Do you ever notice that food allergy families are really big on pancakes? Myself included. It’s actually my number one quick meal to make at home, any time of day. But it’s something I’ve never once ordered in a restaurant. Allergy moms and dads often make big batches of pancakes and freeze them for easy meal prep when they need it. Allergy kids love their trusty pancakes. While non-allergy folk often order a single flapjack with their whole brunch ordeal, we are more likely to devour an entire plate of them from the comfort of our home.

Although I have put out several tasty pancake recipes over the years, in my own kitchen I often just whisk some things together with a fork, spoon into a hot pan, and hope for the best.

But why do we love them so much? I have theories.

1. Doughy satisfaction

   Who would ever turn down a hot, fluffy pancake? They’re an ultimate comfort food and require so much less prep work than cookies or actual cake. You don’t have to heat the oven up. There are no mixing bowls, electric mixers, or sheet pans to clean. Just an easy access highway to pan-fried batter.

2. CALORIES

   Often times we just need to consume calories, stat! We know we likely won’t be able to get food from restaurants once we leave the house, so we’ve gotta load up at home. I can’t even count how many times my mom has said “make sure you eat” before I left the house. Even going so far as to call me to ensure I had eaten something. Pancakes were an acceptable food. They provided enough calories for me to be satisfied for a long time so that I wouldn’t end up starving and alone, fainting into a ditch somewhere. I don’t even add sugar most of the time; honey, flour, applesauce or egg, blueberries or banana chunks, and baking soda + powder. Some combination of these ingredients, fried in a hot pan, is always delicious.

3. Excuse to eat both chocolate and cake

   This really explains itself. Who wouldn’t love to eat cake and chocolate chips for breakfast, or any meal of the day? No kid would ever turn that down, which means no empty plates, which means satisfied parents. Amiright?