12 Creative Ways To Use Up Leftover Pancakes

Pancakes are easy to make, highly customizable, and utterly delicious, so it's easy to see why they have remained such a popular breakfast staple over the years. Whether they're topped with maple syrup and served with bacon or accompanied by whipped cream and berries, pancakes can be enjoyed in multiple ways and stacked up in numbers to create a hearty morning meal. However, because pancakes are so easy to make, and because many folks cook them in large batches, ending up with far too many is an all too common occurrence. There are plenty of tips out there for what to do with leftover batter, but far fewer for what do with the cooked pancakes that you now have less of an appetite for. Sure, you can pop them in the fridge and continue to eat them with syrup for the rest of the week, but after a day or two, this starts to feel a little mundane — and your pancakes will reach their prime relatively quickly.

Fortunately, there are plenty of creative ways to use up your leftover pancakes that extend beyond a second breakfast. From tasty snacks to upgrades for your savory dishes, leftover pancakes can be transformed into something entirely new in multiple ways, oftentimes with very little prep or additional ingredients required. So if you have a stack at home you've been meaning to use up, you're sure to find a way to give them a new lease of life with one or more of these suggestions.

One of the simplest way to put your leftover pancakes to good use is to use them in place of normal bread for your sandwiches. Thanks to their fluffy texture and delicate sweetness, pancakes add a touch of indulgence to your everyday sandwiches and will work with both sweet and savory fillings.

A classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich, for example, can be elevated by using pancakes instead of standard sandwich bread; the slight sweetness is the perfect complement for rich and nutty peanut butter and vibrant, fruity jelly. The texture of the pancakes here is also especially beneficial. They have a soft and spongy mouthfeel that, combined with the two indulgent spreads, makes you feel like you're eating a cake. It's ideal if you're looking to add a touch of luxury to your usual breakfast. 

If you tend to opt for a savory breakfast, know that pancakes also make the perfect base for breakfast sandwiches. Though breakfast sandwiches are a truly tasty and satisfying breakfast, there are many ways to give them a subtle upgrade. Swapping out conventional English muffins or standard white rolls for pillowy soft and chewy pancakes is one of the best ways to go about this. The pancake's consistency provides a satisfying contrast against crispy bacon and creamy eggs, while their delicate taste pairs beautifully with bolder flavors, like sharp cheese and peppery sausage, for a perfectly harmonious sweet and savory breakfast.

If you have leftover pancakes that are starting to dry out a little, or are simply past their prime, transforming them into a variation of French toast is a sure-fire way to offer them with a new lease of life. Thanks to their characteristic porous texture, pancakes soak up the deliciously sweet and eggy custard mixture used to make French toast with ease. The custard also offers a super rich flavor for the otherwise plain pancakes.

As you fry your battered pancakes, you'll find that the exterior will caramelize slightly, in turn offering with that sought-after crunch and delectable golden brown color. Meanwhile, the extra moisture in the egg custard will ensure that the inside stays soft and chewy. It's the ideal method if you're working with pancakes that are on the staler side.

You may find that pancakes need less time soaking in the mixture of egg, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon than thicker and denser types of bread. So, you'll want to keep your eye on them and ensure that they don't get too soggy. After you're done cooking them, you can serve your French toast pancakes with whatever you like, including any original pancake toppings you may have on hand. Maple syrup, bacon, fresh berries, and whipped cream lend themselves especially well to the melded flavors of French toast and pancakes.

There's no reason why you have to reserve pancakes soley for breakfast; they can also be used to make a delicious and impressive dessert. Trifle, which was, in fact, initially created as a means of using up leftover cake, is an especially good choice if you're looking to turn your pancakes into a sweet dish. The pancake's fluffy and sponge-like consistency soaks up custard and cream remarkably well, resulting in a dessert with both a satisfying taste and texture.

It's also incredibly easy to make a trifle with leftover pancakes, thanks to the dessert's customizability. Our traditional British trifle recipe, which features fresh raspberries and almonds, is a fail-safe option; simply swap out the vanilla sponge cake for your leftover pancakes. Depending on the size of your pancakes, you may wish to cut them into smaller squares first so that you can form better layers, but full-sized pancakes will also work fine, so long as they form a sturdy enough base to support layers of cream, jelly, and custard. You can, of course, switch up the main flavors and mix-ins of your trifle too. Try swapping raspberries for other fruit, such as blueberries and lemon or stone fruits like peaches or plums.

