Homemade Pancake Recipe
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Rise and shine! This easy homemade pancake recipe delivers the perfect pancakes—fluffy inside, crispy outside, and way better than store-bought mixes.
This homemade pancake recipe, adapted from The New York Times Cookbook, has been a beloved staple in my kitchen since my kids were little—and for good reason. Made with pantry staples I always have on hand, the pancakes turn out perfectly fluffy with crispy, golden edges every time.
They’re delicious on their own but also easy to customize with your favorite add-ins. When my kids were younger, I’d sprinkle in chocolate chips for a fun treat. These days, I love adding fresh or frozen blueberries for a fruity twist.
If you’re looking for variety, my banana pancakes and pumpkin pancakes are fantastic options, too. Once you’ve tried making pancakes from scratch, you’ll never go back to boxed pancake mix—homemade is just as easy and so much better.
“My husband and daughter agree, best pancakes ever!”
What You’ll Need To Make The Best Homemade Pancake Recipe
- All-purpose flour, baking powder, sugar & salt – The dry ingredients: flour gives structure, baking powder makes the pancakes light and fluffy, sugar adds sweetness (and helps with browning), and salt balances the flavor.
- Eggs & milk – Work together to bind the batter and make it smooth and pourable. (Do not substitute buttermilk for the milk.)
- Butter – Adds richness and flavor to the batter and helps with browning.
- Vegetable oil – Used for cooking the pancakes; it prevents the butter from burning and helps the pancakes brown evenly.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
Step 2: Mix the wet ingredients. In another bowl, whisk the eggs and milk until evenly combined.
Step 3: Combine everything. Add the wet ingredients and melted butter to the dry ingredients and stir just until moistened—it’s okay if the batter looks lumpy. If it seems too thick, go ahead and add a splash more milk.
Step 4: Cook the pancakes. Heat a griddle or nonstick skillet over medium heat, coat with oil, and swirl in a pat of butter. Scoop ¼ cup of batter per pancake into the pan and cook until golden on the bottom and bubbly on top—that’s your sign they’re ready to flip.
Step 5: Flip and finish. Flip the pancakes and cook the other side until golden, about 30 seconds. Repeat with the rest of the batter, wiping the pan clean between batches. Serve hot with butter and maple syrup and enjoy! Leftover pancakes can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Video Tutorial
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Best Homemade Pancakes
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.
Notes
Nutrition Information
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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In my attempt to find an easy, yet delicious recipe for waffles I decided to try this recipe. This is truly a no fail recipe. I always double the recipe because I like to have ready made breakfast through the week. It makes it easier for my husband to have a hot breakfast ready before work. This is the only recipe that I use. Other than to double the ingredients I follow this recipe exactly as written, it has never disappointed.
Best pancakes that are so easy to make. We make these pancakes often and my 7 year old has started to help make them.
These are our family’s go-to pancakes! My tween son has made them so many times, he has memorized the recipe. The recipe comes together so quickly. We don’t bother using different bowls for the wet ingredients, and it still comes out perfect.
These are the best basic/plain pancakes we’ve had. We make these at least once a week, sometimes for dinner when the hubby is traveling. They are great with maple syrup or flavored syrups and compotes like fresh peach in the summer.
I’m so glad that I tried this recipe. It’s now my go to for when my granddaughter is here. During Christmas break, these were made EVERY day. She loves me to add blueberries. Perfectly perfect.
These pancakes are delicious, however I need to turn burner down and be patient because otherwise the outside is nice and crispy but the inside is still raw 😳. Second time I made them, they worked out perfectly and my picky husband said they didn’t even require maple syrup! I wish there was a way to cook them in the oven.
I definitely added more butter to the pan for each new pancake and they were beautifully crispy and yummy! I will try Jenn’s other pancake recipes soon as I know they will be a success! 😋
If you triple this recipe, you should be able to bake one giant pancake in a quarter sheet pan and then just slice into squares for serving. 🙂 Bake @ 425F for 12-15 min.
I have only done that with a different recipe but I do plan to try this one and report back.
My apologies, that should say a HALF sheet pan, not a quarter.
I have been searching for a pancake recipe that comes close to some we had in Asheville that my husband loved. This is it. Thank you!
Hi Jen,
Since we are stuck at home here in Montreal, my boyfriend- we are retired- not sure what is the appropriate term-have been cooking a lot. Your recipes are always fun and good.
I have purchased your cookbook and have also sent a copy to each of my sons. We all love your style and everything is doable, some recipe books generate so many dishes that it makes me run for the hot dog stands.
This recipe was good, I can see that I will need to out in more liquid, my fault, I used 10% coffee cream instead of milk, I should have added a bit of water. Taste was delicious, fluffy, and crisp on the outside, next time I will do the banana pancakes.
Can’t wait to see your next book!
Happy Hanukah and Happy Holidays!
Happy holidays to you! 🙂
Can I substitute Greek yogurt for milk?
I’d stick with milk for the best results — sorry!
This is a fantastic pancake recipe! I love how easy it is and it creates great crispy edges. I’ve gone through so many “best pancake” recipes that have been just ok, so I’m very glad to have found yours.