Homemade Pancakes
Homemade Pancakes are thick pancakes from scratch that are melt in your mouth delicious. If you’re looking for a breakfast recipe for pancakes, this is the best one! I’ve tried so many pancake recipes and have never found a recipe that was worth keeping until I found this fluffy pancake recipe with melted butter in the batter. Serve with this homemade buttermilk syrup for a real treat or breakfast for dinner!
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HOMEMADE PANCAKE RECIPE
This morning we were supposed to go to brunch with my family but didn’t end up getting there until noon. The pancakes were okay but all I could think about is how much better these pancakes are than the ones made with a pancake mix. If you’re looking for a pancake recipe, this is it!
CLASSIC PANCAKES
I’ve been searching for the perfect pancake recipe and haven’t ever been satisfied. These are the perfect homemade pancakes.
For me, the perfect pancake is:
- Thick, not flat. A stack of fluffiness.
- Lots of flavor. It has to taste good all on its own. Anything tastes good when it’s drowned in syrup.
- The texture must be tender. These pancakes melt in your mouth but still have enough sturdiness to be claimed as hearty.
HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE PANCAKES
The trick to making fluffy pancakes is to use buttermilk or in this recipe we are making our own buttermilk from scratch essentially. Do not overmix the batter. This will make the pancakes rubbery because you are developing the gluten in the batter.
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Combine milk with vinegar in a medium bowl and set aside for 5 minutes to “sour”. It will look curdled.
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Combine the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk eggs and butter into “soured” milk. Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and stir until lumps are gone. Do not overmix!
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Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium high heat, and coat with cooking spray or you can use butter. Pour 1/4 measuring cup full of the pancake batter onto the skillet, and cook until bubbles appear on the surface and pancakes are golden brown. Flip with a spatula, and cook until browned on the other side. Serve with maple syrup, fruit, or whipped cream.
CAN I DOUBLE THIS RECIPE?
Yes, in fact this recipe makes eight large pancakes which would only feed about 4 of my kids. You can double this pancake recipe and freeze extra if you need to. If you need to make pancakes for a crowd I suggest these Sheet Pan Pancakes.
HOW ARE THESE DIFFERENT FROM BUTTERMILK PANCAKES?
In the first step we add vinegar to milk which is a substitute for buttermilk. So essentially these are buttermilk pancakes. If you have buttermilk you can replace it for the homemade buttermilk (milk with vinegar) in this recipe.
WHAT MAKES PANCAKES FLUFFY?
In these fluffy pancakes, the essential ingredient to make them fluffy is the homemade buttermilk (vinegar plus milk) and baking powder to raise them up.
CAN YOU MAKE PANCAKE BATTER THE NIGHT BEFORE?
Yes. Make the batter the night before and store in the refrigerator.
POSSIBLE ADD-INS
- chocolate chips
- blueberries
- raspberries
- bananas
- strawberries
OTHER BREAKFAST RECIPES:
- French Toast recipe
- Healthy Oatmeal Pancakes
- French Toast Roll-Ups
- Jelly Roll Pancakes
- Cheesy Baked Eggs
- Confetti Bacon Hash Brown Casserole
- Martha’s Breakfast Casserole
- Blueberry Croissant Puff
- Banana Muffins
- Cinnamon Roll Breakfast Bake
Homemade Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar, (can use lemon juice here as well. If you have buttermilk you can replace the milk and vinegar with 1 1/2 cups buttermilk)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- cooking spray
Instructions
- Combine milk with vinegar in a medium bowl and set aside for 5 minutes to "sour". It will look curdled.
- Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk eggs and butter into "soured" milk. Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and whisk until lumps are gone. Do not overmix!
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and coat with cooking spray or you can use butter. Pour 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto the skillet, and cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip with a spatula, and cook until browned on the other side. Serve with syrup, fruit, or whipped cream.
Video
Notes
After years of different recipes…THIS is my family’s favorite! Every single time. On a side note: My daughter recently got diagnosed with an egg allergy and we substitute the two eggs as follows:
1TBSP flax seed w/ 3 TBSP water
1 tsp baking soda w/ 1TBSP vinegar
No one seems to notice the difference.
