The Only Pancake Recipe

make delicious classic fluffy pancakes from scratch with just a few everyday ingredients – this is now The Only Pancake Recipe you’ll need!

Homemade fluffy pancakes are not only classic, but they are also major comfort food. Often reserved for the weekend, because, let’s face it, most of us don’t have time to crack eggs and measure baking powder during the busy work week.

With a family of 6, we make pancakes SO much! Not only that, I ALWAYS make a double batch to ensure plenty of leftovers, that can be reheated in the toaster for quick snacks.

Want more great breakfast/brunch recipes?

Check out:

Sweet Polenta Corn Muffins with Jam

Homemade Cream Cheese Danish

Berry Buckle Coffee Cake

Why this is my favorite pancake recipe

Over the years, I’ve tried hundreds (!!) of different pancake recipes. Some hit the mark, and some ended just being a vehicle for melty butter and good maple syrup.

My ideal pancake is fluffy, slightly crispy edges from cooking in hot butter, light and rich at the same time. Keeping things unfussy is important to me, especially when hungry kids are at stake. So, I’ve made this recipe as simple as possible, without any hard-to-find ingredients. Just pantry staples that you probably have on hand right now, so you can the best pancakes ever anytime!

Get creative with these fluffy homemade pancakes! I usually add chocolate chips, blueberries, or bananas to mine. They can be customized to suit whatever you family and friends love.

Ingredients

• unbleached all purpose flour – I love to use unbleached all purpose flour from King Arthur Baking Company here. It gives the pancakes a light, tender crumb. I would NOT substitute a whole grain flour here, as it would yield a heavier, dense pancakes.
• organic large eggs – use fresh organic eggs if you can. The richness of the yolks make the pancakes really tender and soft.
• melted salted butter – I always use Kerrygold Pure Irish butter for the absolute best flavor in all of my cooking and baking. It’s made from grassfed cows and European butter has a higher fat content which makes the pancakes extra flavorful and rich.
• baking powder – baking powder is the main rising agent, or leavener in the pancakes. It makes them fluffy and light. It also begins to react right away, so mix up this pancake batter right before you plan to serve the pancakes.
• pure vanilla extract – go with the real deal, friends! Pure vanilla extract, or vanilla bean paste from Mexico or Madagascar adds classic sweet notes of flavor to the pancakes.
• kosher salt – I use Morton’s kosher salt here. If you’re using Diamond Crystal, add an extra 1/4 of a teaspoon.
• pure maple syrup – pure maple syrup is worth every penny, and if you’re going to make homemade pancakes, use the best quality ingredients that you can source. Extra points if you warm up the syrup before serving it!

How to make the best pancakes

Mixing up pancakes by hand is so simple. These pancakes are made from scratch, and come together in one bowl.

Start by combining your eggs, milk, melted butter, and pure vanilla extract. Then add the flour, baking powder and salt to the bowl. Mix until just combined.

Let the mixture sit at room temperature for 3-5 minutes while you frying pan is heating up, the fry them up on medium heat!

When to flip pancakes

I like to fry in a nonstick skillet, but you can absolutely use a well seasoned cast iron skillet here. Preheat the pan over medium/low. The temperature of the skillet is actually really important. If it’s too hot, your pancakes will burn on the outside with a soggy interior. Too cold and they will stick to the pan and get dry.

Once the pan is hot, add a tablespoon of butter to the pan. It should gently sizzle. Rotate the pan to coat the whole surface with butter. The use a 1/4 cup measure scoop, or a large ice cream scoop to portion out the batter. I usually fry about 3-4 pancakes, but if you like your pancakes bigger, use 1/2 cup measuring scoop.

Additions and Substitutions

This is truly The Only Pancake Recipe, because they can be transformed and customized into whatever you love!

First, mix up the base batter as is. Scoop the batter into the hot pan, THEN add your favorite fruit or chocolate chips on top of each pancake. This helps you control the amount of filling in each pancake, and makes the highly customizable.

Some of our favorite additions are fresh blueberries, strawberries, sliced banana, rainbow sprinkles, and chocolate chips. Get creative!

As far as substitutions, I would keep the base pancake batter as is. You could use a nut milk or vegan butter if you like, and if you’re looking for a gluten free option, check out my Lemon Ricotta Almond Pancakes, they’re so delicious!

Pro Tips

• Do not over-mix your pancake batter! Mix the dry ingredients until they are just combined, then let the batter rest for about 3 minutes before frying.
• Pancakes are in the quick bread family (like most cakes, cookies, brownies, biscuits, and banana bread). The more you stir flour and liquid together, the more you “develop/strengthen” the gluten in the flour. Strong gluten is great in recipes like crusty breads that are meant to be chewy, but not in fluffy pancakes that are meant to be soft, and kind of melt in your mouth.
• Don’t crowd the pan! I like to fry 3-4 pancakes at a time so they don’t get too close to each other in the pan, and stick together. This makes them easier to flip, and keeps the pan nice and hot.

If you, like me, were on an seemingly endless search for the perfect pancake recipe, then look no further! I can’t wait for you to try these fluffy homemade pancakes, and I hope you love them as much as we do!

Make sure to tag me @lions.bread on Instagram and comment below if you make these pancakes.  I love seeing my recipes come to life in your kitchens! To pin this recipe and save it for later, you can use the button on the recipe card or on any of the photos above. 

Did you make them? Rate the recipe and Leave a comment below, please!

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