Japanese Soufflé Pancakes

Nov 7, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Breakfast Pancakes waffles french toast Vanilla: Extract Medium

These are tall, wobbly pancakes made from a yolk batter folded into a glossy meringue, then cooked slowly under a lid so they steam as they brown. They taste like a cross between a pancake and a soufflé, with a golden outside and a light, custardy middle. Makes 6 pancakes in about 59 minutes.

Prep 20 min

Cook 26 min

Cooling 13 min

Total 59 min

Yield 6 pancakes

Ingredients

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pancakes

2 (36 g)egg yolks, room temperature
2 tbsp (30 ml)whole milk
½ tsp (3 ml)vanilla extract
⅓ cup (40 g)cake flour, sifted
¾ tsp (3 g)baking powder
3 (99 g)egg whites, cold
½ tsp (3 ml)lemon juice
3 tbsp (35 g)granulated sugar
1 tsp (5 ml)neutral oil
6 tbsp (90 ml)water
½ cup (120 ml)heavy cream, cold
2 tbsp (15 g)powdered sugar, divided
1 tbsp (15 g)unsalted butter, cut into 3 pats
¼ cup (60 ml)maple syrup

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Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks, whole milk and vanilla extract until smooth. Sift in the cake flour and baking powder and whisk just until no dry flour remains; the batter will be thick.
In a clean, grease-free bowl, beat the egg whites with the lemon juice on medium speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Add the granulated sugar a spoonful at a time, then beat on high until the meringue is glossy and holds stiff peaks that bend only slightly at the tip, 3 to 4 minutes.
Stir one third of the meringue into the yolk batter to loosen it. Fold in the rest in two additions with a spatula, cutting down through the middle and turning the bowl, until no white streaks remain. Do not stir, or the batter will deflate.
Heat a large nonstick skillet with a lid over the lowest heat for 2 minutes, then wipe it with a paper towel dipped in the neutral oil. The pan should be warm but not sizzling, about 300°F (150°C) on the surface.
Spoon three tall mounds of batter, about 3 heaping tablespoons each, into the pan, spaced well apart. Add 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of the water to the empty spaces in the pan, cover and cook 2 minutes. Uncover, add 2 more heaping tablespoons of batter on top of each mound to build height, add 1 more tablespoon of water, cover and cook 5 to 6 minutes more, until the bottoms are golden and the sides look set.
Wipe a spatula with oil and gently turn each pancake over in one smooth motion. Add the last 1 tablespoon of water for this batch to the pan, cover and cook 4 to 5 minutes, until both sides are golden, the pancakes spring back when touched and the center reaches 160°F (71°C) on an instant-read thermometer.
Keep the first batch warm on a plate loosely covered with foil and cook the remaining batter the same way with the rest of the water (about 13 minutes per batch).
While the second batch cooks, whip the heavy cream with 10 g of the powdered sugar to soft peaks, about 2 minutes.
Stack the pancakes two to a plate, top each stack with a pat of unsalted butter and a spoonful of the whipped cream, dust with the remaining powdered sugar and serve right away with the maple syrup.

Tips

Keep the heat truly low: if the pan is too hot the outsides brown before the centers set, and the pancakes collapse as they cool.
A meringue that is too stiff and dry is hard to fold and leaves lumps; stop beating when the peaks are glossy with a slight bend.
Serve within a few minutes of cooking; soufflé pancakes start to sink as soon as they leave the pan.
Because these are thick and soft, cook until the centers reach 160°F (71°C) so the eggs are fully cooked.

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Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make japanese soufflé pancakes?

Plan on 20 minutes of prep and 26 minutes of cooking, plus 13 minutes to rest. The recipe makes 6 pancakes.

How should I store japanese soufflé pancakes?

Best eaten immediately. Leftovers keep, covered, in the refrigerator up to 1 day; rewarm in a covered skillet over low heat 3 to 4 minutes (they will be less tall).

Can I make japanese soufflé pancakes ahead?

It is at its best the day it is made; prepare it a few hours before serving.

Can I use a different form of vanilla?

Yes. This recipe uses ½ tsp vanilla extract (3 ml). Each teaspoon of pure vanilla extract can be swapped for 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste, the seeds of half a vanilla bean, or 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla powder. Paste and seeds add the classic dark specks.

Thick, meringue-lifted pancakes became a signature of Tokyo cafés in the 2010s, cooked slowly under a lid so they rise tall and stay soft inside. Serve it with hot roasted green tea (hojicha) or a vanilla latte.

Variations

Kuromitsu and kinako: skip the maple syrup and whipped cream; serve with 60 ml (1/4 cup) kuromitsu (Japanese black sugar syrup) and a dusting of 10 g (1 1/2 tbsp) kinako (roasted soybean flour). Cooking time unchanged.
Ichigo (strawberry): stir 150 g (1 cup) finely chopped strawberries with 15 g (1 tbsp) sugar and let stand 15 minutes until jammy; spoon over the stacks in place of the maple syrup.
Matcha: replace 5 g (2 tsp) of the cake flour with 5 g (2 tsp) sifted matcha powder; cooking time unchanged.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 6 servings this recipe makes.

222 Calories / serving

12.7g Fat

23.7g Carbs

3.7g Protein

22.0g Sugar

Whole recipe (6 servings): ~1332 cal · 76g fat · 142g carbs · 22g protein · 132g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.