How The Pioneer Woman Gets Perfect Pancakes Every Time

Ever since the first pancake mix was developed back in 1890 (via Mental Floss), pancakes have been a staple on breakfast tables across the United States. According to one report from WMAR Baltimore, not only do 25 percent of Americans eat pancakes weekly, but only two percent hate them. In other words, they're a national favorite. Piled high and smothered in butter and sticky sweet syrup, a stack of thick flapjacks is all the motivation you need to pull yourself out of bed on a lazy Sunday morning.

While pancakes are certainly easy to eat (many of us have experienced a carb coma after indulging in one too many), they aren't always so easy to make. There's a lot that can go wrong — they can be too flat, too runny, too crispy, or too dry. Fortunately, The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond, has a few hacks for flipping up the perfectly fluffy pancakes. Here's what the Food Network star suggests adding to your pancake prep.

The Pioneer Woman's trick for perfect pancakes isn't so much how you make them but what you use to make them. For starters, it may sound bizarre, but she always recommends adding lemon juice or lemon zest to your batter (even if you aren't making lemon-flavored flapjacks). According to Drummond, the citrusy addition actually creates a buttermilk effect and adds an extra layer of flavor to your final dish. One tip, though: Drummond says to make sure you use enough sugar to offset the acidity of the lemon.

Another ingredient you shouldn't skimp on? Butter. Not just for blending into your batter but for cooking your pancakes in on the stove or griddle. Drummond uses a hearty 1/4 cup measure. Eat This, Not That!, however, warns that butter heats up much quicker than oil (and burns faster) so you'll want to pay careful attention to the heat of your pan.