A step by step guide on how to freeze and reheat pancakes in 5 steps! This time and money-saving hack is easy to prepare and reheat!
Pancakes and the weekend are synonymous. Warm, sweet, comforting, and satisfying – nothing quite says “Happy Sunday!” like a giant stack of fluffy pancakes. Why not spread the love and make Monday or Wednesday morning just as special? Once you see how easy it is to make homemade frozen pancakes, you’ll want to make a double batch every weekend!
In fact, that’s exactly what I do about once a month on a lazy Sunday morning. Instead of making just enough pancakes for the three of us, I make a double batch and freeze extras to quickly microwave throughout the week. Not only is it a huge cost saving from purchasing frozen pancakes or waffles but you can control the quality of ingredients. Buckwheat, ground flax seeds, chia seeds, cinnamon, grated apples, oats…the options are literally endless.
Ready to get started? It’s as easy as pie….er….pancakes.5
Pick a pancake recipe:
Apple Cinnamon Protein Pancakes – The Lemon Bowl®
Fluffy Pumpkin Pancakes – The Lemon Bowl®
Banana Whey Protein Pancakes – The Lemon Bowl®
Gingerbread Buckwheat Pancakes – The Lemon Bowl®
Maple Bacon Pancakes – The Lemon Bowl®
How to freeze reheat pancakes:
How to freeze and reheat pancakes
30 Minutes
1. Make a double batch of your favorite pancake recipe.
We typically make them on a Sunday morning so that we can eat one batch for breakfast then freeze the second batch. Of course, you can always just make them to freeze in the middle of the afternoon or whenever you have the time.
2. Cool the second batch
While you’re enjoying the delicious pancakes, cool the second batch on several cooling racks and bring to room temperature. This should only take 10 minutes or so.
3. Freeze the pancakes individually.
To prevent the pancakes from sticking together, it is important to briefly freeze them individually for 30 minutes. You can do this by placing the pancakes on a baking sheet in a single layer and popping it in the freezer for 30 minutes. Or, if you’re lucky enough to have a walk-in freezer on your back deck like we do here in Michigan, simply set outside for 30 minutes! :)
4. Store pancakes in a resealable plastic bag.
Before freezing, label a resealable plastic bag with the name/type of pancakes and date that they were made. Once the pancakes have become slightly frozen, it is safe to place them together in a large resealable plastic bag. Pancakes will keep in a freezer for up to 3 months – if you don’t eat them first!
5. Reheat the pancakes.
When you’re rushed for time on a busy weekday morning, simply microwave the pancake for 60 seconds then finish in the toaster for another minute to crisp up the edges.
Estimated Cost: 5 USD
Tools:
- Baking Sheet
- Cooling Rack
- Ziploc Gallon Bags
Frequently Asked Questions:
Can you freeze waffles the same way as pancakes?
Yes. Waffles will freeze the same way as pancakes. Many times my husband will make a big batch of Kodiak Cakes and freeze them in ziplock bags.
How long can pancakes and waffles stay in the freezer?
Up to 3 months
Can I make and reheat waffles instead and store them the same way?
Yes. My husband will typically purchase Kodiak Cakes from Costco and make one package as a single batch. He will normally add milk and eggs to them to give them additional protein.
Your fork is waiting.
Can you reheat in the oven?
Hmmm… I worry the oven would dry them out but please try and report back?
Can I just defrost and eat? Thinking about kids lunchboxes
I typically like to heat in microwave or toaster so they’re warm but to be honest they taste great room temp too. ;)
Rather than microwaving, does it work to put frozen pancakes into a toaster?
YES! Totally! Great idea!
I think people forget about what foods they can freeze–and pancakes are a great one to freeze!
So true!! Myself included!!
This is terrific, Liz! It’s so true, doubling and tripling is really not much more work, and it’s so helpful later to easily pull something out of the freezer. Love this kind of convenience food! And now I’m craving pancakes. :)
It’s funny – I’m craving them now too!
Had no idea you could freeze pancakes, that’s fantastic! Can’t wait to try this out! Thanks for sharing.
YES!! Waffles too!
I love this idea! I got around to making the frozen egg patties for mcmuffins, but I never thought of making pancakes!! Must.Try.
I have never frozen those egg patties before – did it turn out well???
Love this…great idea, friend! I think I’ll make some pancakes today :-)
Let me know if Paul likes them!!
Awesome post Liz! As soon as I became a mom, I started thinking about doubling, tripling and freezing everything ;)
It really is necessary for moms!!
Great idea, Liz. I love to freeze things for later use, too :) Economies of scale at work!
So true!! It’s like money in the bank. :-)
I used to freeze pancakes and waffles on the weekend too. They made a quick breakfast for the kids when they were in school. These look great. I’m off to go check out your Avocado Blueberry Smoothie. It looks fantastic too!
That’s such a great smoothie – the avocados make it super creamy and rich!!
Love this idea, I have done this with waffles!
I do this about once a month and it makes breakfast time with the toddler so much easier! Great post!
So true!! I just started doing it and now I almost always make extra pancakes on the weekends to freeze! Such a time saver!
I freeze pancakes, too!! Freezing food is the only way that I can keep up with the kids, the hubs, the blog… :)
I only recently started doing this but it was totally out of necessity with my little man!! It really is the best short cut!
I love this idea, especially because I’m the only one in my house that loves pancakes (I know, I know).
It’s PERFECT for that!!! (And really?? They don’t like pancakes??)
I love this idea, thanks for sharing!
My pleasure!!!