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
More Breakfast Recipes to Love
Best Homemade Pancakes
These pancakes are simple enough for a weekday yet special enough for a weekend.
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.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The pancakes can be frozen for up to 3 months. After they are completely cooled, place a sheet of parchment or wax paper between each pancake and stack together. Wrap the stack of pancakes tightly in aluminum foil or place inside a heavy-duty freezer bag. To reheat, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and cover with foil. Bake in a 375°F oven for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until hot.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (8 servings)
- Calories: 240
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated fat: 5 g
- Carbohydrates: 33 g
- Sugar: 9 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Sodium: 262 mg
- Cholesterol: 67 mg
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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These were really good! I have to be honest, I didn’t expect much since the ingredients are so basic and the recipe does not use buttermilk. But the taste and texture was wonderful!
Just for fun we topped the pancakes with the following:
salted butter, crunchy PB, banana slices, pure maple syrup, and whipped cream!
So good!
Is it possible to sub white whole wheat flour or whole wheat flour in this recipe? Or can you suggest other ways of adding fiber?
Hi Anita, White whole wheat would work here. Hope you enjoy!
Delicious.
Added a few raisins to the flour mixture, and this was a real treat this morning.
Thank you.
Hi. This Pancake Recipe looks amazing. I have been searching for a Lemon Pancake recipe. Is there anyway to tweak it to make Lemon Pancakes? I am open to Lemon Ricotta pancakes too.
Hi Rebecca, if you want to infuse a subtle lemon flavor to the pancakes, you could add a teaspoon of lemon zest to the batter. If you’d like a lemon ricotta pancake recipe, I’d look specifically for that, as this one would require too many tweaks. Hope you enjoy if you make these!
These are the best – Ever! Thank you Jenn. As usual you nailed it and made me look good:-). I followed the recipe to a T. Perfect blend of crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. To whomever is reading the reviews wondering if this recipe is any good, you don’t have to go any further. Just follow Jenn’s recipe then sit back and bask in the praises.
Worked exactly as described. Puffiest pancakes we have made. Fought the urge to wisk the mixture longer. I doubled the recipe except used only half the salt and added 1/2 tsp Vietnamese Cinnamon from King Arthur Flour. Had all ingredients at room temperature. Alas, I forgot to add the vanilla I had planned. Will do that next time. 35 pancakes, ~4 inch diameter. Our gas stovetop runs a little hot so I used low on the front large burner and medium low on the smaller back burner for the long rectangular griddle that fits over them.
Hi Jenn, gotta say that I LOVE your website and have not yet had a fail with anything I have made from it. I have a question (or 2) about the pancake batter: If I prep a bunch batter to use during the week, how long will the batter stay good for in the fridge? When I am ready to use the batter, can it be used straight from the fridge? If not, how long would you say I should keep it out for prior to using? Does it need to come to room temperature? Yup, I know…that was 4 questions. 🙂
Thank you for your answer and for all the recipes you share!!
Hi Marsha, so glad you like the website/recipes! These are really best when the batter is made right before cooking as they will be much puffier, but you can get away with storing the batter overnight. If you do that, you don’t need to bring it to room temperature before using. Hope that helps!
I have used the Craig Clairborne recipe for years, I see you add a little sugar and butter instead of oil. I add a T molasses and vanilla, but will try the butter next time. We enjoy your daily suggestions and have never been disappointed in your recipes.
Funny this recipe came to me this AM and my daughter asked me if we could make pancakes. So when back to find your recipe and made them. Everyone loved them I made them as written but would add a little more sugar and a little less salt, really fluffy!!
Can I substitute the milk with water and/or almond milk?
Yep I think almond milk would work. Enjoy!