Strata, a type of breakfast casserole made with bread, eggs, and various other customizable mix-ins, is the ultimate brunch dish that boasts an array of flavors and textures. It's also an incredibly useful dish to make if you're looking to use up leftovers — including leftover pancakes. Though strata is typically made by layering chunks or slices of bread with other ingredients, pancakes can be used in place of bread to give the dish a touch more indulgence and grant it a softer, fluffier texture.

Simply tear them up the pancakes into chunks (or slice them into cubes for a more uniform approach), layer them in a baking dish, and add in your fillings. You can use whatever you like here, including various meats, cheeses, and vegetables. Top them with fresh herbs or crispy fried onions to add the perfect finishing touch. Crumbled sausage, cheddar cheese, and fresh parsley, for example, make for a winning combination in our brunch-perfect sausage strata. Once you've added all of your ingredients to your baking dish, pour a mixture of eggs, milk, and seasonings of your choice over everything and allow the pancake pieces to soak up all the savory, eggy goodness. Bake the strata in the oven until it has puffed up and the edges are starting to crisp, then finish things off with an extra sprinkle of grated cheese or chopped herbs.

S'mores are an indulgent, gooey, and nostalgic treat for many of us. This timeless classic has maintained its status as the go-to campfire treat throughout generations. However, despite this status, there's no doubt that s'mores can benefit from some upgrades now and then. One of the simplest ways to switch up your s'mores is to swap out the conventional graham crackers. Chocolate chip cookies, Oreos, and even pastries like croissants can put a unique spin on s'mores, but your leftover pancakes, in fact, may be the best way to give this campfire classic new life. 

The pancakes' soft and pillowy texture adds a decadent melt-in-your-mouth quality to the s'more that arguably trumps the crunch of a graham cracker. It melds beautifully with chewy melted marshmallow and silky chocolate. If you want to take the upgrade one step further, consider adding ingredients like banana slices or a sprinkle of cinnamon for a nuanced sweetness, or pop a slice of crispy bacon between your pancake exterior and marshmallow layer for a delightful sweet and salty breakfast-inspired s'more.

Two of the most popular breakfast items — pancakes and waffles — are fairly similar in terms of composition, but nonetheless offer distinctly different eating experiences on account of their shape and texture. If you're getting a little bored of eating leftover pancakes and want something a little different, try turning them into waffles.

To give your pancakes the switch up they need, simply pop them in a waffle iron for a couple of minutes until the outside become crispy and golden. You can then enjoy your "waffles" with whatever toppings you like. Even simple additions, such as maple syrup and butter, can upgrade your warm and crispy cakes. Eating your pancakes in this way also gives you an opportunity to use up any toppings you may have specifically bought for your pancakes, such as fresh berries and whipped cream. 

Leftover pancakes can be transformed into sweet and crispy croutons — perfect for adding a satisfying crunch to everything from savory salads to decadent desserts — with just a few simple steps. Much like making croutons from bread at home, all you need to do to turn your leftover pancakes into bite-sized golden morsels of crispy goodness is slice them into small cubes, toss them in butter and seasonings of your choice, and either fry them in a skillet or bake them in the oven. 

Given the subtle sweetness of pancakes, spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, alongside a little vanilla, will work well as coatings. This combination will produce sweet and lightly-spiced croutons that can be used to add texture to crumbles, sundaes, or fruit salads. However, savory coatings, such as garlic and mixed herbs, will also work well. You'll end up with a nuanced crouton perfect for adding complexity and a delicate sweetness to salads, soups, and casseroles. 

Once you've made your croutons, you'll want to store them properly to extend their longevity as much as possible. Keep them stored in an airtight container, away from sources of moisture, and they should last for up to a week. If they are in need of a little revitalizing, you can also pop them back in the oven briefly to crisp them up again.

When most of us picture an ice cream sandwich, the thought of two rectangular chocolate wafer cookies or two chocolate chip cookies may come to mind. However, despite these cookies being among the most common choices for sealing an ice cream sandwich, there are plenty of other delicious alternatives for ice cream sandwich bases. Pancakes are one of the most underrated options. Their pillowy soft texture works beautifully with silky smooth and decadent ice cream, as they can absorb some of the creaminess and flavor while still providing a sturdiness to support the rest of your sandwich.

