Happy Pancake Day! Whether you’re planning an epic pancake breakfast or a savoury pancake dinner, it’s time to start dusting off your pancake-making equipment and getting ready to flip. But for those who can barely crack an egg or who want to speed up the pancake making process, you could make things quicker and easier for yourself by using an air fryer to make this year’s pancake stack.
Yes, you read that right. It turns out you can cook a lot of things in an air fryer and UK retailer Currys (opens in new tab) is claiming that you can make the perfect pancakes in less than 5 minutes, simply by using an air fryer.
The best air fryers (opens in new tab) have taken over everyone’s kitchens as a quick, versatile and healthy piece of kitchen tech that makes delicious meals while using less oil and less energy to do so. Air fryers have completely changed the way people cook but when it comes to the best foods to make in an air fryer (opens in new tab), we didn’t see pancakes topping that list.
Pancakes are incredibly easy to make (see how to make pancakes perfectly (opens in new tab) for our tips) – all you need is a pan and a spatula! However, if your pancakes always come out lopsided, burnt or stuck to the bottom of your pan, it could be worth giving the air fryer pancake a try. We asked Rebecca Dixon, kitchen expert at Currys exactly how to do it… and here’s how.
How to make pancakes in an air fryer
This easy scotch pancake recipe from Currys will take you 5 minutes and the only equipment you need is an air fryer, greaseproof baking paper, a whisk and a bowl. Below is the air fryer pancake recipe, as shown on the Currys TikTok page (opens in new tab):
Air fryer pancakes on the Currys TikTok account
Step 1: Mix together 200 grams of self-raising flour, 2 tablespoons of caster sugar and 1 teaspoon of baking powder in a bowl.
Step 2: In a different bowl, mix your wet ingredients – 250 millilitres of milk, 1 egg and a tablespoon of melted unsalted butter.
Step 3: Combine the wet and dry ingredients together until you get a thick batter.
Step 4: Put greaseproof baking paper in the bottom of your air fryer and ladle on a spoonful of pancake batter.
Step 5: On top of the batter, layer another piece of baking paper followed by another ladle-full of batter. Keep going until you’re out of batter but you still have some room in your air fryer – you don’t want to overcrowd things!
Step 6: Bake in your air fryer at 160° for 5 minutes. If they’re still a little runny, let your pancakes cook for a couple minutes longer.
To make this recipe, Currys recommend using the Tefal EasyFry 3-in-1 Air Fryer, Grill & Steamer (opens in new tab) which is currently £159, thanks to a £30 price cut. Our air fryer expert tested out this air fryer in our Tefal EasyFry 3-in-1 Air Fryer review (opens in new tab) and found it to be convenient, easy to clean up and a good option if you’re trying to lose weight and cut down your energy usage.
Should you make pancakes in an air fryer?
Now the real question is this: should you make pancakes in an air fryer?
If you already have an air fryer, it could be an energy-saving way to make your stack of pancakes this Shrove Tuesday. Air fryers are also less clean-up than the traditional pan method, especially if you don’t have a non-stick pan. As mentioned in the recipe, the air fryer pancakes only take 5 minutes, which is pretty quick if you’re in a rush.
The main negative to the air fryer pancakes is that pans are cheaper than air fryers, so it’s arguably easier and more cost-effective to fire up the best non-stick frying pan (opens in new tab) that you already have at home rather than getting a new air fryer. If you fancy a thinner pancake like a crepe, this recipe won’t make that for you and air fryer pancakes require no flipping, and isn’t getting a pancake stuck to your ceiling all part of the fun?!
Regardless, if you’ve wanted an air fryer for a while, this could be your sign to invest in one, so head over to Currys to shop their selection of air fryers (opens in new tab) or take a look through our deals widget below for the latest cheap prices on air fryers.
