Homemade Pancake Recipe
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Rise and shine! This easy pancake recipe makes the perfect pancakes: fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside.
This homemade pancake recipe, adapted from The New York Times Cookbook by Craig Claiborne, has been a beloved staple in my kitchen since my kids were little, and for good reason. Made with ingredients I always have hand—like flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, milk, eggs, and butter—the pancakes have the perfect texture: fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside.
While they’re delicious on their own, you can customize them with your favorite add-ins. When my kids were younger, I used to dot them with chocolate chips for a special treat. Now that they’re older, I sometimes add fresh or frozen blueberries (these banana pancakes and pumpkin pancakes are delicious, too). Once you try from-scratch pancakes, you’ll never look at boxed mixes the same way again; homemade pancakes are just as easy to whip up and taste so much better.
Table of Contents
“My husband and daughter agree, best pancakes ever! It was so simple and quick to whip up on a busy Saturday.”
What You’ll Need To Make The Best Homemade Pancakes
- All-purpose flour: Provides structure to the pancakes. Use the spoon-and-level method to measure to correctly.
- Baking powder: Acts as a leavening agent, making the pancakes light and fluffy.
- Sugar: Adds sweetness and helps with browning.
- Salt: Enhances flavor and balances the sweetness.
- Eggs: Bind the ingredients together and add richness.
- Milk: Provides moisture and helps create a smooth batter.
- Butter: Adds richness and flavor to the pancakes; also helps with browning.
- Vegetable oil: Used for cooking to prevent the butter from browning and to promote even cooking.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a bowl.
Mix well.
Combine the eggs and milk in a bowl.
Whisk to combine.
Pour the wet ingredients and the melted butter into the dry ingredients.
Stir just enough to moisten the flour mixture. It should look a little lumpy. (If you overwork the mixture, the pancakes will be tough.) This is a thick batter but if it seems too thick, add a bit more milk.
Heat a griddle or large nonstick skillet over medium heat; coat it lightly with vegetable oil and swirl in a thin pat of butter. Ladle the batter onto the skillet, using about ¼ cup for each pancake; cook until the first side is golden brown, or until the top surface bubbles and is dotted with holes.
Flip and cook until the other side is golden brown. This happens quickly so peek after 30 seconds and watch carefully! Adjust the heat setting if necessary.
Wipe the griddle totally clean with a paper towel between batches. Serve these crispy, fluffy pancakes immediately with maple syrup and a pat of butter, if desired.
How To Freeze Pancakes
Freezing pancakes is a great way to enjoy them later. Cool the pancakes completely on a wire rack to prevent condensation. Then, place a sheet of parchment or wax paper between each pancake and stack together. Wrap the stack of pancakes tightly in aluminum foil or place inside a heavy-duty freezer bag. To reheat, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and cover with foil. Bake in a 375°F-oven for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until hot.
Variations
You can personalize your pancakes with a variety of mix-ins. You can also flavor the batter with vanilla extract or citrus zest for added depth. It’s often best to dot the add-ins like blueberries, chocolate chips, or banana slices directly onto the pancakes after you’ve poured the batter into the skillet. This approach allows for more even distribution and prevents the heavier items from sinking to the bottom of the bowl.
Can Pancake Batter Be Used For Waffles?
No, pancake batter can not be used to make waffles. Waffles require a batter with more fat to create their crispy exterior and fluffy interior, which is different from the lighter, more pourable pancake batter. For the best results, I have a wonderful waffle recipe that’s tailored to give you the perfect texture and flavor. Trust me, it’ll turn out much better!
Video Tutorial
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Best Homemade Pancakes
Rise and shine! This easy pancake recipe makes the perfect pancakes: fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled off
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1½ cups milk, plus more if necessary
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled, plus more for cooking
- Vegetable oil, for cooking
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and milk until evenly combined.
- Pour the milk/egg mixture and the melted butter into the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. If the batter seems too thick, add 1 to 2 tablespoons more milk.
