These Japanese Soufflé Pancakes are super light, airy and fluffy. Whipped egg white meringue give these pancakes their sky-high lift and soft, airy texture.

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What are Japanese soufflé pancakes?

Japanese soufflé pancakes are based on the method of making French soufflés.

What are soufflés?

Soufflés are a light and puffy baked egg dish, originating from France.

Egg whites are whipped to stiff peaks and are folded in to the base consisting of egg yolks and various flavours.

Why this recipe works

Soufflés can be tricky to make, but with my tips, you can make these Japanese Soufflé Pancakes at home.

Similar to making my Perfect Swiss Roll Cake, the egg whites are whipped separately from the egg yolks and are folded in to create a pancake batter.

An additional egg white provides extra lightness in these soufflé pancakes.

There's no need for a ring mold in these pancakes.

These soufflé pancakes are made with simple ingredients.

Equipment you'll need

flat top griddle: if you don't have one, you can certainly use a large frying pan
tall lid: to cover, you'll need one that is tall enough to clear the soufflé pancakes
spatula: preferably one that has a thin edge to really get under the pancakes with ease; I like using a silicone spatula for this
ice cream scoop with trigger: for easily scooping the batter and dropping it onto the griddle pan
water spray bottle: for spraying the pancakes to create steam; I also use this in making my Banh Mi Baguettes

Ingredients you'll need

egg yolks: 2 egg yolks
whole milk: you can use any milk or non-dairy alternative
vegetable oil: or melted butter
vanilla extract: use a pure vanilla extract for the best flavour
all-purpose flour: regular flour works here; since this batter yields a soft light pancake, there's no need for cake flour
baking powder: is a leavening agent, ensures that the pancakes are light

egg whites: 3 egg whites at room temperature; having the egg whites at room temperature helps with the meringue whipping up to full volume; make sure the egg whites are not contaminated with any grease or egg yolk
cream of tartar: stabilizes the whipped egg whites; you can use ¼ teaspoon lemon juice in its place
granulated sugar: also stabilizes the meringue, and adds a little sweetness

How to make them

Make the pancake batter

In a medium bowl, whisk together the 2 egg yolks, sugar, milk, oil and vanilla extract.

Add in the flour, baking powder and mix with a spatula until just combined. (Don't overmix). Set aside. (Step 1 below)

Add the 3 room temperature egg whites into a clean stand mixer bowl fitted with a whisk attachment.

Whip the egg whites, first starting on low speed and gradually increasing.

When until bubbles appear, add in cream of tartar (or lemon juice) and gradually add in the granulated sugar.

Continue whipping the egg whites until it reaches stiff peaks. (When the whisk is pulled out, the meringue sticks straight up, or you can turn the bowl upside down and nothing will drip). (Step 2 below)

Working in 3rds, with a spatula, fold in ⅓rd of the egg white mixture into the egg yolk mixture to lighten. (Step 3 below)

Continue folding in the remaining egg white mixture into the egg yolk mixture until homogenous, but be careful not to overmix. (Step 4 below)

Cook the soufflé pancakes

Heat a flat griddle pan over medium-low heat.

Lightly grease with vegetable oil and use a paper towel to dab off any excess.

Using a large ice cream scoop with trigger, place 1 scoop of the pancake batter onto the griddle, leaving 2-3" of space in between pancakes. (Step 1 below)

Spray the pancakes with water (using a spray water bottle) and cover with a lid. Cook for 4 minutes. (Step 2 below)

Remove the lid and add a second scoop of pancake batter ON TOP of the pancakes. (Step 3 below)

Again, spray the pancakes with water and cover with the lid. Cook for another 4 minutes.

Remove the lid and carefully flip the pancakes with a spatula.

Give the pancakes another few spritzes of water and cover with the lid. Cook for 5 more minutes.

Remove the lid and carefully transfer the pancakes to a plate. (Step 4 below)

Repeat with the remaining batter.

Enjoy the soufflé pancakes immediately.

Expert tips & troubleshooting

Make sure your egg whites don't come into contact with any grease or egg yolk. Grease or oil can deter the egg whites from whipping up to its full volume.

Tip: Before starting, give the egg white mixing bowl a quick wipe with white vinegar or lemon juice to remove any grease residue.

Depending on how large your griddle or pan is, you may need to make these pancakes in batches. Personally, I do 2 pancakes at a time as my lid is not wide enough to cover more than 2 pancakes.

As with making regular pancakes, you may want to test with one pancake first to gauge the heat and colouring. Each stove is different and you will need to play around with your heat setting.

Take your time. These pancakes do require a little more attention than your regular pancakes.

If you don't have a lid that is tall enough, you can use an inverted roasting pan to cover, or another stainless steel pot.

These pancakes will deflate the second they are removed from heat. It's the very nature of soufflés.

When flipping the pancakes, use a determined, quick flick of the wrist and keep the spatula close to the griddle.

If you don't have an ice cream scoop with a trigger, you can use a ¼ C measuring cup to portion the batter.

Other recipes you may like

Be sure to check out these recipes:

Fluffy Earl Grey Pancakes

Durian Cream Pancakes

Japanese Matcha Cotton Cheesecake

Perfect Swiss Roll Cake

Hong Kong-Style French Toast

Matcha Strawberry Fruit Sando

Let me know if you try out this recipe -- tag me on Instagram @siftandsimmer or leave me a comment/rating below!

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5 from 7 votes