This easy Pancake Recipe is our go-to for fluffy, golden pancakes you can make anytime with simple pantry ingredients. They cook up soft and tender, with lightly crisp edges, and are perfect for busy mornings, weekend breakfasts, or breakfast-for-dinner nights.
This is the recipe we reach for when we want a classic stack that is lightly sweet, tender in the middle, and golden on the outside. Not only is it no-fail, but it mixes up fast, cooks up beautifully, and it is perfect with fruit or any mix-ins. .
If you have ever ended up with flat, gummy, or dry pancakes, do not worry. We are sharing the exact cues for batter texture, pan temperature, and flipping so this one is truly perfect every time.
If you love pancakes, you’ll also love our Buttermilk Pancakes and Fluffy Pancakes… made better when topped with Whipped Cream and Buttermilk Syrup!
Why you’ll love it + Why it works:
- Easy! Simple ingredients and quick prep make it perfect for any morning.
- Perfect base. Great base for toppings, fruit, whipped cream, or syrup.
- Leavening does the heavy lifting. Baking powder creates the rise for fluffy pancakes.
- Hot griddle = even browning. Cooking around 375°F helps pancakes cook through while turning golden.
Easy Homemade Pancakes Ingredients
- All-purpose flour (1½ cups): The base that gives the pancakes structure and that classic fluffy bite.
- Baking powder (3½ teaspoons): This is the key to lift, it helps the pancakes rise and stay light and tender.
- Sugar (1 tablespoon): Adds a touch of sweetness and helps the pancakes brown nicely.
- Salt (½ teaspoon): Balances the sweetness and makes the vanilla and butter flavors pop.
- Milk (1¼ cups): Adds moisture and makes the batter smooth and pourable for evenly cooked pancakes. We always use 2% or higher for this recipe.
- Egg (1): Binds the batter and helps the pancakes hold together while staying soft.
- Unsalted butter, melted (3 tablespoons): Adds rich flavor and keeps the pancakes tender, plus it helps them cook up beautifully.
- Vanilla extract (1 teaspoon): Adds that warm, classic pancake flavor that makes them taste homemade.
- Toppings, fresh fruit, whipped cream, buttermilk syrup: Toppings add sweetness, freshness, and fun, and they make the pancakes feel extra special. We love to top ours with fresh strawberries, blueberries and sliced bananas.
How to Make Homemade Pancakes
Combine dry ingredients. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt (or whisk until combined). That’s your pancake mix!
Add wet ingredients. Make a well in the center. Add milk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla. Mix just until combined. A few small lumps are fine for this pancake batter recipe. For fluffy pancakes, let the batter rest for 15 minutes after mixing.
Heat the pan. Lightly oil a griddle or skillet and heat to medium-high, about 375°F.
Cook. Pour about ¼ cup batter per pancake. Cook until bubbles form and the edges look set, about 3 minutes.
Flip once. Flip and cook 2 minutes more, until golden brown and cooked through.
Serve warm. Top with fruit, whipped cream, and maple syrup or buttermilk syrup.
Favorite Variations
As mentioned, this is our favorite base pancake recipe. Here are some of our favorite ways to change it up:
- Chocolate Chip Pancakes: fold in ¾ cup mini chocolate chips right before cooking.
- Blueberry Pancakes: fold in 1 cup blueberries (toss in 1 teaspoon flour if using frozen).
- Banana Pancakes: add 1 mashed ripe banana to the wet ingredients, reduce milk by ¼ cup.
- Cinnamon Roll Pancakes: add 1 teaspoon cinnamon to the batter, then drizzle with a quick cinnamon-sugar swirl while cooking.
- Funfetti Pancakes: fold in ¼ cup rainbow sprinkles, top with whipped cream.
- Whole Wheat Swap: replace ½ of the flour with whole wheat flour, add 1–2 tablespoons extra milk if needed.
- Protein Pancakes: replace ¼ cup flour with ¼ cup vanilla protein powder, add 1–2 tablespoons extra milk.
