Recipe Review

I Made Jennifer Garner’s “Favorite” Fluffy Pancakes, and They’ve Changed My Sunday Mornings Forever

published Sep 28, 2024
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Jennifer Garner Favorite Pancakes
Credit: Ashia Aubourg

I follow a pretty routine weekday breakfast regimen that lives by one rule — it must be quick and easy. By nine AM, I typically have tons of work waiting for me on my laptop, so unfortunately, I don’t have the leisure of slow mornings. I’ll usually blend a peanut butter smoothie or dig into a bowl of Greek yogurt with granola. But those dishes can get kind of boring. Recently, I stumbled upon Jennifer Garner sharing her beloved recipe for simple pancakes on Instagram. The dish encompasses all of my favorite qualities: buttery, fluffy, with crispy edges — plus they only took about 10 minutes to pull them together. “It’s so decadent,” says Garner. Having been in a meal rut for a while, I couldn’t wait to test these out on a Monday when I had a jam-packed schedule ahead of me. 

Get the recipe: Jennifer Garner’s Favorite Pancakes

How to Make Jennifer Garner’s Favorite Pancakes

Whisk all-purpose flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Then, pour the buttermilk and milk into a liquid measuring cup and mix in the egg. Garner says, “If you want extra fluffy pancakes, whisk egg white into milk mixture and mix yolk with melted butter, then stir into milk mixture.”

Next, pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones and whisk until well combined. “Lumps are our friends,” she says.

Meanwhile, place a griddle or large skillet over medium-high heat. Brush the griddle generously with oil or butter. Once the surface gets hot, put a fourth cup of batter onto the griddle, making sure not to overcrowd. Once the pancake bottoms start to brown and their surfaces start to bubble — about two to three minutes — then you can flip and cook the other side for about a minute or two longer.

Credit: Ashia Aubourg

My Honest Review of Jennifer Garner’s Favorite Pancakes

I decided to time myself to see how long it would take me to make a batch of Garner’s pancakes — and it took me under 10 minutes. My kitchen is pretty organized, so it was easy to find all of my ingredients and assemble them into a batter. Since I was only cooking for myself, I didn’t have to worry about making multiple rounds, which made this recipe ideal for a solo breakfast. 

Bottom line: Garner’s pancakes reminded me of the comforting buttery ones my grandmother would make me on weekends. Digging into this on a weekday was truly a treat, reminding me that there’s value in adding ounces of joy to my typically grueling Mondays. I even had a few leftovers, which made for a happy meal prep to dig into throughout the rest of the week. I never thought that I would be a brunch on a weekday type of gal, but this recipe definitely let me know that I should. 

Tips for Making Jennifer Garner’s Favorite Pancakes

  • Don’t overmix it. While you may be tempted to vigorously whisk this batter, don’t! Doing so will overdevelop the gluten in this recipe, leading to dense or deflated pancakes.
  • Experiment with the base. Toss some chocolate chips, blueberries, or bananas into the batter of this pancake recipe to enjoy even more flavorful bites. 
  • Add delicious toppings. For a hearty touch, I added a scoop of vanilla Greek yogurt and maple granola to my pancakes.