Pocket Pancakes

by Paige Russell

22K40436

Intro: Pocket Pancakes

Have you ever wanted to hit the trail or slopes early in the a.m. and take a delicious breakfast snack that's good on-the-go? Well here's the answer you've been waiting for... Pocket Pancakes!

A healthier option than most toaster pastries, making pancakes this way allows you to pack in a delicious/healthy assortment of ingredients while keeping your hands free of ingredient goo.

Let's get started!

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Check out some of my other cold weather projects!:

The Astro Sled
Beer Koozie Mittens
Hot Toddy Recipe
Mason Jar Tea Set

STEP 1: Supplies & Prep

Food Bits

  • pancake batter (a packaged one or your favorite recipe)
  • filler ingredients - some combos to try are:
    • scrambled egg + bacon + fresh dill (pictured)
    • chocolate chips + banana bits + walnuts (pictured)
    • mixed berries + almonds
    • granola + yoghurt dollop
    • ricotta cheese + candied lemon peel
    • rhubarb + strawberries
    • Nutella + hazelnuts
    • cheddar cheese + ham bits + dollop of non-runny salsa

Tools

  • heat source (stove burner, outdoor cook stove, fire coals)
  • skillet
  • flipper
  • squeeze bottle* (like ones used for mustard at diners)
  • cutting board + knife (depending on chosen ingredients)

*Optional

STEP 2: Set Up to Get Down

Time to get French with some 'mise en place' and lay out all of the tools and ingredients you're going to use in small prep bowls.

Turn your heat source to medium and start heating up the skillet.

STEP 3: Testing, Testing

Test your skillet to see if it's ready by putting just a tiny dollop of pancake batter in the center. If bubbles start to form in the batter within a 10-15 seconds, the pan is hot enough to go to cookin'.

STEP 4: Laying the Pancake Foundation

The way I've chosen to make these pancakes, in the shape of pockets using the squeeze bottle, is fun, but optional. I'll show you how to do it this way and then walk you through an even simpler method.

Fill the squeeze bottle with batter.

Draw a rectangle-like line of batter with pointed ends. like pictured. Then fill inside the lines with batter using a spoon. I chose this shape so that when I folded the shape in half, the finished pancake would look like a pocket. (big dork, I know)

STEP 5: Add the Good Stuff

On the center of only one side of your shape, add a few tablespoons (total) of your chosen ingredients. (like pictured)

STEP 6: Fold It Over

Then flip the non-stuff filled pancake half over so that it covers the other side entirely. (like pictured)

Make sure the edges of both halves connect by gently pushing down along the edges with the flipper.

Put a lid over the pancake and let it cook a little longer than you would for a regular pancake. Keep checking the skillet side of the pocket pancake to make sure it's not burning. Flip it if necessary and replace lid.

-----EASIER NON-SQUEEZE BOTTLE WAY-----

If you want to make this project even simpler, skip the squeeze bottle and the pocket shape and just make two regular round pancakes, fill one in the center with ingredients and after a minute or so, flip the non-filled pancake wet batter side down onto the other one. The rest is the same as above.

STEP 7: You Are Ready for Lift Off

You'll see once your pocket pancake is done, that the edges have 'fused' together, completely sealing in the ingredients keeping your hands from coming in contact with anything other than the dry cooked pancake. Win!

Put your pancake(s) in a waxed baggie and slip them in the pocket of your ski jacket or hiking vest, and go!

37 Comments

wannashmig 9 years ago

You are a god damn GENIUS!. I am a proponent of the pocket sausage, but this is just incredible!

jon_chalk 9 years ago

Now I have a good excuse to make pancakes!

hanskellner 9 years ago

This might make for a great cycling snack. Always looking for alternatives to the candy sport snacks.

StuNutt 9 years ago

Great idea :)

I often have to go out to support "Ham Radio Emergency Volunteer" activities ( usually not emergencies, but we use community events like marathons, cycle rides, charity walks etc as practice communications events) early in the morning, and even when I have time to grab a bowl of Granola Toasted Oats and fruit my tummy is rumbling by 9 or 10, with maybe another 4 hours to stand-down.

A bag of Pancake Pockets will be ideal as a "keep-me-going" until I can hit a Big Mac on the way home! I'll need to find a bottled pancake mix that will keep in the fridge ready for call-outs!

Stu (radio G3OCR)

StandingOnStones 9 years ago

I've heard that regular pancake batter can be put in a clean ketchup bottle in the fridge until the event of a pancake-making emergency arises, although I haven't tried it for myself.

StuNutt 9 years ago

Mmmmm - Don't normally use ketchup, but a plastic milk bottle would probably work (and can be sent to recycle when done to avoid having to try to clean it for re-use!)
Thanks for the info - I'll give it a try :)

srid 9 years ago

This is wonderful. Thanx. Can you share batter recipe please )

Paige Russell 9 years ago

Hi srid, I just bought an off the shelf buttermilk pancake mix that I added milk and eggs to. Sorry, no recipe with this one!

srid 9 years ago

Made it yesterday, сool idea. Thanks again

ianheavy 9 years ago

Are you going to do an Instructable of a food safe tailorable pocket lining for portable snackette storage?

jmyers1 9 years ago

Tasty! I wonder how these would freeze. And I bet my kids would love these filled with pb and j.

betterways 9 years ago

Hah. You just made making Dutch style pancakes that are filled with all kinds of goodies so simple. Usually, they are pan sized so flipping skipp or finishing in an oven is necessary. It never ocurred to me to add ingredients to ordinary, small pancakes! Which is strange because I had figured out that making patties of whatever, crepes, etc are easier to turn without having them break or fall apart is easiest when they are small.

Paige Russell 9 years ago

Those sound delicious! More fillings to research...

Paige Russell 9 years ago

Ahaha, that's GREAT! Thanks for finding this gem.

kriemer 9 years ago

Wonderful idea, very similar to a Japanese taste treat called Dorayaki. Typically stuffed with Azuki red bean paste. Lots of recipes available for that pancake and filling as well.

Hmmmm, pocket food.

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