Trail Chef: Make Pancakes ... With Beer!

Learn how to make ultrafluffy, brewski flapjacks the easy way, plus two more camp pancake recipes.

If you're anything like the BACKPACKER staff, you appreciate a good brew. A lot. So much, in fact, that the idea of incorporating a cold one into your breakfast makes you start salivating a little. You could always crack open a Natty Light with your oatmeal, sure—but there's a better, classier way. Beer pancakes. That's right. Pancakes with beer.

It's not as crazy as it sounds. The carbonation in that Bud lightens up the batter, making for extra-airy pancakes (and you an always sub in root beer for a nonalcoholic version). Try some this weekend—here's how to do it the mess-free way. For the complete recipe, check out page 50 in our September issue.

Still hungry? Here are two more camp pancake recipes from JoAnn Winberg.

Vanilla-Walnut Crepes
Serves 3.

1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup instant French vanilla cappuccino or hot chocolate mix (such as Wild Harvest)
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups water
¾ cup chopped walnuts
2 cups dried cranberries and/or cherries
¼ cup powdered sugar
Cooking oil

At home
Combine first four ingredients in a zip-top bag.

In camp
In a medium-sized bowl, mix dry ingredients with water until smooth. Heat and lightly grease a skillet with cooking oil. Spoon 3 tablespoons of batter onto skillet; swirl skillet until the batter spreads out thin. Cook one to two minutes per side until browned. Fill with walnuts and sliced fruit; roll up and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Peanut-Butter-and-Jelly Pancakes
Serves 3.

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup peanut butter
1 ¼ cups water
½ cup jelly, jam or preserves, any flavor
Cooking oil

At home
Combine first four ingredients in a zip-top bag.

In camp
In a medium-size bowl, combine dry ingredients with peanut butter and water. Heat and lightly grease a skillet with cooking oil. Pour 3 tablespoons of batter onto skillet for each pancake. Cook on both sides until browned, 2 to 3 minutes each.

Tip: Pack a supply of single-serving jelly packets to avoid carrying a container of jelly. Allow for 3 to 4 packets per serving.

—Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan

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READERS COMMENTS

@aaron: Redundancy is ugly! however...
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2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
12-ounce can of beer (mild lagers are best)
1/4 cup canola oil

At Home
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a zip-top bag.
In Camp
Place dry ingredients in a medium-size bowl; mix in beer and oil. Heat a lightly greased skillet over medium flame. To make one pancake, spoon three tablespoons of batter onto skillet; cook two to three minutes per side until browned. Note: Don't substitute root beer for a non-alcoholic breakfast.
Prep time 5 min
Cook time 6 min
Price $.53 per serving
Weight 8 ounces per serving

Serves 3

Calories 547
Fat 19 g
Carbs 74 g
Protein 9 g
Posted: Aug 09, 2011 Elisabeth's future husband

I understan you need it urgently!
hint: check out http://www.backpacker.com/september-09-recipe-beer-pancakes/skills/13274
Posted: Aug 09, 2011 Elisabeth's future husband

i AM a subscriber but i don't have that September issue. And i really want to make these!! what am i supposed to do now?!
Posted: Jun 05, 2011 aaron

post the damn recipe!!

Posted: Jun 05, 2011 aaron

Some people are just a bit too self-righteous for me... Fun fact; Beer is thought to be humankind's first documented and duplicated recipe.
Posted: Nov 20, 2009 Justin

"Why would I want to encourage such an evil business?"

I guess everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but geez... evil business? Really?? So people who enjoy beer (or any alcoholic beverage) are evil? That's a very narrow minded and fanatical view.

I tried this recipe and substituted a lager for an oatmeal stout. It came out very good! The oatmeal stout worked well with the maple syrup I put on them.
Posted: Nov 19, 2009 Justin

Beer evil?? I enjoy the recipes...if you dont like it...dont read it! Just stop trying to ruin it for the mature people.
Posted: Oct 19, 2009 lisa

I boycott buying alcohol because the liquor industry produces chocolate flavoured milky forms targeted at 11 year olds so they can develop a taste for it. Why would I want to encourage such an evil business? I'd rather make a stand and use substitutes e.g. flavouring essences.
Posted: Oct 02, 2009 Honora

We tried the root beer version this week, and it worked out well. I would have tried the beer, but we didn't happen to have any that wasn't chilled. I figured the cold woud impact the leavening effect somewhat, so we used the alternate. I was glad they included the note. It seems to me that some are wee bit too touchy on both sides. I think they were offering a simple option. Good recipe, and I'll try the high octane version next week. Thanks for the options, and they were a big hit with the wife and kids...
Posted: Aug 07, 2009 Brent

stop the PC; whats wrong w/ beer other than it will be warm...btw, I agree w/ Chuck about the hard sell and backpacking is for everyone. The mag
has gotten too "green" for me
Posted: Jul 30, 2009 rik

Please post the recipe.
Thanks
Posted: Jul 30, 2009 Outdoor Enthusiast.

Randy, plenty of people (not me) avoid alcohol for a variety of reasons, and it's a myth that ALL the alcohol cooks out... see: http://www.ochef.com/165.htm

I'm no fan of excessive political correctness, but sometimes offering a substitution is simply a useful tip. I've made baked goods with beer, 7UP, and plain soda water... root beer seems like an odd flavor option here, but I might try it next time no beer is handy.
Posted: Jul 30, 2009 John

Our Boy Scouts have been using Sprite in their pancakes for many years.
Posted: Jul 30, 2009 Frank

www.7BarGrille.com
Posted: Jul 30, 2009 Anonymous

This has been a Sunday morning staple for years and easy to remember: 3 cups of Bisquick, 3 eggs, 1 can of beer (4 oz. per cup/egg)
Posted: Jul 30, 2009 Mike

And it's very annoying when you already have a subscription!
Posted: Jul 30, 2009 Greg

Why do people always have to include the "non-alcoholic" option when describing recipes using beer/wine/liquor? If you've got a problem with alcohol because of the effect; the alcohol cooks out! In the case that you just don't like the flavor or wouldn't keep it around, then you probably wouldn't keep reading about the recipe that uses it.

Using a carbonated liquid in making a batter has been a trick for many years - any carbonated liquid will provide the extra lightness. The maltiness of the beer would add to the flavor in a different way than the spices of Root Beer. Stop trying to be politically correct, and don't make excuses for liking beer pancakes!
Posted: Jul 30, 2009 Randy

So I click the "video" above (really just a link to the video on another page with more ads), and watch the video, where it promises recipe details at backpacker.com/pancakes, which only leads back to this page where it's stated "For the complete recipe, check out page 50 in our September issue." Somewhere in there, I closed a pop-up offer to subscribe. Nice recipe idea, but the "hard-sell"/increased page view tactics are alienating this potential subscriber, FYI.

Posted: Jul 29, 2009 Clark