Easy Fluffy Pancakes
- PREP 10min
- COOK 20min
- TOTAL 30min
These homemade pancakes have been a reader favorite for years! We’ve tweaked the recipe over time, bumping up the butter and vanilla for the absolute best flavor. Thousands of families make these every weekend—and since we’re always making them with our son, seeing your comments makes us so happy.
This is a really simple pancake recipe, but after making them so many times, we’ve found two things that truly make them the best. First, when you mix the wet ingredients into the dry, don’t beat the batter. Just mix (a whisk is fine) until big streaks of flour disappear. Some little lumps here and there are fine. Second, ghee is fantastic for cooking the pancakes. It adds buttery flavor but won’t burn on you. If you don’t have any, use butter, then wipe the griddle or skillet clean as soon as you notice the butter is too dark. Add another knob of butter and go on with your pancake making!
You Will Need
5 tablespoons (70 g) butter, plus more for serving (European-style, like Kerrygold, is best)
1 ½ cups (195 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon aluminum-free baking powder, leveled
½ teaspoon fine sea salt (reduce to ¼ teaspoon if using salted butter)
1 ¼ cups (300 ml) whole milk or plant-based milk
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Ghee for cooking (optional)
Maple syrup, honey, fresh fruit, confectioners’ sugar, whipped cream, or coconut whipped cream, for serving
Directions
1Melt the butter and set it aside to cool slightly.
2In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, vanilla, and melted butter. If the melted butter solidifies into tiny bits when it hits the cold milk, don’t worry—it will melt right back into the batter as the pancakes cook.
3Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour the milk mixture into the well and stir just until the last streaks of flour disappear. A few small lumps are fine. Let the batter rest for 5 minutes. If it’s too thick to pour in a heavy ribbon, stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons of additional milk.
4Heat a large skillet (or griddle) over medium heat for about 2 minutes. To check if it is ready, sprinkle a few drops of water on the surface. They should “dance” and evaporate quickly.
5Add a knob of ghee (or butter) and swirl to coat the pan. When it sizzles, scoop the batter into the skillet using a ¼-cup measure or a large cookie scoop, then gently spread each mound into a 4-inch circle. Cook until the edges look dry and bubbles form and pop on the surface, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip and cook until the second side is lightly browned and cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes more.
6Transfer the cooked pancakes to plates, or place on a baking sheet in a 200°F oven to keep warm. Wipe the skillet clean if the butter begins to burn. Add more ghee (or butter) and repeat with the remaining batter. Serve warm with your desired toppings.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week, or freeze for up to two months.
- Measuring flour: Too much flour makes pancakes dense. Use a digital scale or the spoon-and-level method: fluff the flour in its container, gently spoon it into the measuring cup until slightly mounded, and sweep the top flat with a knife.
- Baking powder: Choose an aluminum-free brand, such as Rumford or Bob’s Red Mill, to prevent a metallic aftertaste. Level the measuring spoon against a flat edge for the perfect amount.
- Baking powder substitution: To make these pancakes without baking powder, substitute the milk with buttermilk and swap the leavener for ¾ teaspoon of baking soda. You can also create a buttermilk substitute by stirring 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar into the 1 ¼ cups of milk and letting it stand for 10 minutes.
- Optional add-ins: Fold ½ to ¾ cup of fresh berries, chopped nuts, crisped bacon, or chocolate chips directly into the batter before cooking.
- We don’t recommend making the batter too far in advance. The baking powder is activated as soon as it hits the wet ingredients. If it sits in the fridge overnight, it loses some lifting power, resulting in flatter pancakes. That said, since so many of you asked, we have made this batter and left it in the fridge overnight, and while the pancakes weren’t as fluffy, they still turned out okay.
- Recipe changes: Over time, we have increased the butter by 1 tablespoon and the vanilla by 1 teaspoon for flavor. We also no longer find it necessary to warm the milk before mixing, which streamlines the process and improves the final texture. We have also edited the recipe to be clearer.
- The nutrition data provided is an estimate.