Best Homemade Pancakes (Light and Fluffy Every Time!)

This is the ultimate pancake recipe! It's made in one bowl with simple ingredients that you already have in your pantry. Our easy pancake recipe produces the best light and fluffy pancakes in no time at all. These homemade pancakes can be easily customized by adding fresh fruit, mini chocolate chips or simply drizzling with warm maple syrup. I've been making pancakes for as long as I can remember and this recipe in my opinion it is the best pancake recipe you will ever make.

Our ultimate pancakes are also the base recipe for our Banana Strawberry Pancakes or our Banana Macadamia Nut Pancakes. We have also linked even more pancake recipes at the bottom of this post.

🍫 Ingredients

• all purpose flour - be sure to fluff the flour up and the scoop with a spoon into your measuring cup
• whole milk - you can also use a plant based option but in my opinion the best pancakes are made with whole milk
• butter - unsalted butter should be melted and slightly cooled
• vanilla extract - adds a hint of sweetness and flavor to the pancake recipe
• baking powder - be sure to use an aluminum free baking powder for the recipe

🍋 Variations

whole wheat flour - If you would like to make the pancake recipe with whole wheat flour, I recommending only swapping out half. Use 1 cup of whole wheat flour and one cup of all purpose flour

fruit pancakes - sprinkle or arrange your favorite fresh fruit on top of the batter right after you pour it onto the frying pan. Blueberries, banana or strawberry slices and shredded apple all work really well.

chocolate chip pancakes - sprinkle mini chocolate chips onto your pancakes right after you pour the batter onto the frying pan.

🥣 Instructions

Be sure to see the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and detailed recipe instructions.

In a large bowl, combine your dry ingredients (all purpose flour, sugar, baking powder and salt).

In a large glass measuring cup, combine the melted butter, milk, eggs and vanilla extract.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until the batter is just combined. If the batter is a little thick, add a bit more milk.

Warm your griddle or frying pan over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Add a little butter or cooking spray to the griddle or frying pan. Pour circle of batter onto the hot griddle.

Flip the pancakes over and cook for an additional minute - until the pancakes are cooked through.

Serve pancakes with butter and a drizzle of warm maple syrup.

Hint: It's easy to get the perfect flip on your pancakes if you make sure that they are cooked properly. Leave you pancake alone in the hot skillet until you see tiny bubbles forming on the surface of the pancake. Then, use a vert thin metal or silicon spatula to flip the pancake over. Trying to flip too early or with a thicker spatula will prevent you from achieving the perfect flip

🤓 Expert Tips

Use butter or a nonstick cooking spray for your pancake pan even if the pan is nonstick.

An extra large cookie scoop makes it really easy to scoop the pancake batter onto your heated frying pan

📦 Storage:

How to Store Leftover Pancake Batter:

Store leftover pancake batter in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I often use empty jelly jars to store the leftover pancake batter. You can give the batter a quick stir and pour it directly onto your hot pan from the jelly jar. Otherwise any airtight container works well. Store leftover pancake batter for 1-2 days in the refrigerator.

How To Store Leftover Pancakes:

Refrigerator: Leftover pancakes can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-4 days.

Freezer: You can also freeze the leftover pancakes. To do this, arrange the pancakes in a single layer on a parchment lined baking pan. Freeze the pancakes for 1-2 hours. Move the frozen pancakes to a ziplock bag.

🍳 How to Reheat Leftover Pancakes:

Toaster or Toaster Oven: Warm pancakes in the toaster/toaster oven for 3-4 minutes - use a medium level of heat. 

Oven: Warm at 350° for 3-4 minutes. I like to just place them on the open rack so that they warm and get a little crispy on all of the surfaces. 

Microwave: Place pancakes in a single layer on a paper towel lined plate. Warm pancakes for 15-20 seconds. Check and add an additional 5-10 seconds until pancakes are warmed through. 

Frozen Pancakes in Air Fryer: Use the reheat setting to warm your pancakes for 1-3 minutes. Check after 1 minutes and add more time as needed.

⭐️ Recipe FAQs About

🥞 Related Pancake Recipes

📖 Recipe

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Ultimate Pancakes Recipe

Amanda Smallwood

Light and fluffy pancakes that are perfectly sweet and have crisp, butter edges.

5 from 5 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Servings 8 people

Calories 249 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ 4 tablespoons sugar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
• ▢ 1 ½ cups milk warmed
• ▢ 2 large eggs
• ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla
• ▢ 1-2 tablespoons butter or canola oil for frying the pancakes

Instructions

 

• Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.
• In the microwave melt the butter in a two cup glass measuring cup or small mixing bowl. Add milk and warm for 30-60 seconds, until butter remains melted on the surface of the milk.
• Add egg and vanilla to the milk and butter mixture. Whisk to combine.
• Add liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
• In a large frying pan, warm 1 tablespoon butter or oil over medium heat. Once the butter or oil is warmed, drop the batter into the hot butter or oil. I like to use a ¼ cup cookie scoop to pour the batter into the pan.
• Once tiny bubbles begin to form on the surface of the pancakes, flip them over and cook on the second side, for 1-2 more minutes.
• Garnish finished pancakes with butter, fresh fruit and warm maple syrup.

Notes

Use butter or a nonstick cooking spray for your pancake pan even if the pan is nonstick.

An extra large cookie scoop makes it really easy to scoop the pancake batter onto your heated frying pan

Flipping the Pancakes:

It's easy to get the perfect flip on your pancakes if you make sure that they are cooked properly. Leave you pancake alone in the hot skillet until you see tiny bubbles forming on the surface of the pancake. Then, use a vert thin metal or silicon spatula to flip the pancake over. Trying to flip too early or with a thicker spatula will prevent you from achieving the perfect flip.

How to Store Leftover Pancake Batter:

Store leftover pancake batter in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I often use empty jelly jars to store the leftover pancake batter. You can give the batter a quick stir and pour it directly onto your hot pan from the jelly jar. Otherwise any airtight container works well. Store leftover pancake batter for 1-2 days in the refrigerator.

How To Store Leftover Pancakes:

Refrigerator: Leftover pancakes can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-4 days.

Freezer: You can also freeze the leftover pancakes. To do this, arrange the pancakes in a single layer on a parchment lined baking pan. Freeze the pancakes for 1-2 hours. Move the frozen pancakes to a ziplock bag.

Nutrition

Calories: 249kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 6gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 71mgSodium: 340mgPotassium: 275mgFiber: 1gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 360IUCalcium: 135mgIron: 2mg

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!