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? Don’t miss Sage Browned Butter Homemade Home Fries and Blended Mimosas!
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If you came and stayed at my house on a weekend, I guarantee we’d make pancakes or waffles one morning.
Not only do our kids expect these good old fashioned pancakes every weekend, but pancakes are 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 recipe is incredibly simple to put together, too. If you keep baking supplies at home, you might have the ingredients to make these already!
They’re not classic Buttermilk Pancakes, and you won’t have to run out to the store to grab buttermilk, so that’s a massive win!
Not only are they delicious and wonderfully fluffy, 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 | Orange Pancakes with Chocolate Chips
Need breakfast inspiration, but don’t know where to start? Head on over to my Breakfast and Brunch Recipe Index.
What you need to make this recipe:
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- Large mixing bowl
- Small mixing bowl or liquid measuring cup
- Whisk
- Rubber spatula
- 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!
Let’s talk ingredients!
In addition to the tools above, you’re going to need some ingredients to make this recipe, too! Chances are, you might already have some of them in your fridge or pantry. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full measurements and instructions.
Here’s what you need:
- All-purpose flour — we always have unbleached at our house, but the regular kind works perfectly, too! If you have self-rising flour, check out how to make pancakes with self rising flour.
- Granulated sugar — also known as white sugar, this gives a little sweetness to our batter.
- Leaveners — we use a combination of baking powder and baking soda to give our pancakes some lift. Make sure yours are fresh.
- Kosher salt — I use medium-grain kosher salt. If you only have finer salt, consider using a little less so your batter does not become overly salty.
- Milk — over the years, we’ve made this recipe with every type of milk available. Normally, we make them with whole milk. 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, vegetable oil or canola oil are perfect here! You can also use unsalted butter if that’s your jam.
- 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?
Measure out the dry ingredients into a large bowl. This includes the 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.
DID YOU KNOW?
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 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 the batter rest for 5-10 minutes. While it rests, heat your griddle or nonstick skillet over medium heat.
When the griddle is 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 griddle. I like to use a 1.5-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, making pancakes in batches, 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! This 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, fresh berries or peach compote. You can even make them into a Pancake Board if you’re feeling creative!
- Add them to a Breakfast Charcuterie Board!
Frequently Asked Questions
The secret is mixing the wet and dry ingredients separately so you don’t overmix the batter once they’re combined. Also, making sure your baking powder and baking soda are both fresh.
Your griddle needs to be warm and greased. We like to brush our griddle with melted butter between rounds of batter. You can also use an unflavored oil in place of the butter. This prevents sticking and also gives the pancakes a crisp exterior.
If they’re flat and rubbery, you probably overmixed the batter. The more you mix the ingredients together, the more gluten forms, which will change the texture.
This batter is kind of in between super thick and runny. The key is just stirring until all the flour is incorporated so the pancakes will be nice, light and fluffy. It’s OK for there to be some small lumps in the batter.
I do not recommend it, as the milk adds both fat and liquid to the pancake batter. If you don’t have milk on hand, try out these Pancakes without milk.
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 or a freezer-safe airtight container. Reheat in the toaster oven, toaster or the oven until warm.
Here’s how you can make ’em…
Old Fashioned Pancakes
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 240g
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 31g
- 2 teaspoons baking powder 12g
- ½ teaspoon baking soda 4g
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt 3g
- 1 ½ cups milk 382ml
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 6g
- 2 tablespoons flavorless oil avocado, vegetable or canola oil all work (26g)
Toppings
- Real maple syrup
- Sweetened whipped cream
- Fresh fruit
- Chocolate chips
- Sprinkles
Equipment
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Instructions
- In a large bowl, measure out the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk together until incorporated.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, vanilla extract and oil. Whisk together with a fork until combined—you want to ensure that the egg is incorporated. Why? We do not want random egg whites in our pancakes.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stirring until just combined. Be careful not to overmix, as this will affect the texture of the pancakes.
- Set aside the batter, and let it rest for 5-10 minutes.
- While the batter rests, heat a griddle or nonstick skillet over medium heat. Grease the pan lightly with butter or cooking spray.
