Cooking for a group can be a bit daunting. So when I had to make something for a group of 20+ co-workers during our “12 Days of Baking/Cooking” event, I decided to make mini buttermilk pancakes stacks. Most of us start early so a breakfast item is always nice, plus these mini pancakes on a stick are pretty easy to eat (no plates required). Plus, these can be prepared ahead of time, then assemble before serving. Oh, and did I mention that strawberries + Nutella is a super yummy combination?! I’ve never had Nutella prior to making this recipe and now I want to eat Nutella straight out of the jar by the spoonful.
Now let me warn you, making these mini buttermilk pancakes will take some time depending on the size you’re making. I made mine about 1.5 inches in diameter. You’d want to make them about the same size as your strawberries in order for the stack to look nice. Besides strawberries, you can also do banana slices with Nutella too. Feel free to scale the pancake recipe to your need. I did 3 mini pancakes per stack but you can do 2 and make it more like a sandwich.
Game Plan to Make Mini Buttermilk Pancake Stacks Ahead of Time
If you’re cooking for a crowd, you’d probably want to make the pancakes ahead of time. Here’s my game plan for making these pancake stacks:
- 1-2 days before – Make enough mini buttermilk pancakes for your stacks. Once cooled, wrap the pancakes tightly with a couple layers of plastic wrap and store it in the fridge.
- On the day of – Slice strawberries, reheat the pancakes in the oven, then make an assembly line. Lay all your mini pancakes in 3 rows, top Nutella on 2 rows of mini pancakes. Top these 2 rows with strawberries. Now all you have to do is put one row of mini pancakes with strawberries on top of the other row that also have strawberries, then finish off by placing the last row of mini pancake (with no Nutella or strawberry) on top.
Secret to Making Round Mini Buttermilk Pancakes
The mini buttermilk pancake stacks look prettier if the pancakes are as round as possible. To get rounder shape, I like to let the batter drip about 1-2″ above the pan and then shape it into a circle by using the back of the spoon to spread it out. Don’t spread it too thin or it won’t fluff up as much. Using this method, you can cook several mini buttermilk pancakes at the same time.
Mini Buttermilk Pancakes with Strawberries & Nutella Recipe
Ingredients
Ingredients for Mini Buttermilk Pancakes:
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup buttermilk
- oil for greasing the pan
Ingredients for Assembling the Pancake Stacks:
- 30 mini pancakes
- 1/2 lb fresh strawberries, sliced (can substitute with banana)
- Nutella
- icing sugar for dusting (optional)
- Toothpicks or wooden picks for holding the mini pancakes stack together
Instructions
Instructions for Mini Buttermilk Pancakes:
- Combine the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt and sugar) together.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg with buttermilk.
- Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredient. Do not over mix. The batter should be slightly lumpy. Let sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes.
- Heat a bit of oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Using a soup spoon, drop about 1 - 1.5 spoonful of pancake batter into the pan. Cook the pancake until you see bubbles popping on the surface and the edges are golden (about 1-2 minutes). Flip the pancake and cook the other side for about 30 seconds. Remove pancake to a baking tray & repeat with the rest of the batter. TIP: Since the pancakes are so small, you can probably cook more than one pancake at a time.
- Stack the cooked pancakes on a baking tray and keep it in a low temperature oven (~150-180F) to keep warm while you cook the rest of the pancakes. If making ahead, let pancakes cool on cooling rack.
Assemble the Mini Buttermilk Pancakes with Strawberries & Nutella:
- Spread Nutella generously on one mini pancake, top it with a slice of strawberry. Repeat and now you have 2 layers of mini pancakes with Nutella and strawberry slices. Top the last strawberry slice with another mini pancake and secure the pancake stack with a wooden pick.
