This Clever Pancake Hack Is The Ultimate Breakfast Timesaver

If pancakes are part of your regular rotation, you might want to buy more ice cube trays. Thanks to Instagram user @kalejunkie, we now know that you can freeze pancake batter into ice cubes, and it's one of our favorite breakfast hacks to date.

Basically, all you need to do is prepare one cup of pancake batter, then mix in your favorite toppings. Tasty options include chocolate chips, fruits, and nuts, but the sky's the limit. Next, pour the batter into a clean ice cube tray, and add more toppings if you'd like.

Cover the ice cube tray and pop it into the freezer. Once frozen, remove the pancake batter ice cubes and store them in an air-tight container, like a freezer-safe resealable silicone bag.

kalejunkie/Instagram

When you're ready to eat breakfast — or when you have a late-night craving for pancakes — simply place a few pancake cubes in a greased skillet over medium heat, and put a lid on top. The cubes will melt and spread, and eventually, cook into golden pancakes. So smart.

"This is genius!" commented several Instagram users. "This is such an amazing idea! [It] makes breakfast so, so much easier," said another person.

It's important to note that you'll need an ice cube tray with a lid. This will protect the pancake cubes from freezer burn. Additionally, if your pancake batter contains egg, the lid will reduce the risk of cross-contamination. Personally, we're fans of silicone ice cube trays by W&P, which come with lids.

If you're not loving the idea of freezing raw pancake batter (which may contain eggs), there are other ways to prepare make-ahead pancakes.

Simply make a batch of pancakes as usual, let them cool, then freeze them on a baking sheet. Once frozen, store them in a freezer-safe container. When it's time to eat, heat them in the microwave or toaster.