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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I followed the directions, and they had an awful taste as if too much baking powder; big waste and disappointment!
Then you didn’t make them right. All of Jenn’s recipes are the BEST!!!
My family and I love these pancakes!! Is there a griddle you recommend that you could link?
Hi Heather, Glad you all like the pancakes! I’d suggest Cuisinart Chef’s Classic Nonstick Double Burner Griddle.
That is very helpful, thanks!!
Made this for the first time this morning, husband and I both agreed there was some weird chemical taste to the recipe. Any idea what I could’ve done wrong?
Hi Jade, I’m sorry you had a problem with the flavor of these! Too much baking powder can cause a bitter taste. Is there any chance you may have made a measuring error with it?
Delicious pancakes! I made ours with gluten free flour mix and added 3/4 tsp Xanthan gum. Turned out perfect. Thank you
The pancakes are very light and fluffy. We had them for dinner with eggs and bacon. Delicious!
Can I use Avocado oil instead ? Thanks.
I assume you mean for cooking? If so, yes that’s fine. Hope you enjoy!
What are the ingredients ? Thanks.
Hi Marcelo, It sounds like you are just looking at the portion of the page that has the pictures with some instructions above. If you scroll down a bit to under the pictures, you’ll find the full recipe. Alternatively, at the very top of the page, to the right of the recipe name, you’ll see an orange/red button that says Jump to Recipe – if you click on that, it will take you directly to the recipe. Hope that clarifies!
I made the pancakes exactly as the recipe shows, and they are the best homemade pancakes my family and I have ever had! We had some leftovers and rather than microwaving them to warm up, we put them in the toaster at the lowest warm setting and the pancakes tasted like fresh made. These pancakes are delicious!
Delicious light and fluffy pancakes!
Whoever finds them dense maybe isn’t measuring flour correctly. I added a splash of vanilla and always let pancake batter rest. It puffs up considerably.
Thanks Jenn for another great recipe ❤️
Just to be sure: If your recipe has been doubled, the 4 TSP measurement is correct?
If I use this amount to make 16 pancakes, which is too much for my husband and me, can the left over batter hold in refrigerator for a couple of days?
Thanks,
Sunny Drohan
Hi Sunny, Yes, the 4 teaspoons of baking powder is correct. And the pancakes will definitely fluffier if cooked them right after you make the batter, but you can store some of it in the fridge for a day or two. You can also make the whole batch and refrigerate the extras for a few days or freeze them for up to 3 months (see the bottom of the recipe for freezer-friendly instructions).
Just made these with mini chocolate chips (the miniature ones avoid any issues with sinking in the batter or burning on the griddle, while ensuring lots of chocolate throughout), and they were perfect! Fluffy, lightly crisp, and everything a chocolate chip pancake should be. The only recipe better than this one is yours for banana (chocolate chip) pancakes!