Your Pancake Fluff Factor Will Skyrocket With One Simple Key Ingredient

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To craft enviously fluffy pancakes, put down that measuring cup of water and instead pour some seltzer into the mix. The carbonated liquid may seem like a strange choice, but those bubbles are the secret to mouth-watering pancakes that won't end up flat.

Chef John Koutsouris shared this tip with Epicurious, and revealed that the simple swap of seltzer in place of water in his go-to recipe (which includes adding a handful of ingredients to a packaged pancake mix) was a total game changer. That's right — you can use this tip to level up your pancakes, even if your preferred pancake recipe is the one on the side of a box.

The ingredient works because the bubbles in the seltzer are mixed throughout the batter (although you definitely want to avoid overmixing) and then expand when the pancakes are cooking in your pan or on the griddle, creating a perfect texture. In order to make your pancakes as fluffy as they can possibly be, you also want to ensure that your seltzer is chilled — as RealSimple explains, the carbon dioxide in the seltzer dissolves in cold temperatures, creating more bubbles.

Water Exotic does note that seltzer will typically go flat about two to three days after you open it, so if you're only making pancakes once a week, you might have to pop open a fresh seltzer each time. Try using the leftovers in batters such as tempura or smoothies, as per Kitchn's suggestion.