These homemade pancakes taste even better than boxed pancake mixes, and they’re incredibly light, airy, and fluffy! This base pancake recipe can be used for almost any variations you’d like or just plain on its own!
A stack of freshly made pancakes really do put the good in good morning!
I grew up on from the dry pancake mix boxes you get from the store. They were always amazing and easy to make. But making pancakes from scratch is just as easy as the boxed version, and they’re much more flavorful and rich!
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
• zest (lemon, orange, lime)
• honey
• nuts (almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, etc.)
• dried raisins
• 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”
Ultimate Pancake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 & 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- 3 tablespoons neutral flavored oil or melted butter, plus more for cooking the pancakes
Instructions
- In a medium sized bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, add milk, egg, and oil/butter. Whisk to combine.
- 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 hot. Add about 1/4 cup of batter to the skillet for each pancake (large skillets can usually fit about 2 to 3 pancakes at once).
- Cook pancakes over medium-low heat for about 1 to 2 minutes on the first side. You'll know when it's time to flip when the top starts to bubble and the bottom turns golden brown.
- Flip the pancakes 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. Avoiding stacking the pancakes until you're ready to serve as it can flatten them! Repeat the cooking process until all the batter is used. Pancakes are best served fresh and warm.
Enjoy!
Shell-Shell's?tipsandtricks says
Awesome! My family loves pancakes!
Mimi says
Thank you! Mine too!!