Kristyn’s No-Fail Success Tips
- Do not over-mix. Stop stirring as soon as you do not see dry streaks. Lumpy batter equals tender pancakes.
- Let the batter sit at least 5 minutes while the pan heats. This helps hydrate the flour and makes a nicer texture.
- Use the water-drop test if you do not have a thermometer: Flick a few drops of water onto the pan. They should sizzle and skitter around, not evaporate instantly and not just sit there.
- Flip when the signs show up. Bubbles on top plus set edges means it is ready. Then flip once and do not press down.
- Double the recipe. Mix gently and cook in batches. If the batter thickens as it sits, stir in a splash of milk.
Simple Pancake Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 3½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1¼ cups milk
- 1 egg
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Toppings: fruit, whipped cream, buttermilk syrup
Instructions
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour in the milk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla and mix until smooth.
- Lightly oil a griddle or frying pan and heat to medium-high (about 375 degrees F).
- Pour about ¼ cup of batter onto the griddle for each pancake. Cook until browned (about 3 minutes), then flip and cook for 2 minutes more until browned on both sides. Serve hot with your favorite toppings.
Notes
- Don’t overmix, some lumps in the batter is ok.
- Room-temperature eggs and milk mix much easier into the other ingredients and prevent overmixing the batter.
- Let the batter rest for 15 minutes after mixing to help create fluffier pancakes.
- Make 1-2 test pancakes to ensure the temperature of the griddle is just right.
- Flip once and don’t press on the pancakes with the spatula.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Yes. We have a Homemade Pancake Mix recipe you can use.
The most common reason is old baking powder. The second most common is a pan that is not hot enough. Make sure the pan is fully heated before the first batch.
Over-mixing is usually the cause. Stir just until the flour disappears. A few lumps are normal and they help keep pancakes tender.
For best results, cook the batter soon after mixing because baking powder starts working right away. If you need to prep ahead, mix the dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately, then combine right before cooking.
Place cooked pancakes on a baking sheet in a 200°F oven until ready to serve. This keeps them warm without drying them out.
Yes. Let them cool completely, freeze in a single layer, then store in a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Reheat in the microwave, toaster oven, or a warm skillet.
Complete The Meal
Pancake Variations
Chocolate Chip Pancakes
10 mins
How to make Banana Pancakes
15 mins
Oatmeal Pancakes
9 mins
Protein Pancakes
18 mins
More Pancakes
Collections
This recipe was first shared March, 2020.
What is a serving size for the pancake recipe? I am a type 2 diabetic and need to know how many, if any, I can have. Love your recipes
It depends on the size of the pancake but for this particular recipe a serving size would be 3 (6-inch in diameter) pancakes.
@Karen, you can substitute the sugar in the recipe w monkfruit and the taste is the same. As far as the intake of sugar and requirements for diabetics I don’t know, but pancakes fall in the carbohydrate department which it will metabolize into sugar in your body and will be dependent on how large you make your pancakes. Hope you find your answer.😊
Definitely a keeper
Happy to hear that!! Thank you so much!!
I want to make pancakes today to eat tomorrow morning on a road trip. Just wondering how they might go cold?
Hi! I hope the pancakes were yummy! I honestly don’t mind them cold… but you can also heat them in a microwave or a toaster the next day.
Made my pancakes on a griddle, they came out as flat as a paper
Sorry to hear the pancakes were flat. That hasn’t ever happened to me with this recipe. Possibly could have been an issue with the baking powder? I’d double check that it isn’t too old so that those pancakes will rise! 🙂
Recipe doesn’t mention when to add vanilla. With the other wet ingredients?
Oh yes! You’ll add it with the egg, milk and melted butter.
I made these for my son and his friends yesterday. Teenager approved. They really liked them. Nice and fluffy and great flavor.
This is our go to family pancake recipe! Thanks!
Love these fluffy pancakes!!
Best pancakes I have ever had in my life !!!
Aw, thank you!! I’m so glad to hear you love them!
These pancakes came out GREAT!
Yay!! So glad they did! Thanks for sharing!