Best Homemade Pancake Recipe
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Rise and shine! These fluffy homemade pancakes with irresistibly crispy edges are simply the best.
This homemade pancake recipe, adapted from The New York Times Cookbook by Craig Claiborne, has been a beloved staple in my kitchen since my kids were little, and for good reason. Made with ingredients I always have hand—like flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, milk, eggs, and butter—the pancakes have the perfect texture: fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside.
While they’re delicious on their own, you can customize them with your favorite add-ins. When my kids were younger, I used to dot them with chocolate chips for a special treat. Now that they’re older, I sometimes add fresh or frozen blueberries (these banana pancakes and pumpkin pancakes are delicious, too). Once you try from-scratch pancakes, you’ll never look at boxed mixes the same way again. Homemade pancakes are just as easy to whip up and taste so much better.
Table of Contents
“My husband and daughter agree, best pancakes ever! It was so simple and quick to whip up on a busy Saturday.”
What You’ll Need To Make The Best Homemade Pancake Recipe
Step-by-Step Instructions
Combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a bowl.
Mix well.
Combine the eggs and milk in a bowl.
Whisk to combine.
Pour the milk mixture and the melted butter into the dry ingredients.
Stir just enough to moisten the flour mixture. It should look a little lumpy. (If you overwork the mixture, the pancakes will be tough.) This is a thick batter but if it seems too thick, add a bit more milk.
Heat a griddle or large nonstick pan over medium heat; coat it lightly with vegetable oil and swirl in a thin pat of butter. Ladle the batter onto the skillet, using about 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 totally clean with a paper towel between batches. Serve immediately with maple syrup and a pat of butter, if desired.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, freezing pancakes is a great way to enjoy them later. Cool the pancakes completely on a wire rack to prevent condensation. Then, 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.
Yes, you can personalize your pancakes with a variety of mix-ins. It’s often best to dot the add-ins like blueberries, chocolate chips, or banana slices directly onto the pancakes after you’ve poured the batter into the skillet. This approach allows for more even distribution and prevents the heavier items from sinking to the bottom of the bowl.
No, waffles require a batter with more fat to create their crispy exterior and fluffy interior, which is different from the lighter, more pourable pancake batter. For the best results, I have a wonderful waffle recipe that’s tailored to give you the perfect texture and flavor. Trust me, it’ll turn out much better!
Video Tutorial
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Best Homemade Pancakes
Rise and shine! These fluffy homemade pancakes with irresistibly crispy edges are simply the best.
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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Tried this recipe for breakfast. My boyfriend says these pancakes are so yummy and we will stop buying the boxed mix and will start making our own. He says we will try experimenting with other flours and use this recipe always since it’s very easy. We added banana slices and strawberries over them for added sweetness. Thank you Jenn! 🙂
Absolutely delicious! I love all of your recipes. I just ordered your cook book this morning. These make for a wonderful father’s day breakfast!
Glad they were a hit! Thanks for your support with the cookbook. ❤️
I lost an old pancake recipe that my mom used. (it’s around here somewhere) I found this site via google and used the recipe and these are just as good as the old recipe. I will be using this one more often. They came out nice and light!
My family loved these pancakes. We all agreed that we have finally found our go to pancake recipe. Thank you for all your great recipes, truly love them.
My favorite buttery pancakes. So delicious.
We’ve been making these pancakes for years. Fluffy and delicious. My daughter loves hers with chocolate chips, so I omit the sugar and use semi-sweet chocolate chips for her.
We love ALL of your pancake recipes, but this is the one I made tonight. Our grandkids think I’m the best cook, because I make Jenn’s blueberry pancakes and blueberry syrup, and the banana pancakes, and this recipe. All are absolutely top-notch recipes that never fail. And we love the blueberry pancake syrup spooned onto your frozen yogurt recipe when I don’t have fresh berries on hand. Jenn, you rock!
Would you recommend freezing the batter or the already made pancake. Trying to think of how do make pancakes for 300 people!
That’s a lot of pancakes! I’d make the pancakes ahead and freeze them. They reheat nicely.
I made these last night for dinner while I was making your chocolate chunk cookies. I did use buttermilk in place of the milk and doubled the recipe. Easily doubled and they were amazing! Tender, tasty and downright the best pancake ever. Great job Jenn!
Hands down the best pancakes! I’ve used this recipe several times and it hasn’t failed me. Thanks Jenn!
Hi Jen! Would love to make these into chocolate pancakes – what adjustments would I need to make to allow for cocoa powder and melted chocolate in the batter?
THANKS 🙂
Hi Louise, You could swap out 2 Tbsp. of the flour for cocoa powder. I wouldn’t suggest adding melted chocolate to the batter, but you could definitely add chocolate chips. LMK how they turn out!
Love this pancake recipe! So easy, delicious, and it’s become my go-to for breakfasts on the weekends. Ingredients are usually all in my fridge and it takes almost no time to throw it all together.
Always perfect, always so simple. I take this same recipe and put the juice of half of a lemon in the milk before I use it. Instant buttermilk, then buttermilk pancakes.
Just made these for the first time. AWESOME! My entire family loved them.
This is almost identical to the version I’ve come up with after lots of trial and error with ones from scratch. I had a 1/2 tsp of cinnamon and it adds a nice flavor without being too overpowering. Also, I use 100% whole wheat flour for all the flour and still comes out nice and fluffy.
A quote from my husband, “these are the best pancakes I have ever had!” Another great recipe. Thanks so much!
Light, airy and delicious! They looked just like your photograph. My only addition was a 1/2 tsp of vanilla. My daughter and I decided we’ve found THE pancake recipe and we’ll never be using a boxed pancake mix again. Can’t wait to try your banana pancake recipe!
