This Surprising Ingredient Will Elevate Your Pancakes, According to Our Food Director

Pancakes are the ultimate weekend breakfast. There’s nothing better than flipping pancakes in your PJs, stacking them high, and smothering them in butter and maple syrup. But when you stop and think about it, regular pancakes can be a bit bland. There's not a whole lot of flavor going on.

That’s why when I came across a pancake recipe in Justine Doiron’s bestselling new cookbook Justine Cooks, I was instantly curious. The recipe included a few unexpected ingredients—more on that later—but one in particular caught my attention: white miso!

What?!? The idea of adding miso to pancakes never crossed my mind, but I trust Doiron, so I knew I had to try the recipe.

Miso Enhances Pancakes

In the recipe’s introduction, Doiron notes, “These rich, golden pancakes carry a hint of umami from the miso, giving them a perfect balance of salty and sweet.” 

That’s right—the traditional Japanese ingredient commonly used in soup, salad dressings, or marinades is what takes this Miso-Butter Pancakes recipe to the next level. Miso is a paste made from soybeans and other ingredients that imparts a bold umami flavor, a savory-sweet kick to any dish. In this recipe, just two tablespoons elevate the pancakes, making them richer, more complex, and irresistibly delicious.

Other Enhancements

But miso isn’t the only surprising ingredient in this recipe. First, Doiron uses salted butter, while most recipes opt for unsalted. And that butter is browned, adding a rich, toasty flavor to each bite. Note that despite using salted butter, you still need to add salt—a full teaspoon, in fact. So, for those keeping track, there are three salty elements here: the butter, the miso, and the salt. However, the pancakes don't taste overly salty; they just have a savory depth, balanced out by the sugar and the generous drizzle of maple syrup you’ll pour on top.

Speaking of sugar, instead of the usual granulated sugar, Doiron uses dark brown sugar to sweeten these breakfast delights. It adds even more flavor—caramel and molasses notes that make every bite more complex. Lastly, the recipe includes a couple of handfuls of rolled oats for added texture and chew.

All of these unexpected ingredients, starting with the miso, come together to create a standout pancake stack. These pancakes are on the thinner side and cook up beautifully, with crisp, lacy brown edges. They pack far more flavor than your typical flapjack: toasty and just slightly savory, with some substance from the oats. I loved them on their own, but pouring dark maple syrup over them took them to a whole new level.

The Miso-Butter Pancakes Recipe

Here’s a shortened version of Doiron’s Miso-Butter Pancakes recipe. For the full recipe, complete with her headnote and other helpful tips, grab a copy of Justine Cooks. 

1. In a saucepan, melt one stick of salted butter. Whisk in 2 tablespoons white miso and cook until the mixture turns a deep brown. Remove from heat.
2. In a large bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 2/3 cup rolled oats, 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar, 1 teaspoon kosher salt (preferably Diamond Crystal), and 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder. Whisk together.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 3/4 cups milk and the miso-butter mixture. Add 2 large eggs and whisk. Combine this with the dry ingredients. Cook the pancakes on a griddle or in a pan, and top with maple syrup.

While you may discover plenty of other uses for miso, this recipe alone makes it worthwhile to keep a container in your fridge for those weekend pancakes.

Recipe reprinted with permission from Justine Cooks: A Cookbook Recipes (Mostly Plants) for Finding Your Way in the Kitchen by Justine Doiron. Copyright © 2024 by Justine Doiron. Photographs copyright © 2024 by Jim Henkens. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.