Nothing says Sunday morning like a stack of fluffy American pancakes, and the recipe is easy to remember.

Most formulas call for a simple mix of eggs, flour and milk, but one chef suggests adding one extra ingredient to the mix.

Heather Thomas, author of The Mayo Lover’s Cookbook, makes her Sunday morning breakfast with a dollop of creamy mayonnaise.

It seems that incorporating mayonnaise into the batter results in fluffier breakfast pancakes that can still be enjoyed with a drizzle of maple syrup, fruit and yoghurt, or even crispy bacon.

The recipe caters for four people and is easy to whip up in a matter of minutes.

Fluffy American pancakes recipe

Ingredients

One medium free-range egg

150ml milk

Half a tsp vanilla extract

Two tbsp mayonnaise

One tsp baking powder

Two tbsp caster sugar

Vegetable oil

Maple syrup, for drizzling

Berries, bananas, Greek yoghurt or crispy bacon, to serve

Method

In a bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, and vanilla extract, then dollop in the mayonnaise straight from the fridge.

Into the bowl, sift the flour and add the baking powder followed by the sugar. Whisk again until everything is well combined and you have a smooth batter.

Pour the mixture into a measuring jug, then heat a small drizzle of oil in a non-stick frying pan set over medium heat.

Add a small ladleful of the batter and cook it for one to two minutes, or until the top of the pancake starts to bubble – it should be golden brown and set underneath.

Flip over to cook the other side then remove the pancake from the pan and drain it on kitchen paper and keep warm.

Cook the remaining ladles of batter in the same way then serve the pancakes in a neat stack drizzled with maple syrup, fresh fruit and yoghurt or crispy bacon.