I have also used apple sauce and bananas but the previous measurements above are my favorite
Thank you!!
Thank you so much for the tip!
These pancakes turned out great, straight from Ohio. W recipe, W rizz, W gyatt.
Thank you!
One of the best pancake recipes. Easy, fluffy and delicious!
This is the recipe I have grown up with – with vinegar soured milk.
Delicious! My husband and grandsons loved these pancakes. 🙂
Yay!
I use this recipe a lot for waffles in the mini waffle iron, it’s easy and good, thanks!
So happy to hear this!
I love these pancakes. Everyone I have shared this recipe with raves about them. Thank you!
You’re welcome!
Batter comes out too sticky!! They do not cook well. Part cooked part undercooked. Too thick!
The key is low heat and patience. Trust me!
My family and I only use this recipe! It’s the best pancake recipe I have ever used! Can I add pumpkin to the recipe to add a different flavor?
Sure! I’m not sure the amount you would add. I do have pumpkin pancakes on my site.
https://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/pumpkin-pancakes/
I will never buy boxed pancake mix ever again. These are so simple to make and turn out way better. We’re having breakfast for dinner tonight and just made a double batch of these for my hungry family. Thanks so much for the recipe my family asks me every week to make these for them.
So happy to hear that!
My wife wanted fluffy restaurant style pancakes and none of our go to restaurants were open (COVID). I made these up for yesterday’s brunch. I even had to put sprinkles in my daughter’s (she’s 21). They were even good the next day for a quick breakfast. Not sure I will buy boxed pancake mix ever again. I would rather take the extra time for these.
Aww thank you!
Ma’am. These are amazing. I’ve tried them all three ways – using buttermilk (yielded a rather thick batter), using milk & lemon, and most recently using milk & vinegar. All spectacular. Thank you for my new go-to pancake recipe. 🙏🏾
Yay!
Been searching for the best fluffiest pancakes. Here they are!
Thanks!
Hi there, can I use unbleached AP flour? Which one is the more appropriated flour for pancakes? Is the milk and vinegar better than yo use buttermilk? Please let me know. Thank you. Jorge
These pancakes are delicious. As someone who enjoys savory tastes, I would opt for less salt. I halved the recipe and it still came out well. I have to make sure the stove is to temperature before added the batter next time, my first two pancakes have been weird and I throw em away. The subsequent cakes though, magnificent. Thanks!
Thank you!
I made these last night. I doubled the recipe not realizing that they would turn out so HUGE and fluffy. They were a hit. I attempted to make some small ones and my daughter ate one without syrup before realizing she forgot the syrup. That’s how good these are. Putting aside my past recipes for this one. Thanks a bunch for sharing.
Aw thank you!
Can bread flour be used in lieu of all purpose flour in this recipe?
Yes, bread flour yields a lighter result!
I’ve been making them for two consecutive breakfast today. They are awesome, my daughter and grand children just love them. I’m making them right at this moment, I smell burnt!!!!!
Oh shoot! Sorry!
This recipe, it’s just so amazing. Thank you so much!!!!
You’re welcome!
Great texture but WAY overly sweet .. I will cut the sugar in half next time!
Interesting. I definitely don’t think they are sweet.
THE grand kids have voted. These are the best pancakes thei grandmother has ever made
Awee thanks.
This is the only pancake recipe I will use. They are literally amazing. I think it is best when you use the milk with vinegar combo. They come out fluffy and even alone taste delicious I feel like I stumbled on a gem. That is how good these are. I sometimes add a little vanilla or I add chocolate chips or blueberries for fun. Thanks for perfecting a perfect pancake!
Thank you!
I just made this recipe for my boyfriend and he said ”These are your best pancakes so far”. I am trying to go easy on carbs so I might try the recipe with a couple substitutions…Im excited!
Awesome! Thank you!
These are amazing! I’m a huge pancake fan and have tried many recipes but these are amazing! Hands down the best I’ve had!
