Pancake Flight Recipe

Make the dry and wet mixes

In a large bowl whisk together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon fine salt until evenly combined.

In a separate medium bowl whisk 2 cups buttermilk, 2 large eggs, 4 tablespoons melted unsalted butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently until combined. Do not overmix — a few small lumps are fine. Let the batter rest 5–10 minutes while you heat the pan; this relaxes gluten and helps thickness.

Prep batter portion

Portion roughly 1 1/2 cups of the base batter into a separate bowl for the blueberry batch (this yields ~6 small pancakes). Fold in 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries and 1 teaspoon lemon zest gently so berries do not burst excessively.

Heat a nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat and brush lightly with oil or melted butter. When a drop of batter sizzles, pour 1/4 cup batter per pancake onto the skillet.

Cook until bubbles form on the surface and edges look set, about 2–3 minutes, then flip and cook 1–2 minutes more until golden and cooked through. Keep pancakes warm on a plate in a low oven (100–110°C / 210–230°F) while you finish other batches.

Serve with maple syrup and an extra pat of butter if desired.

Prep batter portion

Spoon about 1 1/2 cups of the base batter into a separate bowl for the chocolate chip batch. Gently fold in 1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips, reserving a few to sprinkle on top of pancakes as they cook.

Heat skillet to medium and lightly oil. Pour 1/4 cup batter per pancake. Immediately sprinkle a few reserved chocolate chips on the uncooked surface to get an even chip distribution.

Cook until bubbles form and edges set, 2–3 minutes, then flip and cook 1–2 minutes more until the centers are set and chips are melted. Dust lightly with powdered sugar if using and keep warm.

Prep batter portion

Mix about 1 1/2 cups of the base batter with 1 mashed large ripe banana and 1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts. Stir just until combined — the banana will thin the batter slightly; if it becomes too thin, add 1–2 tablespoons extra flour to reach a pourable but thick consistency.

Heat skillet over medium and grease lightly. Pour 1/4 cup batter per pancake and cook 2–3 minutes until bubbles appear and edges set, then flip and cook 1–2 minutes more until golden.

Serve topped with honey or maple syrup and extra chopped walnuts if desired.

Prepare all three varieties in sequence or concurrently if you have a large griddle. Use the reserved base batter to make plain pancakes if you want more flight options.

Arrange a 'flight' on a large platter or three small plates: 2–3 small blueberry pancakes, 2–3 chocolate chip pancakes, and 2–3 banana walnut pancakes. Add butter and small ramekins of maple syrup and honey for dipping.

Estimated plating tip: label each stack with a small toothpick flag or garnish (lemon zest for blueberry, extra chocolate chips for chocolate, walnut piece for banana) so guests can differentiate flavors at a glance.