This is the easiest, fluffiest pancake recipe I’ve made. These are, without a doubt, my family’s favorite homemade pancakes!
We’ve been perfecting this incredibly simple, from scratch recipe for years, so it’s guaranteed to deliver light, super fluffy pancakes every time. These easy pancakes call for a short list of ingredients that I bet you already have, which means you’ll never need a boxed mix again.
The moment the pancake batter hits the skillet, it rises tall and fluffy. My recipe calls for milk. If you have buttermilk, I highly recommend this buttermilk pancake recipe. We love this recipe so much that is has inspired many of the pancake recipes on Inspired Taste.
Key Ingredients
- Flour: I use all-purpose flour, but whole wheat flour, spelt flour, or your favorite gluten-free flour blend work in this recipe! I have used this recipe as a base for my whole wheat pancakes and gluten-free buckwheat pancakes.
- Sugar: I use granulated sugar, but brown sugar, cane sugar, coconut sugar, and even honey or maple syrup will work. I keep the recipe lower on sugar since we usually add maple syrup or honey when serving them.
- Baking Powder: Remember that the baking powder keeps our pancakes light and fluffy. Use recently purchased double-acting baking powder (it lasts about 3 months). If you are sensitive to the flavor of baking powder, make sure that yours is aluminum-free (I use Bob’s Red Mill). If you only have baking soda, check the tips below the recipe for a substitution.
- Milk or Non-Dairy Milk: Both work in this recipe, so use what you have. I’ve made dairy-free pancakes using this recipe with oat, almond, and coconut milk (carton, not canned). Here’s my oat milk recipe if you are interested. For buttermilk, see my buttermilk pancakes!
- Egg: This adds structure and flavor, but to make this recipe without eggs, use a flax egg or see my vegan pancakes instead.
- Butter: You can’t beat the taste of butter when making pancakes. Use unsalted or salted butter (omit the salt in the recipe if using salted). You can substitute melted coconut oil or plant-based butter for a dairy-free option. For golden brown and crispy edges, cook the pancakes in butter, too.
- Vanilla: Adds a soft, sweet flavor. I always add a splash of vanilla to pancake batter (even when someone tells me not to).
Find the full recipe with measurements below.
How to Make the Best Pancakes from Scratch
Tip 1: Use butter for crispy edges. Add butter to your pancake batter and cook your pancakes in butter (hello, crispy edges!). If you find your butter burns, try ghee as it has a higher smoke point.
Tip 2: Baking powder makes the fluffiest pancakes. We highly recommend using aluminum-free baking powder to avoid an unpleasant aftertaste (I use Bob’s Red Mill). As you stir your batter, you’ll notice it starting to thicken and bubble. That’s the baking powder actively working its magic, creating those airy pockets! Just look at the photo below. See how incredibly fluffy it is in the middle?
Tip 3: When to flip your pancakes. Wait until the edges of your pancake look dry and bubbles appear and pop on the top surface. I typically cook pancakes over medium heat, though you might need to adjust it slightly to find your ideal setting. Pancakes generally need 1 to 2 minutes per side. If you notice them browning too quickly, reduce the heat a bit.
What to Serve with Pancakes
Our family loves serving these pancakes with fresh fruit, maple syrup, and extra butter (salted, always). You can also consider whipped cream or vegan coconut whipped cream (delicious!), nuts, apple butter, maple pumpkin butter (hello, fall!), cinnamon apples, or chocolate chips.
To round out your plate, try my favorite crispy baked bacon, homemade breakfast sausage (with maple syrup and sage), creamy scrambled eggs, or these poached eggs! I also love a side of strawberry fruit salad or my favorite berry fruit salad (with mint)!
More Pancake Recipes
Easy Fluffy Pancakes
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
These homemade pancakes have been a reader favorite for years! They are genuinely some of the best fluffy pancakes I’ve made at home. Over the years, I’ve increased the butter and vanilla slightly (feel free to use less, but I promise the quantities below make them taste amazing). Thousands of home cooks have made our pancakes and often make them with their kids, which, given I make this with my young son all the time, makes me so happy! If you have buttermilk, you may want to look at our buttermilk pancake recipe.
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
1 ½ cups (195g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon aluminum-free baking powder, important to level the tablespoon, see tips
1/2 teaspoon of fine sea or table salt, reduce to 1/4 teaspoon if sensitive to salt
1 ¼ cups (295ml) milk, dairy or non-dairy
1 large egg
5 tablespoons (70g) unsalted butter, plus more for skillet
2 teaspoons vanilla extract, reduce if sensitive to vanilla
Directions
1Prepare the butter: Melt the butter and set it aside to cool slightly.
