A Pancake Breakfast Is Made Quick And Easy Using Ice Cube Trays

If you think pancakes and ice cubes have no place in the kitchen next to each other, think again. Ice cube trays can help you put together tomorrow's fresh batch of pancakes with easy efficiency. We're blatant suckers for meal prep hacks, and mixing up pancake batter in advance and freezing it in cube form can help you get your morning started off on the right — and extremely convenient — note.

Though you may have used your ice cream trays to freeze oils, preserve fruits and herbs, and make flavored ice cubes for your drinks, it's time to enlist those ice-making trays into your breakfast-making arsenal. The best part? You can customize each cube compartment with different flavors to suit the breakfast eaters at your kitchen table. When you're ready for warm pancakes, simply toss frozen pancake cubes into your buttered hot skillet, and get ready to enjoy the efforts of your advanced planning efforts.

Once you have pancake batter poured into the compartments of your ice cube trays, feel free to get creative. Add sprinkles of cinnamon, push down pieces of candy or chocolate chips into the batter, or place a piece of fruit on the surface of the form. Once the batter freezes, you'll simply crack the tray as if you were breaking actual ice, and drop the pancake cube into your skillet. Similar to cooking pancake batter poured straight out of a bowl, watch for the surface of the ice-cubed pancakes to turn golden brown before flipping.

Depending on the size of your ice cube tray, your pancakes may not result in the uniform discs you're accustomed to serving. Embrace the deviation in favor of an expedited breakfast and serve the mismatched shapes with extra toppings like fruit, nuts, and drizzles of your favorite morning sweeteners. Pancake ice cubes can be kept in your freezer for up to two months, so you'll be well-equipped to make a decadent and convenient meal at a moment's notice any time of the day.