Buttermilk Maple Sugar Pancakes

Fluffy buttermilk pancakes finished with granulated maple sugar instead of syrup, for a crisp, caramelized edge that regular syrup can't give you.

Most pancake recipes treat maple syrup as an afterthought — something poured on at the table. This one puts maple to work earlier, folding granulated maple sugar right into a hot, buttered skillet just before the pancakes come off. The sugar melts and caramelizes against the batter, giving you a lacy, crackling edge that regular syrup never produces. Buttermilk does the rest of the work, reacting with the baking soda to keep the crumb light even with a thicker batter. If you've never used maple sugar in baking, this is the easiest way to get to know it — it behaves almost like brown sugar, but with a cleaner, less molasses-forward flavor that pairs naturally with the buttermilk's tang.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons granulated maple sugar, plus more for the pan
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for cooking
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, maple sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla until smooth.
3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. A few lumps are fine — overmixing is the most common reason pancakes turn out tough.
4. Let the batter rest for 5 minutes while you heat a griddle or skillet over medium heat.
5. Melt a little butter on the hot surface, then ladle on the batter in rounds about 4 inches across.
6. Just before flipping, sprinkle a small pinch of maple sugar over each pancake's wet surface — it will caramelize as the second side cooks.
7. Cook until bubbles form and the edges look set, about 2 to 3 minutes, then flip and cook another 1 to 2 minutes until golden.
8. Serve immediately, stacked, with butter and a little extra maple syrup on the side.