2Combine dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
3Combine wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Don’t worry if the butter solidifies a little.
4Mix the batter: Create a well in the center of your dry ingredients. Pour the milk mixture into the well and gently whisk until the flour is just incorporated. A few small lumps are perfectly normal. As the batter rests, you should see it begin to bubble. It will be thick, like cake batter. If it seems too thick, add a splash more milk to thin it out.
5Preheat the skillet: Place a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. To check if it’s ready, sprinkle a few drops of water on the surface. They should “dance” around and evaporate quickly.
6Cook the pancakes: Brush the skillet with melted butter for crispy edges (you can skip this if using a good nonstick pan). Scoop the batter onto the skillet using a 1/4 cup measure or a large cookie scoop, then gently spread each pancake into a 4-inch circle.
7Flip the pancakes: After 1 to 2 minutes, the edges will look dry, and bubbles will form and pop on the surface. Flip the pancakes and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes until they’re lightly browned and cooked through. Enjoy your pancakes right away with warm syrup, more butter, and berries.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Keep warm in the oven: If cooking multiple batches, heat your oven to 200°F (95°C) and place a baking sheet inside. As each pancake finishes cooking, transfer it to the baking sheet in the warm oven to keep warm until you’re ready to serve them all.
- Storing: Store cooked pancakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week, or freeze them for up to two months. If you’re freezing them, first arrange the pancakes in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze for about 30 minutes until solid. Then, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag, placing parchment paper between each pancake to prevent sticking.
- Reheating: Place them on a microwave-safe plate and cook for 20 seconds per pancake (add more time for multiple pancakes). Or wrap the pancakes in foil and bake at 350°F for about 10 minutes.
- My favorite pancake toppings: Try fresh fruit, warm maple syrup, and extra butter. We also love whipped cream or vegan whipped cream, nuts, apple butter, maple pumpkin butter, chocolate chips, or the homemade butter pecan syrup I add to our pumpkin pancakes!
- Measuring the flour: Too much flour makes these less fluffy. To ensure you have the right amount of flour, weigh it or use the spooned and level method. Fluff the flour in its container, gently scoop it into your measuring cup until slightly mounded, then level off the top with a knife for accurate measuring.
- Best baking powder: Use aluminum-free baking powder (like Rumford or Bob’s Red Mill), which has less metallic flavor. I use Bob’s Red Mill baking powder in this recipe with great results. When measuring, dip your spoon into the container, then level it off using the straight edge of one of your other spoons.
- Pancakes without baking powder: Swap the milk for buttermilk and use 3/4 teaspoon of baking soda. If you do not have buttermilk, you can make homemade buttermilk by stirring 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar into the 1 ¼ cups of milk called for in the recipe and setting it aside for 10 minutes.
- Optional add-ins: Add 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of berries, chopped strawberries, nuts, cooked bacon, or chocolate chips to the batter.
- Make ahead pancake batter: You can keep this pancake batter covered and stored in the fridge overnight. Pancakes made the next day will be slightly less fluffy but still excellent.
- Recipe changes: Over the years, I have increased the butter by 1 tablespoon and vanilla by 1 teaspoon for better flavor. Also, I no longer warm the milk before mixing it with the butter and egg for better texture. Feel free to use the older method of heating the milk, but I no longer find it necessary. These changes are reflected in the recipe above.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
Great pancakes – need more milk (maybe another 1/4-1/2 cup-I added til thinned out) and a little more sugar. But the family loved them! Will definitely make again.
Hi!! The pancakes were amazing! This recipe is great but I think it would help if you put the measurements underneath the directions so that I don’t have to scroll up and down. Thank you!!
Hey, I couldn’t believe it but these were AMAZING.
I DO suggest adding a tiny splash more milk but these wil still be thick and FLUFFY. I also recommend a touch more sugar (Tiny pinch) and maybe 1 more teaspoon of vanilla. I may try a splash of pure almond essence the next time I prepare these.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND – as a senior restaurant consultant (35+ years) I’ve tasted my share of pancakes and these are ELEVATED.
Most insane pancakes I’ve ever had. Other recipes promise fluffy pancakes. This one delivers.
This is the best easy pancake recipe I have made – and I have tried A LOT. We live at an altitude over 6000 feet and sometimes recipes don’t work without adjustments. I didn’t have to change a thing with this one. My littles loved them without chocolate chips. That is high praise. Bravo!
Have had this recipe saved for the last two years and it is the BEST pancake recipe ever. So fluffy, not too sweet, never dry, never chewy. Just perfection every time. Thank you for sharing this recipe.