The pancake conundrum has bested many a brunch chef—because seriously, how does one keep the first round of fluffy, perfectly cooked pancakes in good shape while waiting for the second batch to cook? Well, friends, if you’re wondering how to keep pancakes warm, you’ll be pleased to know that we have three solutions that will keep those flapjacks nice and toasty until it’s time to dig in.

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1. Keep Pancakes Warm in the Oven

One reliable and fool-proof method for keeping pancakes warm is simply to slide them in the oven. That said, a low temperature is key—and even still, it’s best not to let them stay there for too long, lest they overcook and become unappetizing. Here’s what to do.

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 200°F (or the ‘warm’ setting if your oven has one).

Step 2: Spread the flapjacks out on a flat baking sheet. Don’t stack ‘em—some will be warmer than others if you do.

Step 3: Place the tray of pancakes in the preheated oven and let them sit there until it’s time to chow down. Note: If you anticipate the pancakes needing to stay in the oven for a long time—say longer than 20 minutes—you should use your fingertips to sprinkle them ever-so lightly with water (too much and they’ll be soggy) before loosely covering the baking tray with aluminum foil to prevent them from drying out.

Step 4: Pull the pan out and dress those pancakes to your liking when you’re ready to dig in.

2. Cover Pancakes with Aluminum Foil

If you’re making a small batch and are mostly concerned with keeping things warm for a few minutes while the final flapjacks finish on the griddle, this is by far the best and easiest method. Check out this single-step process and you’ll see what we mean.

Step 1: Transfer cooked pancakes onto a plate and cover them with aluminum foil to lock in heat and moisture while you prepare the rest.

Step 2: Just kidding—there’s seriously only one step!

3. Use a Toaster Oven

Everyone knows and loves the toaster oven as a quick and easy alternative to the conventional oven that won’t raise the kitchen thermostat. When it comes to heating up pancakes this handy appliance also has you covered (provided that you’re working with small batches).

Step 1: Preheat the toaster oven to 150 to 200°F. As with the regular oven, lower temperatures are best for keeping pancakes warm without cooking them beyond recognition.

Step 2: Lay those fresh-off-the-griddle flapjacks on the baking tray of the toaster oven, such that no overlapping occurs.

Step 3: Pull your pancakes at the soonest possible moment. Not to sound like a broken record, but the toaster oven can definitely dry out your breakfast in the blink of an eye if you don’t take care.

What about using a pancake warmer?

If you are a proud owner of a pancake warmer, you may be wondering if it’s time to bust it out of the cupboard. As the name suggests, this nifty kitchen tool serves only one purpose, but don’t sweat it if your pancake warmer has been gathering dust ever since your bridal shower—namely because it doesn’t actually work that well. We’re sorry to say that this eye-catching, highly specialized piece of pottery will not preserve your pancakes for very long and is best used as an ordinary serving tray.

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