Old Fashioned Pancake Recipe

This Old Fashioned Pancake recipe makes for a delicious breakfast and completely from scratch. Calling for a few pantry and fridge staples, this homemade pancake batter transforms into the best fluffy pancakes! Makes 24 pancakes, but this recipe can easily be doubled.

Looking for something to pair with this pancake recipe? Don’t miss Sage Browned Butter Homemade Home Fries and Blended Mimosas!

If you came and stayed at my house on a weekend, I guarantee we’d make pancakes one of the mornings.

Not only do our kids expect this old fashioned pancake recipe, but it’s a long-standing tradition that goes back to the early days of our marriage.

There’s nothing quite as delicious as homemade fluffy pancakes, and this recipe is, well, the BEST.

Why I love this recipe:

These easy homemade pancakes are wonderfully fluffy and light. They’re slightly sweet and pair beautifully with maple syrup and fresh fruit, too.

The homemade pancake batter is incredibly simple to put together, too. If you keep baking supplies at home, you might have the ingredients to make these already!

Not only are they delicious, but they’re fun to make as a family.

Both our daughters get involved in the measuring, whisking and stirring. And we can’t forget the taste testing, either. 😉

Other pancake recipes you might enjoy: Sweet Potato Pancakes | Blueberry Breakfast Sausage Pancakes | Peanut Butter Pancakes with Raspberry Preserves Syrup | Double Chocolate Pancakes | Strawberry Dark Chocolate Pancakes

Need breakfast inspiration, but don’t know where to start? Head on over to my Breakfast and Brunch Recipe Index.

Tools to make this recipe:

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• Large mixing bowl
• Small mixing bowl or liquid measuring cup
• Whisk
• Rubber spatula
• 2-tablespoon cookie scoop
• Cast iron griddle—you can also use an electric one if you have one
• Pastry brush—to brush oil or melted butter onto your griddle
• Metal spatula—if you’re using a nonstick skillet, make sure your spatula is plastic so it doesn’t scratch the surface!

Here’s what you need:

• All-purpose flour — we always have unbleached at our house, but the regular kind works perfectly, too!
• Granulated sugar — also known as white sugar, this gives a little sweetness to our pancake batter.
• Leaveners — we’re using a combination of baking powder and baking soda to give our pancakes some lift. Make sure yours are fresh.
• Kosher salt — I use a medium-grain kosher salt. If you only have finer salt, consider using a little less so your batter does not become too salty.
• Milk — over the years, we’ve made this recipe with every type of milk available. Normally, we make them with whole milk because we always have that on hand. However, this recipe works with any cow’s milk (from whole to skim), as well as almond, cashew and coconut milk.
• Eggs — these help bring the batter together. I use large eggs.
• Vanilla extract — the real deal stuff brings all the flavors together.
• Flavorless oil — avocado vegetable or canola oil are perfect here! You can also use unsalted butter if that’s your jam, too.
• Toppings — maple syrup (or possibly Strawberry Syrup or Homemade Peach Compote), whipped cream, fresh fruit, chocolate chips and/or your favorite toppings

How do you make pancakes from scratch?

First, we’re going to make our homemade pancake batter.

In a large bowl, measure out the dry ingredients—flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk them together.

In a small bowl, combine the milk, eggs, vanilla extract and oil. (These are your wet ingredients.) Whisk them together or stir them with a fork until everything is combined.

Why? Because if you don’t mix the wet ingredients well, there will be ribbons of egg white in your pancakes. It’s not awesome, even if it is edible.

Once the wet ingredients are well combined, pour them directly into the flour mixture. Use a rubber spatula to gently stir them together until just combined. If you overmix the batter, the pancakes will become tougher, so just stir until the flour is incorporated. It’s OK if this batter has small lumps.

Let homemade pancake batter rest for 5-10 minutes. While it rests, heat your griddle or nonstick skillet over medium heat. When it’s hot, grease lightly with melted butter, flavorless oil or nonstick cooking spray.

Use a cookie scoop or a measuring spoon to dollop the batter onto the preheated skillet. I like to use a 2-tablespoon scoop to turn ours into silver dollar-sized, but you can obviously make larger ones, too.

When several bubbles have formed on the surface, flip and cook until golden brown and cooked through. (Do NOT press down on them after you flip them! This will deflate them!)

Repeat until all batter has been used.

Make a stack, and serve with your favorite toppings!

Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips

I previously thought pancakes would be fussy to prepare for brunch at home, but they really aren’t! It just requires a little patience, planning and working ahead to get ‘em made before guests arrive.

Here are a few tips and tricks to transforming this classic recipe into a brunch centerpiece:

• Depending on the amount of people you’re serving, you can double this recipe. You can also half it if you’re not feeding a crowd.
• Make the flapjacks before guests arrive, and keep them warm in the oven. We put ours on baking sheets* (affiliate link) and keep them warm in a 200°F oven.
• Transform your table into a pancake bar! Offer various toppings, like real maple syrup, sweetened whipped cream, berries or peach compote. (You can even make them into a Pancake Board if you’re feeling creative!)

Frequently Asked Questions

Quick Tips and Tricks for the Best Old Fashioned Pancakes

• Don’t overmix your batter! This means you want to mix the batter until it has just combined. Lumps are OK. If you whisk/mix until it’s completely smooth, the pancakes will become tough and won’t become as fluffy.
• When do you know how to flip? When big ‘ol bubbles start to form. Lift up the edge with a spatula to confirm the pancake is golden brown before flipping. Once you flip the pancake, you won’t flip it again.
• Once you’ve flipped your pancakes, don’t press down on them! This will deflate them. Obviously, we want them to puff up and be as light and airy as possible.
• Leftover pancakes? Freeze ’em! Line a baking sheet with wax paper, and pop them in the freezer for 4-6 hours. When the pancakes are fully frozen, transfer them to a freezer baggie. Reheat in the toaster oven, toaster or the oven until warm.