Even the worlds fussiest 14 year old loved them!
Thanks for this delicious recipe! I no longer need a boxed mix of ingredients I don’t recognize.
Can this batter be prepared the night before?
These are really best when the batter is made right before cooking as they will be much puffier, but you can get away with it. I have done this when I’ve had leftover batter from the morning before.
How long can the dry ingredients stay mixed? Can I prep a large amount of flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder, then measure out a heaping cup when mixing in wet ingredients?
Yes, you could definitely do that! I would guesstimate they’d keep okay for 6 to 8 weeks. It will really depend on the expiration dates of the ingredients.
Perfect! My kids new favorite pancakes!
This is the best pancake recipe! Follow it exactly as written and you shouldn’t be disappointed! Light, fluffy and delicious!
These pancakes were amazing! I found the perfect recipe now. As I placed the batter in the pan, I knew that they would taste great. The consistency was what I’d been looking for, not runny at all. When they were done, it was delicious and fluffy. Thank you.
After 12 years of marriage, I’ve FINALLY found a pancake recipe that makes mine better than Aunt Shirley’s.
*mike drop*
I’ve tried other pancake recipes before yet they came out like lead discs. Even though i was unsure about how the batter looked when i made these, i trusted your directions and didn’t over-beat or adjust the consistency and they came out perfectly. I even added some frozen blueberries to a few and chocolate chips to others. Really delicious! Thank you!
Perfect!
These were terrible they tasted like playdo and not even cream and maple syrup blocked the taste. Defenitly using this recipe again!
Must not have followed the directions as written.
Thank you. Were great. Adding to my favourites. No more boxed mix for us!
Just made them this morning. Followed the recipe exactly, and they turned out great. My husband loved them. We’re ditching our old recipe that we’ve used for 10 years. Thank you!
First, I want to say I really enjoy your blog and most of your recipes! Made these pancakes for my neighbor and myself. I’ve been hesitant because I love buttermilk pancakes. Yes, these were good but I missed the vanilla flavor and the buttermilk tang. My neighbor loved them!
I used buttermilk and 2 tbs of vanilla and they were awesome. Favorite by far!!!?
I used whole wheat flour and they came out amazing! Thank you so much Jennifer for the great recipes!! =)
Hi, Jenn!
Fantastic recipe! At last, a pancake my family enjoyed! Your recipes always produce a superior product. Thank you for sharing your expertise with us.
Delicious! We really enjoyed these pancakes!!! My new go-to pancake recipe. I’ll need to double the recipe each time though – the 4 of us were fighting over them :-). Love your site & all of your recipes make me look like a star!!! Thanks so much!!!
We are still making these pancakes & they are our absolute favourite. Seriously – no fail recipe!!! We double batch every time.
I actually prefer to use 1/2 c milk and 1/2c whipping cream and leave out the butter…very light!
Delicious and super easy to make. I’m truly blown away at how good they were and how little work it was. Pancakes from scratch from now on!
I made the first batch exactly like the recipe and it came out great but not a fluffy as the pictures. The second batch I made I only added 3/4 c. of milk and no butter and they came out very fluffy. I also always let the batter sit for 10 minutes before I cook them to help the baking soda do it’s job. Great recipe that I will use as a base pancake recipe. Thanks
I love the recipe but how do I make a single serving with this recipe?
Hi Kaléna, you could cut the recipe in half or even quarter it, but if you’re going through the process of making them, I would just make the full batch and freeze them. They freeze really nicely! When you’re ready to eat the pancakes that have been frozen, just 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. Hope that helps!
Loved it.. My 20 month old wouldn’t eat anything since morning and was asking for ‘cupcakes cupcakes’. I din’t have the patience to make cupcakes so went for pancakes instead. She loved it! Just added diced banana and vanilla essence to the batter.
I did not like these. They were edible and fine but not great. I was underwhelmed and felt there was a lack of flavor.
I found a little substituting worked great. I used brown sugar instead of white sugar (I added a extra half spoonful). I also added in a pumpkin pie spice and extra cinnamon as well. They turned out delicious, nice and fluffy. Im definitely bookmarking this recipe, its easy to use and easy to add and sub things into.
These were the best pancakes ever. I cut the salt to 1/4 tsp. mostly because I only had salted butter in the fridge. They came out perfectly!
love it, I make this recipe almost daily for my 3.5 yr old daughter. She loves them cold …morning, noon and night!
thank you!
dang them some tasty cakes!!1! like mama made em. 😀
These are a nice alternative to boxed pancake mix. But I like your recipe for the buttermilk pancakes so much better!
Delish! Simple ingredients, easy to make and delicious, thank you…
The best pancakes ever but I cut the salt in half.
Wonderful pancakes! Best homemade recipe I’ve gotten online. They were very fluffy
Been a pancake in a box mix type of person my whole life till a year ago when I met someone worth cooking for and who loves to eat. I decided to try from scratch and although good, nothing can compare to your recipe I tried today. Freak’n amazing! Thank you.
These were amazing! After 2 I was completely full. Very tasty
I made these while I was camping with my friends, needless to say there were not any left overs, it tastes even better in a cast iron skillet over an open fire……
Thanks again Jenn, another keeper.
Dave
I liked the thickness and fluffiness but they were really salty. Next time I’ll add less salt.
I made these this morning, meant to make the d fashion yeast waffles but didn’t realize I hadron make them a day ahead. Anyway I added 1/2 tsp of vanilla and followed the pancake recipe, made perfect never get soggy waffles!!!!
My family loved them.