If you are looking for the best pancake recipe to make from scratch, you’ve found it! A simple combination of ingredients you likely have on hand (flour, milk, eggs, baking powder) makes these easy pancakes the perfect breakfast!
Fluffy, flavorful and delicious.
Tips for Perfection
- HEAT Cook over medium heat. It takes longer but the results are better (a non-stick skillet works best).
- OIL Oil the pan and allow it to heat up. Before making the frist batch, give it a gentle wipe with paper towels to remove any big blobs of oil. This will give you perfectly browned pancakes.
- BATTER The batter should be slightly lumpy (image below) and should pour easily but should not be runny.
- If it’s too thick add milk a tablespoon or two at a time.
- If it’s too runny or you’ve accidentally added too much liquid, you can add a bit of flour to get the right consistency.
- FLIP Flip the pancakes with a spatula once bubbles begin to form and the bubbles near the edges start to pop.
- MIX-INS Add your mix ins on top of the pancakes once you’ve poured the batter into the skillet instead of stirring them into the batter. This keeps mixins from burning onto the pan.
How to Make Pancakes (from scratch)
BATTER
You’ll love how simple it is to whip these up. It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3!
- Mix dry ingredients together with a whisk (this adds air to the flour, almost like sifting it).
- Whisk wet ingredients together thoroughly with the melted butter.
- Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and pour wet ingredient mixture in. Mix, but not too much, your batter should be a bit lumpy!
HOW TO COOK PANCAKES
Test an electric griddle or pan for temperature. Spill a droplet of water onto the surface and if it sizzles, it’s ready but don’t make it too hot or the pancakes will burn before they’re cooked in the middle!
- Pour 1/4 cup of batter into pan.
- Wait until bubbles form in the middle and they just begin to pop along the edges. The edges should be a little bit browned.
- Flip and cook the other side.
You can do a few at a time or more, depending on how big your cooking surface is. Transfer pancakes to a warm (200°F) oven. Just have an open casserole dish waiting in the oven to receive the freshly cooked flapjacks! That way they stay nice and hot, and you can serve them all at once at the table along with other fixings.
Make Ahead/How to Reheat Pancakes
I often keep a batch of homemade pancake mix in my cupboard to make pancakes easy but on weekdays we like to have them ready to go so all they need is warming.
Much like crepes, pancakes can be refrigerated for up to 5 days and kept in the freezer for 2 months. Just seal them in a freezer bag or an airtight container for storage (with a piece of parchment in between).
To Reheat Pancakes
Toaster: Pop homemade pancakes straight into the toaster. And it makes them a tiny bit crisp which is delicious.
Microwave: The microwave works too, just heat about 20-30 seconds for 1 serving.
Easy Breakfast Recipes
- Make Ahead Egg Muffins
- Overnight Oats
- Breakfast Burritos (Freezer Friendly)
- Blueberry Bran Muffins
- Quick and Easy French Toast
Perfectly Fluffy Pancakes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar or to taste
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¾ cups milk or as needed
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons melted butter or vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Whisk milk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla.
- Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk.
- Create a well in the middle and add wet ingredients. Stir just until combined, batter should look slightly lumpy. It should be slightly thick but should still be able to pour fairly smoothly. You may need to add a bit more milk.
- Preheat a griddle or frying pan over medium heat (or to 350°F). Lightly grease with butter or olive oil.
- Pour ¼ cup batter for each pancake and cook on one side until bubbles form and begin to pop, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side about 1-2 minutes.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
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Favorite Pancake Toppings
My kids’ absolute favorite thing to do to pancakes, is to spread them with seedless raspberry jam, then drizzle warmed up heavy cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon over them. Trust me when I say this is actually a delicious combination! Other favorite toppings include:
- Butter and real maple syrup, of course!
- Whipped cream and honey… delicious on crepes, too!
- Sliced strawberries… or blackberries, raspberries, blueberries…or all four!!
- Sprinkles, like these fun birthday cake pancakes!
- Various kinds of jam with clotted cream!
- Nutella… this is basically like having dessert for breakfast!
- Cinnamon with a homemade cream cheese topping.
I made these and they were more like crepes, They were not fluffy and tasted like donuts, If you are looking for donut pancakes these are for you, otherwise find a different recipe! Valentines day breakfast ruined!
Oh no! I am so sorry these didn’t turn out for you Olivia.