- Dollop the pancakes onto the preheated skillet when ready. I like to use a cookie scoop to measure my pancakes out into 1.5-tablespoon silver dollar sized ones, but you can use a larger measuring scoop if you’d rather larger pancakes.
- When several bubbles have formed on the surface, flip the pancakes, and cook through. Repeat until all batter has been made into pancakes.
- Make a stack of pancakes, and serve with warm maple syrup, softened butter and your favorite fruits.
Notes
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 won't become as fluffy.
- When do you know how to flip? When big 'ol bubbles start to form in the batter. Lift up the edge a little bit with a spatula to confirm the color on the other side before committing… because when you flip them, you won't flip them again. (Yep. We only need to flip our pancakes once.)
- 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.
Nutrition
About the Author:
Erin Parker is a Southern gal living in Texas with her husband and two daughters. She started The Speckled Palate to share what she was cooking as a newlywed… and over the years, it’s evolved to capture her love for hosting. Specifically, the EASIEST, lowest key entertaining because everyone deserves to see their people and connect over good food. Learn more about her…
Don’t have kosher salt. Will regular work?
Debra, I’m so sorry about my delayed response. (For whatever reason, your comment didn’t end up in my inbox.) Yes, regular salt will work.
My husband loves pancakes so I sent this recipe to him so he could make them for a weekend treat. We already finished off a stack and they were so good. Easy to make too.
This makes me so happy to hear, Debi! What a wonderful weekend tradition and a nice treat for both of you. 🙂
OMG this is the best pancake recipe! So easy to make and delicious!
Fabulous tips for the best pancakes! Thank you!
You’re so welcome! Hooray for homemade pancakes!
Wow, are these fluffy and delicious! My kids loved them for our Saturday breakfast over the weekend!
I prefer to make from scratch recipes as much as possible and this recipe was a BIG hit with my three boys! So good my oldest declared when we ran out of syrup he didn’t need syrup to eat them. We will definitely add this into our weekend breakfast rotation!
I made these for my wife. Making things from scratch always stresses me out, but I actually did a great job, thanks to this recipe. Thank you!!!!
My husband is very picky with his pancakes and today I wanted to try this recipe and we both LOVED it. He even told me “keep doing pancakes this way” so I had to save it. I recommend a 100%. Taste 10/10 Texture 10/10 Ingredients we all have at home, easy and quick to make.
Incredible! Everyone loved it. Definitely our new go-to pancake recipe! Bookmarked!
These are the best most fluffy pancakes I have ever made! Won’t use another recipe, ever!
YAY! This makes me so happy to hear, Michaela! Here’s to awesome fluffy pancakes! So happy you loved this recipe!
way to much milk to flour ratio
These are the best pancakes ever! So light and fluffy!
THESE ARE THE FLUFFIEST PANCAKES EVER! I am so excited to have found your recipe. Can’t wait to make them again.
I’m so excited that you found this recipe, too, and am excited for you to have fluffy pancakes for breakfast (or dinner!) whenever you want!
Oh, so happy to hear this! Thanks, Jennifer. We love them, too. So much.
Light, fluffy and perfect, loved all the tips! We made them for dinner the other night because pancakes for dinner are the best!
Oh, this makes me SO happy to hear that you made these pancakes and thought they were perfect. Glad the tips helped, too! Pancakes for dinner truly ARE the best!
Light and fluffy, just the way we like our pancakes. Made these a couple of times, so bookmarked your recipe. Thank you!
Made these for Sunday breakfast and the family raved over them! So fluffy and delicious!
These were the best pancakes! Super fluffy and delicious. My kids devoured them!
YAY! I’m so glad you and your kids enjoyed these fluffy pancakes. They’re a weekend tradition in our house, and I hope they become one in yours, too.
Best pancakes recipe ever! This is our go-to recipe, and we just love how fluffy and soft it is.
YAY! So happy to hear this is your go-to recipe. The fluffiness of these pancakes is my favorite, too!
10 stars!!!
Pancakes look easy, but I’ve never found a great recipe at home until making this one. My family loved them and they were so simple with your recipe.
This is my GO-TO pancake recipe!! They turn out perfect every single time!