Can You Guess What These Masa Pancakes Are Missing?
Can You Guess What These Masa Pancakes Are Missing?
June 10, 2024
We're constantly honing our perfect masa pancake recipe: we've made them with a mix of corn and wheat flour, we've whipped egg whites, we've made them with olive oil. Our platonic pancake ideal, it turns out, has no wheat at all (making them gluten-free), and is practically a one-bowl recipe — so easy, you can throw them together on a bleary-eyed weekday morning. We've based the recipe on one from Kate Ramos at Hola Jalapeño (thanks, Kate!).
They also happen to be free of refined sugar (that bit of sweetness comes from honey), and can be made dairy free (use coconut oil in place of butter, and your choice of alt milk for the homemade buttermilk). Our yellow masa harina lends them a sunny golden hue, but white, blue, and red work just as well. However you make them, they'll cook up fluffy and tender, with perfectly crisp edges. The only question is: are they breakfast? Or breakfast-for-dinner?
All Comments
Hi James! Thanks for your question. Here’s our waffle recipe: https://masienda.com/blogs/learn/blue-corn-waffles-with-masa-harina
Hi Briana! Thanks for your question. You can adapt this recipe for fresh masa, but it will be a bit trickier. Since fresh masa is wetter and denser than masa harina, we’d suggest reducing the buttermilk by about ¼ cup. You can always add a little more if the batter feels too thick. Using a blender or mixer will help get it smooth, but it might be a little trickier to mix by hand. You might also want to add just a tiny bit more baking powder since masa harina helps with rising. Hope this helps! Let us know how it turns out!
Any suggestions on adapting this recipe for a waffle maker?
Can this be adapted for fresh masa, rather than harina? With a recipe calling for fresh masa it’s easy enough to adapt but I’m not sure how you’d do it for something like this
Thanks!
Hi Fred – great questions! With masa, there’s no gluten, so over-beating isn’t an issue, but mixing too much can affect the texture, making it too runny or airy. Just combine until smooth. Resting the batter helps, as it allows the masa to fully hydrate, which can improve texture and fluffiness. While not essential, it’s a good step. And we love your idea of adding vanilla extract and browning the butter! That’s such a simple way to elevate the flavor. Definitely giving it a try next time—sounds delicious!