Homemade Pancake Recipe
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
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
More Breakfast Recipes to Love
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.
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Wow. After making these 10+ times I had to leave a review (although I rarely do!)… they are that good! So fluffy but also dense? And marvelously crispy? Can’t do any wrong with this recipe. Best pancakes in my memory that I’ve had at home or in a restaurant.
Yummmm…. Perfect! (Momma told me not to talk with my mouth full!)
I am a big fan of this website, and use the recipes here a lot, but I am very sorry to say but this was the absolute WORST pancake recipe I have ever tried. My husband and I only ate 1, or 2, and threw away the entire batch. I followed the recipe precisely, but the end result was very bad.
I tried this recipe for the first time this morning with no changes. WOW. It’s worlds better than the recipe I was using before. The taste is fantastic — there’s a hint of butter and the sweetness level is just right. My hubby and I started nibbling on the first few straight out of the pan while cooking the rest 😄🙈 I doubled the recipe so I’ll be sure to freeze the leftovers using your directions. Thanks so much, Jenn!
This is my family’s favorite, we make them every weekend!
I used to buy the store bought mix , but I’ve been trying to get away from the pre packaged stuff with all the chemicals and what not. I found this while searching for a “crispy pancake” recipe. Both my wife, (and daughter who eats them plain) commented they don’t taste as sweet as store bought, but they both liked them. I thought they were tasty too so I bookmarked the recipe and started making them at breafast time more often. I ended up quadrupling the dry ingredients, premixing them and storing in a container so it was easier to make quickly. Almost like store bought, but wayyy better! Even my dogs like them, but they’re biased. They like all people food. 🙂
Thank you Jenn!
Hi Jenifer!
We love the recipe. No more boxed pancake mix for us .
Many thanks
Kathy Pacifici
Thank you for a great recipe, Jenn!
For those extra lazy (or very rushed) mornings this recipe can be doubled and baked in a quarter sheet pan at 425F for about 12-14 minutes (as one gigantic pancake for slicing, that is). The top and bottom doesn’t get as golden and crisp as individual ones would in a pan but the saved time is worth it for us. 🙂
Made these for the first time 5 years ago, for my husband’s first Father’s Day. They were so good that they became the offical Father’s Day breakfast but now that my kids are older and have tried them, it’s pancakes every Sunday morning! Thanks for the recipe and the family tradition!
I have made them 1million times. I drop the eggs and use water instead of milk and vegetable oil in place of butter but still amazing