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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What an excellent recipe, easy and quick to put together. The results were fluffy and light and very deliciosos!!! I generally make pretty bad cakes from scratch and the box mix are definitely worse. Thanks so much.
I found this recipe looking for a crispy pancake recipe. I cooked the pancakes for about 40 seconds on each side to achieve the perfect crispy fluffy pancake.
This recipe yielded 5 nice sized pancakes for me me.
Overall I was satisfied.
These pancakes are so amazing. they are a more dense pancake, but i like them that way. It’s nice to know that it came from scratch rather than out of a box. You should try these.
Tried this recipe for my daughter´s 15th birthday “breakfast-in-bed”. It was a school morning so I was rushed for time and had planned to use (gasp) Bisquick. When the mix was too old, I had to take a chance on finding a “quick” recipe on the internet. Sooo glad I found THIS recipe! I was hoping for good pancakes, but these were perfect. They looked and tasted like the best breakfast cafe pancakes I have ever had. More importantly, my daughter loved them! Will be making these again. You saved me, Jenn – thank you!
This recipe turned out really nicely. Great fluffy texture, buttery flavour and just the right amount of sweetness. I may even reduce the sugar slightly next time.
I have a question regarding the Best Breakfast Pancakes recipe. I have made these for my family and we love them! I have also noticed they are great re-heated the next day but I was wondering do they freeze well and if so how would you recommend we freeze/thaw them?
Thank you
Carla
Hi Carla, You could thaw them in the fridge overnight but I usually just cook them straight from the freezer. Simply place the frozen pancakes 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.
Best recipe ever, thank you so much. Really couldn’t fault them. Make them at least once a week for the family. I also like how I can make slight variations on flavor (extracts, choc chips, etc) and it doesn’t have a negative effect on the pancake. Fluffy and soft; PERFECT EVERYTIME!
Really didn’t care for this recipe. These were way too dry and needed flavor. Prefer a more spongy pancake. I used all new ingredients.
mmmm delicious! the taste and texture are interesting, feels like a mix between american pancakes and european style crepes. I might add a bit less milk next time so they are thicker. I added chocolate chips, for even more tastiness. Enjoy!
I will never get all those Saturday breakfasts back when I used a boxed pancake mix. Thank goodness I have found this recipe and can make better pancakes for my kids. This recipe is superb!