezer ziplock bag. They can be frozen for at least 3 months. You can reheat frozen pancakes again simply using the microwave for about 30 seconds per pancake. If they are really big, then you may want to add an extra 15 seconds to the timing in the microwave.

Having leftover food was never really a problem in my home growing up. With 7 siblings, leftover food was always eaten pretty quickly. But on the rare occasion that my mom made too much food, she would always try to see if it could be frozen for a time when she just didn’t want to cook on a different day. 

Now that I’m a mom, and I cook all the time, I completely understand why my mom would cook extra on one day so she could have a break on another day. 

For example, this Christmas, the one time of year where I bravely make breakfast food (I always burnt any breakfast food when we first got married, so I decided I wouldn’t cook breakfast again!). I made gluten free, egg free pancakes for my family. Then we added all the delicious toppings such as strawberries, dulce de leche, and Nutella. That was a big hit. 

However, I did have a few left over. So I was faced with the option of refrigerating or freezing the few I had left over. Of course, this should be a simple question, but I honestly haven’t actually made pancakes before and had left overs, so this I did have to think about.

With pancakes being a big favorite for people to eat, you may not have any leftover pancakes to be frozen. However, you do have the option available if you so choose to do so. Even if you burn pancakes, just add lots of sugary toppings to hide the burnt sides, and they will still be edible. 

Freezing pancakes is now an option that you can employ for those times you just don’t want to cook and want something simple to eat at a later date. Thankfully, they still keep their delicious taste, so you can freeze a lot at once!

Is It Better To Freeze Pancake Batter or Cooked Pancakes?

With pancakes as a favorite any time of day and throughout the year, people will eat pancakes whenever they are available. I always make extras when I make pancakes for my family. My husband can testify that he loves my cooking, so I make sure that there’s more available for seconds if he’s really hungry. 

However, sometimes I just want to eat instead of making my extras available. So when it comes to the pancake batter can it be frozen? If so, which is better to freeze, the pancake batter or cooked pancakes?

For the first question that was asked. Can you freeze pancake batter? 

You can freeze pancake batter! Simply pour the extra batter you have available into a freezer bag. Then you want to make sure you get any extra air out of the bag before sealing it tight. Then lay it flat in the freezer. 

Simple! Then when you want to use your frozen pancake batter to make pancakes,

The day before you will want to use the batter, you simply let the bag thaw in the refrigerator overnight or put it in warm water. Then you will clip one end of the bag where you can pipe the batter onto a hot frying pan or skillet! This will make the clean up and cooking very easy to do! Plus it’s a space saver for the freezer. 

Kinda cool to do if you want to keep the pancake making process simple and clean up almost nonexistent for making pancakes.

Now, can you freeze pancakes? Yes you can! Simply put any pre-made pancakes into a freezer ziplock bag, and seal it shut tight. Then you can freeze the pancakes in the freezer. 

To reheat the pancakes as simply as possible, you can reheat them in the microwave for about 30-45 seconds each. Or you can reheat them in the toaster if you don’t want the chewy taste to them. This makes it simple for kids to make their own breakfast or even for the busy mom to grab something edible on short notice for the kids to eat. This is a good option to have available to any parent who may have a rough day or slept past their morning alarm.

But now we have the next question. Which is better to do? The frozen pancake batter, or the cooked frozen pancakes? 

If you do have those few minutes to stand in front of the stove and make the pancakes from the frozen batter, you will probably have a better tasting pancake. However if your mornings are frantic and busy, having the frozen premade pancakes available is probably your best option. 

Thankfully, both options are still a great way to eat pancakes!

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, when you have the pancake batter, you can freeze it to make your next batch of pancakes simpler to make. If you premake pancakes to be frozen for another time, you have made your day that much more simpler. 

Whichever you decide to do, pancakes will always be a fun and easy meal to have at any time in the day. 

So, if you make your pancakes on the stove, reheat them in the microwave, or even use a toaster for a crispy pancake, you can know that you are making a delicious food to be eaten at any time. 

Don’t forget the toppings, and you know you just made a boring day into something fantastic! You really can’t go wrong with pancakes as an option to be made. So do what’s best for you and your family and enjoy your pancakes!