If you're using leftover pancakes that have specific mix-ins or flavors, you can match your ice cream filling to them for a truly coherent dessert. Chocolate chip pancakes, for example, make the perfect accompaniment for rich chocolate ice cream, while blueberry pancakes will work well with both a rich blueberry ice cream or, for something a little different, a sharp and fresh lemon sorbet.

Pancakes make the ideal base for hand-held pizzas thanks to their size and shape. Plus, they have a tempting, fluffy consistency and fairly neutral taste that makes them suitable for piling up with virtually any toppings. Leftover pancakes, especially those that have been prepared without a significant amount of sugar, offer themselves up as the perfect foundation for a speedy mid-week meal. Simply top them with rich tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, and any additional toppings that you may have on hand. You can use just a few pancakes for a swift and tasty lunch, while a larger batch of pancakes can yield a family-sized meal. Everyone at your table can customize and enjoy a few of their own mini pizzas.

If you have leftover pancakes that are notably sweet, or contain flavorings like cinnamon, vanilla, or chocolate, you may, understandably, not want to top them with cheese and pepperoni. However, there's no reason why you still can't make a personal "pizza" out of them; you'll just need to switch up your toppings. Chocolate pizza, which swaps chocolate spread for tomato sauce and utilizes toppings like fresh fruit and marshmallows in place of cheese and meat, is a fun and impressive dessert that can be made even easier with pancakes. Just spoon a little chocolate spread, or another sweet alternative like peanut butter or marshmallow cream, on top of your pancakes and pile your toppings on.

If you want turn your pancakes into a more grazeable form, consider chopping them into bite-sized chips and toasting them for a moreish snack. Pancake chips are a sweeter alternative to bagel chips; they're the perfect solution for when you want a sweet treat but not the groggy feeling or stomachache that can sometimes accompany overly sugary snacks and desserts. This format, comprising of little more than pre-made pancakes and some extra seasoning, is a more palatable way to enjoy an indulgent snack.

To make pancake chips, simply chop them into small chunks, toss them in a coating of your choice (cinnamon sugar will work particularly well) and toast them in the oven until they're crisp. For a more authentic "chip" shape, you can also use a panini press — though this will create a dense chip. You could also pop then into a deep fryer, which will give you a glorious golden outside and beautifully crisp, sugary exterior. Your finished chips will be tasty enough to enjoy on their own, but they are also perfectly suited to dunking in a sweet and creamy cinnamon dip or warm chocolate sauce.

Bread pudding is yet another dessert that was developed as a means of using up leftover bread. It also makes a great option for repurposing your pancakes. Just like bread, the chunks of pancakes will soak up sweet and lightly-spiced custard beautifully. After a quick trip in the oven, it will be transformed into a moist, flavorful, and comforting traybake.

Much like with strata or a breakfast casserole, when making bread pudding with pancakes, you'll want to layer the chunks in a baking tray before pouring in a custard mix made with eggs, milk, and sugar. Then, leave the pancakes so that they can absorb all this liquid. You can add spices like cinnamon and nutmeg to the egg mixture, or opt for heavy cream for added richness. Mix-ins such as chocolate chips, dried fruit, and chopped nuts can also add interesting texture and more depth of flavor, but there's no doubt that fluffy, moist, and sweet pancakes are at the heart of this upgraded dish. 

Leftover pancakes can do more than just satisfy a sweet tooth; they also bring depth and nuance to a multitude of savory dishes. Besides just being an interesting swap for bread in your sandwiches, leftover pancakes can also be substituted for tortillas, wraps, and even pasta. 

You can use pancakes in place of tortillas in dishes like tortillas, fajitas, and quesadillas. Their subtle sweetness works well alongside spice, and their texture allows them to be stuffed and rolled up in the same way, while also offering a moreish mouthfeel for a truly indulgent dinner. Pancake tacos, whether filled with grilled vegetables, seafood, or rich and saucy beef, can be an exciting twist on a classic dish. And if you're feeling really adventurous, you could consider swapping lasagna sheets for layers of pancakes. Their fluffy interior will absorb and meld with the sauce and cheese, creating a comforting, soft bite that's no doubt very different from the traditional version, but nonetheless tasty. Of course, some dishes will work better with pancakes than others, so swap them in when you think their fluffy texture and delicate taste will work well in a dish. But don't be afraid to experiment, too.