Old Fashioned Pancake Recipe (Easy Fluffy Homemade Pancakes)

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 14 pancakes, but can easily be doubled.

Looking for something to pair with these fluffy pancakes? Don’t miss Sage Browned Butter Homemade Home Fries and Blended Mimosas!

A stack of old fashioned homemade pancakes on a white plate with syrup and butter with a wedge cut out of it

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

Not only do my kids expect this old fashioned pancake recipe on Saturday or Sunday mornings, but it’s a long-standing tradition and goes back to the early days of our marriage.

There’s nothing quite as delicious as a homemade fluffy pancake, and this best fluffy pancake 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 in your pantry, chances are that you’ve got the ingredients to make these beauties on hand!

Not only are these pancakes 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 tastetesting, 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.

Bowls of ingredients sit on a blue striped towel on a marble counter

Tools to make this old fashioned pancake 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 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!

In addition to these tools, you’ll need a few ingredients to make easy homemade pancakes from scratch:

All-purpose flour—we always have unbleached at our house, but the regular kind works perfectly, too!
Granulated sugar
Baking powder
Baking soda
Kosher salt
Milk—over the years, we’ve made these pancakes with every type of milk available. Recently, we’ve made them with whole milk because we always have that on hand, but this pancake recipe works with any cow’s milk (from whole to skim), as well as almond, cashew and coconut milk
Eggs
Vanilla extract
Flavorless oil—avocado vegetable or canola oil are perfect here! You can also use unsalted butter if that’s your jam, too.
Maple syrup (or possibly Strawberry Syrup or Homemade Peach Compote), whipped cream, fresh fruit, chocolate chips and/or your favorite toppings

Collage of six images showing how to mix the homemade pancake batter, as well as the pancakes on a griddle

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 or a liquid measuring cup, combine the wet ingredients—the milk, eggs, vanilla extract and oil. Whisk them together or stir them with a fork until everything is combined. Why? Because if you don’t give them a good mix, there will be random ribbons of egg in your pancakes, and that’s gross. (Please take this advice from me—I’ve made this mistake so many times, and I want your pancakes to be delicious.)

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

Set the homemade pancake batter aside, and let it rest for 5-10 minutes. While it rests, heat your griddle or nonstick skillet over medium heat and when it’s hot, grease lightly with butter, oil or cooking spray.

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

When several bubbles have formed on the surface, flip the pancakes, and cook through. (Do NOT press down on them after you flip them! This will deflate them!) Repeat until all batter has been made into pancakes.

Make a stack of these fluffy pancakes, and serve with warm maple syrup.

Syrup pours onto a stack of fluffy homemade pancakes

Close up of a stack of pancakes, with a wedge cut out of it, with butter and syrup on top

Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips

Easy homemade pancakes for an at-home brunch gathering? Heck yes!

While pancakes are something that I previously thought might be a fussier item to prepare for a brunch at home situation, you can absolutely make these for that! 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 these BEST fluffy pancakes 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 pancakes 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!)

Three plates holding stacks of pancakes topped with butter sit on a blue striped towel next to forks and a container of syrup

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the secret to making fluffy pancakes?

In my opinion, to secret to fluffy pancakes 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.

How do you make pancakes crispy from scratch?

To get a crispy exterior on your pancakes, your griddle needs to be warmed up, as well as have a little fat on it. We like to brush ours with butter between pancakes, but you can also use an unflavored oil if that’s more your speed.

Why are my pancakes flat and rubbery?

If your pancakes are flat and rubbery, you probably overmixed them. The more you mix the ingredients together, the more gluten forms, which will change the texture.

Should pancake batter be thick or runny?

This batter is kind of in between super thick and runny. The key is letting it be lumpy and just stirring until all the flour is incorporated so the pancakes will be nice, light and fluffy.

Syrup pours onto a stack of fluffy homemade pancakes with the text 'how to make fluffy pancakes'

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 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.

14 pancakes

Old Fashioned Pancakes

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 ½ cups milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons flavorless oil (avocado, vegetable or canola oil all work)

Toppings

Real maple syrup
Sweetened whipped cream
Fresh fruit
Chocolate chips
Sprinkles

Instructions

In a large bowl, measure out the flour, 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 2 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

This recipe makes 14 (2 tablespoon) pancakes. You can make larger or smaller pancakes, but the number of pancakes will change based on the size.

You can easily half OR double this recipe!

If your batter doesn’t immediately spread when you measure
it onto the griddle, consider spreading it with an offset spatula or a butter
knife immediately. Why? The thinner the batter is, the less of a chance you have of a raw inside and a burned exterior.

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.