These pancakes are light, airy, and fluffy. This base pancake recipe can be used for almost any pancakes you’d like or just plain on its own!

Nothing says good morning like a stack of freshly made pancakes, and these pancakes really do put the good in good morning!

Saturday mornings were made for pancakes! I remember having pancakes from the dry pancake mix boxes you get from the store. They were always so so delicious and easy to make. But I never knew making pancakes from scratch was just as easy as the boxed version! Plus I can brag that I made them all myself. Win-win.

You can even combine the dry ingredients ahead of time to make your own pancake mix, and it’ll last as long as the best before dates on your ingredients.

Tips: How to get fluffy pancakes:

Making pancakes is nothing to stress over, but there are a few tips and tricks to keep in mind to ensure pancakes success!

Tip #1: Use a fair amount of baking powder: Baking powder is the main ingredient that gives rise to pancakes, so it’s important to include a good amount. That being said, too much baking powder and your pancakes may taste like baking powder.

I find that between 1 to 2 teaspoons is the perfect amount for this amount of pancake batter. This recipe uses 2 teaspoons to add some extra lift to the pancakes. I don’t recommend going over 2 teaspoons to avoid having an off taste to the pancakes.

Tip #2: Don’t over mix the batter: You can mix your dry ingredients as long as you want, and your wet ingredients as long as you want. But when you combine the wet and dry ingredients, it needs a gentle mixing. The batter is ready as soon as you no longer see dry spots of flour.

The batter will be lumpy. You don’t need to worry about mixing those lumps out, they won’t cause problems for your final pancake. Over mixing the batter will cause the gluten in the flour to tighten. This will cause your pancakes to collapse because of the weight and leave you with a dry and flat pancake.

Tip #3: Cook batter immediately: Baking powder is double acting, which means it works in two stages. Baking powder starts working as soon as wet ingredients are added to it, and then it activates again when it hits heat. So pancake batter shouldn’t be made ahead, because if your baking powder sits in the batter for too long, it starts to lose some of its rising power.

Tip #4: Don’t stack pancakes until ready to serve: I like to position my cooked pancakes on a cooling rack while I work on cooking the rest. The longer pancakes are left stacked, the more likely they are to deflate one another.

How to store pancakes:

Although the batter isn’t make ahead friendly, cooked pancakes store very well! Pancakes should be stored in an airtight container or plastic bag. They will keep for up to 1 day at room temperature, up to 3 days in the fridge, or up to 3 months frozen.

To warm pancakes, place them in an even layer on a baking sheet and heat in a preheated 350°F oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or until warmed. If you’re placing your pancakes in the oven directly from the freezer, you may need to go closer to the 10 minute mark to let them defrost.

Optional add-ins and toppings:

This wouldn’t be much of an ultimate pancake recipe if it wasn’t versatile! You can use this pancake batter to add almost any pancake add-ins. Some options include:

• Berries (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries)
• chocolate chips or chunks (semi-sweet, milk, white, dark)
• cinnamon sugar
• apples
• cocoa powder
• zest (lemon, orange, lime)
• honey
• nuts (almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts)
• dried raisins
• buttermilk pancakes (switch out the milk for equal parts buttermilk)
• nut butter (almond, peanut butter)
• shredded coconut
• Nutella

If you liked this recipe, you may also like some of these breakfast treats!

• Crepes
• Blueberry muffins
• Mini pancake “cereal”

Watch: How to make pancakes:

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Ultimate Pancake Recipe

These pancakes are light, airy, and fluffy. This base pancake recipe can be used for almost any pancakes you'd like or just plain on its own!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 6 to 8 medium pancakes

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 cup milk
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons neutral flavored oil, plus more for cooking the pancakes

Instructions

• In a medium sized bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar. Whisk to combine well. Set aside. In a separate medium bowl, add milk, egg, and oil. Whisk to break up the egg and incorporate wet ingredients together.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Gently stir everything together until just combined and you no longer see patches of dry flour. Don’t over-mix. The batter will be lumpy. (That’s what we need!)
• Lightly grease a large skillet with neutral flavored oil or butter. Warm over medium-low heat until slightly hot (about 1 minute). Add about 1/4 cup of batter to the skillet for each pancake. Cook over medium-low heat for about 1 to 2 minutes on the first side. It’s time to flip when the edges start to dry and become matte and the bottom turns golden brown. The top of the pancake will also start to bubble.
• Flip the pancake and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, or until golden on the other side and cooked all the way through. You can test the doneness of the center by sticking a skewer or toothpick in the center of the pancake. When it comes out clean of batter, the pancake is done.
• Transfer cooked pancakes to a cooling rack or a plate. Repeat cooking process until all the batter is used. Do not stack pancakes until ready to serve! Pancakes are best served fresh and warm.

Enjoy!