I think this was a case of user error. These are nothing like crepes. Definitely the fluffiest, most delicious pancakes I have ever made.
Agree. Like all the other comments these are amazing and fluffy!
This was my first time making homemade pancakes. They were great! My family loved them. They turned out so fluffy and delicious. I will definitely use this recipe for now on.
Just made this morning. Did add blueberries. So fluffy and delicious. Thanks for sharing recipe.
Question: on what serving size is your nutrition information based?
For diabetics counting carbs, it’s important to know if that info is two pancakes, four, other?
The nutrition information is an estimate per pancake.
This recipe is so easy and absolutely delicious. My family loved them and I will fix again
I had to add more milk and I added more vanilla the first one that came off the pan I thought lacked a little flavor. Overall very fluffy and easy to make.
I don’t measure vanilla, I just pour, lol I normally increase from a recipe. I also added a little more milk but I did use buttermilk so I wasn’t sure if it was due to that.
i made it and me and my sis love it
These pancakes were rubber. Felt like rubber, tasted like rubber. Didn’t have to try it to know that is was nasty. Saturday breakfast ruined. My therapist will be hearing about you.
Oh no, I’m surprised to hear that from this well loved pancake recipe Amelia! Did you measure your flour by fluffing it up an spooning into the measuring cup, or did you scoop it? Did you overmix it? You should mix until just combined. Those are two reasons you could end up with rubbery pancakes. Hopefully your therapist can help and we will see you back . Thank you for trying the recipe.
Followed the recipe exactly. Then adjusted the second batch with more milk. Still terrible. If you like cardboard you will love these pancakes. Even with blueberries I would rather have shredded an amazon box and eaten that.
This is the best pancake recipe that I ever made I added a little more milk (just a splash) and it was perfect. Hungry Jack was my go to box but not anymore!
I know some say the recipe didn’t work or tasted horrible but it’s honestly not the recipe. It’s the ingredients their using or how they are measuring. With dry ingredients some dip their m. cup and some spoon their ingredients into the m. cup. Spooning ingredients into a m. cup is the way to go but weighing is the best. Also if if ur wet ingredients are cold or room temp. I use room temp (or almost). And finally check ur dates on all ur ingredients. Sometimes things go bad early or different brands aren’t as good as others. These things can be disastrous to a recipe. Take a deep breath and try again bc we’ve all made these mistakes.
Thanks so much for your tips Tosha! Glad you loved this recipe.
Used the exact measurements for this recipe. Pancakes came out fluffy and light. I added a touch of vanilla essence and nutmeg to cut the egg smell. Delicious!!
This is the best pancake recipe I’ve come across, ever. I did, however, replace the 1 3/4 c of milk with 1 3/4 c water and they turned out even better than a box mix. My husband wouldn’t stop complimenting them. Definitely one for the recipe box!
Recipe calls for too much liquid, the batter is very thin and runny. Most pancake recipes only call for 1 cup of milk. I reduced the milk amount for thicker pancakes.
0 stars. 4 tsps of baking soda. Terrible idea. Sunday breakfast ruined.
This calls for 4 teaspoons of baking POWDER, not baking soda.
Great recipe! I used oil instead of butter and added a teaspoon of vanilla but it’s the 4 teaspoons of baking powder that made them tender and fluffy. ( and the blueberries helped too!)
I grab a new recipe every time I make pancakes. This is the first time I’ve saved a recipe-they are amazing.
I’m so glad you loved this one Wanda!
Rookie question here… is this all-purpose flour or self-rising?
I use all-purpose flour in this recipe.
Made these this morning. Excellant batter. Made enough fluffy pancakes for 4 adults. Best easy recipe found so far on the internet.
Would of gave a 5 star. But the banner for recipe kept popping up to write a review., a little annoying
Glad you enjoyed these pancakes, Karen!
Just made these and love the recipe. Quick, easy and delicious, and much better than packaged pancake mix. Will be using this recipe again.
Love this recipe! Best pancakes ever :) thank you.
Worst pancakes I have every made. Super dense and taste horrible. I even double checked the recipe . Boxes pancakes are better. But to each there own.
Sorry these pancakes didn’t work out for you, Brooks!
I just found these to be a teensy bit dry overall. They were quite bready. Cooked up nicely.
These pancakes were just shy of being inedible