Pancakes are a delicious breakfast that is simple and straightforward, but there are still some mistakes you can run into when making flapjacks. It's a classic choice to cook pancakes in butter, but if you're not careful, this choice can have a negative effect on your final product.

You should reconsider cooking pancakes in butter because butter has a low smoke point, so it burns quickly and can transfer a burnt flavor to your flapjacks. For anyone watching their diet, butter is also more fatty than oil, with 7 grams of saturated fat per tablespoon compared to canola oil’s 1 gram per tablespoon.

Oil has a lower smoke point and is much more difficult to burn, and in the case of oils canola or grapeseed, has a neutral flavor that allows the pancake to shine. Once you choose an oil, you should still use it sparingly, since an over-greased pan will cause your pancakes to be inconsistent in shape and size.