How To Properly Reheat Leftover Pancakes

If you're a big fan of breakfast food, there's nothing better than homemade pancakes. Whether you're a proponent of the short stack, enjoy silver dollar flapjacks, or like making pancakes the size of dinner plates; the combo of hot cakes with melty butter and sweet syrup always brings a smile. If you find yourself making more than you need, you'll end up with leftover pancakes, and reheating them to their fresh-off-the-griddle form can be tricky.

The good news is you've got many ways you can reheat your pancakes. You can keep it super simple or get more involved depending on your preference, but one thing's for sure: Your leftovers won't go to waste if you've got plenty of kitchen gadgets to choose from.

The easiest way is to pop them in the microwave. If you want convenience, it's the fastest way to go. But the microwave will essentially steam your pancake as it rotates, leaving you with reheated, yes, but soggy pancakes. So let's talk about other ways you can heat those flapjacks up that offer a better quality pancake than that.

One way to ensure your reheated breakfast comes out looking tasty is to use your oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, place your pancakes on a greased baking sheet covered with foil (you can add butter on top, if you want) and throw them in for about five minutes. You'll end up with buttery, fluffy pancakes that aren't dried out or soggy.

Perhaps you prefer an air fryer, and pancakes will work in there too. You can air fry just about anything and in about five minutes you'll have hot, fluffy, crispy-on-the-outside pancakes ready to eat -– the perfect combo for a pancake. Spray your fryer basket, preheat it to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and cook your cakes for 2 to 3 minutes per side. Just keep an eye on them so you don't overdo it.

So the next time you've got a pile of pancakes left over, pop them in your oven or air fryer for a few minutes and enjoy. It's an easy choice for breakfast the day after or a delicious dinner meal — if you prefer waffles instead of pancakes, try some of these same techniques to get perfect reheated waffles every time.