- Heat a griddle or nonstick pan over medium heat; coat it lightly with vegetable oil and swirl in a thin pat of butter. Ladle or drop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately ¼ cup for each pancake; cook until the first side is golden brown, or until the top surface bubbles and is dotted with holes. Flip and cook until the other side is golden brown. This happens quickly so peek after 30 seconds and watch carefully! Adjust the heat setting if necessary. Wipe the griddle clean with a paper towel between batches. Serve immediately with maple syrup.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The pancakes can be frozen for up to 3 months. After they are completely cooled, place a sheet of parchment or wax paper between each pancake and stack together. Wrap the stack of pancakes tightly in aluminum foil or place inside a heavy-duty freezer bag. To reheat, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and cover with foil. Bake in a 375°F oven for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until hot.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (8 servings)
- Calories: 240
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated fat: 5 g
- Carbohydrates: 33 g
- Sugar: 9 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Sodium: 262 mg
- Cholesterol: 67 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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These pancakes are flawless – light, flavorful, fluffy, perfect level of sweetness, tender, absolute perfection. The batter was very thick and I used it as is for the first batch, then I added a little more milk. Both were delicious but I was able to determine when to flip a little easier with the batter slightly thinned. I added blueberries and we all agreed: they are the best pancakes we’ve ever had. I’m currently pleasantly full, and still can’t wait to have them again!
Best pancakes and that’s the verdict from my husband and three kids.
Can I use olive oil instead of vegetable oil? Thank you
Technically it will work, but I think olive oil would lend an off flavor to the pancakes – sorry!
Thank you! I’ll just go for the vegetable oil :))
Can you substitute the milk with buttermilk?
Hi Angelica, Unfortunately milk and buttermilk are not interchangeable in recipes, as they react differently with leavening agents like baking powder and baking soda. I do have a buttermilk pancake recipe in my second cookbook.
Best pancakes I’ve ever had! So fluffy and delicious!
I love this recipe! I have made these pancakes several times now. The only thing is I can not find the nutrition info (calories, protein, carbs, fat, etc.) Can you tell me where to find this? Thanks!
Glad you like them! I just added the nutritional info. 🙂
Can this recipe be doubled by just doubling the ingredients?
Sure!
I make these often and always add a tsp of vanilla. So good. Your banana pancakes are delicious too,, Thanks, Jenn
Has anyone noticed a change with this recipe? Not the recipe itself, but the batter is not as thick as it used to be when I first started making it. Before it make super fluffy cakes that I could watch rise. Now, using the same measurements and even cutting out the 2 extra tablespoons of milk, I have a much more runny batter and they don’t get as thick. Still delicious, though.
Hi Scott, Sorry that you’ve been having a problem with these! Did you by any chance change the brand of flour you’re using? Is your baking powder really old or expired?
I’ve been having the exact same problem recently. I make these almost every Saturday. In the past the batter was thick and the pancakes fluffy. Now the batter is very runny and the pancakes are super thin. I use King Arthur flour and have for some time now. I measured out one cup and weighed it in grams and it matches the recipe: 130g. My baking powder doesn’t expire until for another year and a half and I even tested it with boiling water to make sure it isn’t dead. I’ve at this same new issue with the pumpkin pancake recipe. What could be going wrong? Are the eggs and milk supposed to be cold or at room temperature or does that not matter?
Hi Wendi, That is so strange! Did you change the type of milk? Is it particularly humid where you live? Did you try adding a bit less milk to start? The temperature of milk and butter shouldn’t matter here.
It was the baking powder! I normally use the Sprouts brand baking powder and had a bought a different brand since Sprouts was out of baking powder. Even though I tested the new brand with boiling water and the expiration date is a long time from now, when I switched back to the Sprouts brand baking powder today, the recipe worked just as it should. I’m so happy because this is such a great recipe.
Hi Jenn!
I have had the same issues as the people above!
I started making these and it worked great, but the past couple of years the batter became runnier and the pancakes would flatten :/
I do not logically understand why because I use fresh ingredients always. The baking powder is even a better brand and since I bake often, it is always fresh. Anyway, hopefully we can come down to the culprit.
Best regards,
Sara
Although it doesn’t make sense, if like the other reader, maybe you want to try a different brand for one of the ingredients that may be the culprit which would be the baking powder or the flour. If you don’t use King Arthur flour, I may start by trying them with that. King Arthur has more protein which gives baked goods more structure. Please LMK if I can help in any other way!
This is the only recipe I’ve been using for years, and I have tried so many. My family LOVES IT. They are indeed perfect, soft and fluffy. I have to double the recipe as they are very ‘morish’ . It’s Good Friday today and I’ll be making these delicious pancakes for breakfast. Thank you so much and Happy Easter !!