Olive Oil Cornbread Pancakes: A Piece of Cake #62

Happy Birthday to me, happy pancake day to you.

It’s my birthday, and it’s 70 degrees outside, and Kate (the dog) is glaring at me, begging for a park trip. So here’s a quick one for you that’s also a perfect recipe for the weekend. I developed this recipe for our friends over at Graza a couple of weeks back, but it’s so good that I wanted to share it with you all here.

This pancake is not too sweet yet not savory, and the cornmeal gives it a great flavor while still being fluffy. The real kicker is the maple syrup emulsified with olive oil. Since this was developed for Graza, I wanted to find a way to show off their super-fresh, bright green, finishing oil “Drizzle,” and the topping was the perfect place. With the fruitiness of the Drizzle, and the complexity it gives the syrup—you won’t miss the butter.

If you’re someone with pancake anxiety (very real), my tip for success here is a $25 investment. As I’ve stated before, I’m pretty minimalistic when it comes to small appliances in my kitchen. A mixer, food processor, and a high-powered blender are about it—that was until Andrew suggested I pick up an electric griddle. Let me tell you, my life is different now. 

The griddle is very slim and light, which makes it easy to tuck it away. It heats up quickly and gives steady, even heat. Plus the price can’t be beat. I love my cast iron and always will, but it takes some adjusting it to keep it at the perfect temp to achieve crispy-edged deep golden pancakes. With this new electric beauty, I’ve found myself eager and willing to make pancakes much more often. Or rather, more eager to volunteer Andrew to make them for me. 

Olive Oil Cornbread Pancakes

For the pancakes 

1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour

1 cup cornmeal

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 ½ teaspoon baking powder

1 ½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt

2 ½ cups buttermilk

2 eggs

3 tablespoons Sizzle

For the Syrup

¾ cup maple syrup

2 tablespoons Drizzle 

Yield: About 12 pancakes

Make the pancakes

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 

2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, and olive oil. 

3. Add the buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients and whisk until mostly combined, with some lumps remaining. Do not overmix. 

4. Heat a cast-iron skillet over low heat for about 5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-low. Alternatively, heat an electric griddle to medium. Squeeze a couple of tablespoons of Sizzle to the cooking surface. Using a ⅓ measuring cup, add the batter to the pan; do not crowd the pancakes. A standard electric griddle can fit 6 pancakes at once.

5. Turn each pancake when the surface of the pancake is bubbling and the bottom is a deep golden brown (2-4 minutes). Cook the other side until browned. 

6. Transfer each finished pancake to a parchment-lined baking sheet in a warm (not hot) oven. Repeat the cooking process until all the batter has been used. 

Make the syrup

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the syrup and the Drizzle until emulsified. Serve immediately. 

   

   A Piece of Cake is written by Bill Clark and edited by Andrew Spena. Photography by Hunter Abrams. Logo design by Brett LaBauve.