Super fluffy! I added chocolate chips and blueberries and they turned out great.
I’ve been making these for a couple of years too with some minor adaptions. I love them! 😍 Can you tell me how long the raw dough will hold up in the fridge? Thank you
You can keep it up to 4 days.
Omg so good! My entire family loved them, and I didn’t change the recipe at all.
Happy to hear that!
The vinegarWas a nice trick! I had forgotten about it
Yep works great!
You might be on to something here with these fluffy pancakes, these turned out amazing. Great detail in the recipe, I even managed to trick a few people into thinking I could cook!
Haha glad I could help.
I made these pancakes today for brinner (breakfast for dinner). Ooooh, child! So, so yummy. They are good even without syrup. There will have to be dire circumstances for me to make pancakes from a mix again.
Yesss!
I’m a CIA graduate, total foodie. Been cooking for many many years. I’m super picky about my recipes. This is by far the best pancake I’ve ever made! They are light, fluffy and super flavorful. It’s a super balanced pancake. The vinegar used makes them have that touch of acid it needs. I just added a teaspoon of vanilla. I’m sure if you didn’t add it they would still be awesome! Thank you!
Thank you Alina!
This Pancake recipe is it! The pancakes were wonderful. I used Almond milk with lemon juice. Thick yet still light and fluffy. TASTY. No other recipe needed. Exactly what I needed in my life. Thanks.
Awesome to hear!
I don’t have any baking soda. Can I leave this out? Will it alter the flavor of the pancakes in any way?
Nope. It’s a leavener so it might alter the fluffiness of them.
New go-to pancake recipe!!!
Yay!! I love hearing that.
Just made these pancakes for breakfast and they were perfect! Used recipe exactly, with the milk/vinegar trick. I did exchange 1/4 cup of regular flour for whole wheat, for add-ins, I threw in a couple teaspoons of ground golden flax seed, hemp seed, and a bit of vanilla, but otherwise used the exact measurements from the base recipe. The family loved them! If I had fresh blueberries, would have thrown those in too, but this quarantine has me not going to the supermarket often. Luckily, had all the other ingredients, yay! Great recipe for FLUFFY pancakes, thanks for sharing!
Thank you ReeNee! That is the best compliment.
The best pancake recipe I’ve ever tried!
Num, num, num
I could eat them just plain they were so tasty! I cooked up a pear with cinnamon to put on top of mine. I do love pears but wow, that was way better than maple syrup to me. I used whole wheat white flour so maybe that flavor with pear worked well together.
My kids liked them with traditional maple syrup.
Anyway, making sure to not over mix, the batter was fairly thick so I did a bit more milk. They cooked up nice on my griddle at 250. Thick, fluffy, tasty.
Thanks for the feedback Camille!
These looked so beautiful and were so fluffy but I think a teaspoon of baking soda is a little too much. All I can taste is that metallic flavor. Thanks anyways.
Okay. Sorry you didn’t love them!
Um. This recipe is delicious! Best homemade pancakes over found this far. Actually, the only good recipe! Pancakes are very light, yet thick, and melt in your mouth.
Thank you for your feedback.
Made these for dinner today. An easy recipe that turned out perfect. I did take your suggestion about making my own buttermilk. I won’t be buying boxed mixes again!
Thanks!
You are welcome!
These pancakes are by far the best recipe ever!!!! I added 1 tsp of vanilla but everything else was exactly to the recipe. Yummmmmmmmm.
Vanilla would be great1
Yes, I added vanilla too-2 teaspoons. It just made sense to do that for some reason.
Best pancakes ever!! I’m not a huge homemade pancake fan but I finally found this gem. So so so delicious. Only modification I made was adding 1\2 tsp of vanilla extract.
Yes Ray vanilla would be great!
These are hands down the best pancakes I’ve ever made! My teenage boys loved them so much that they both said I shouldn’t ever make them another way. My pancakes are always flat and these rose up so well. Fluffy and so yummy even without syrup. Thanks for the great recipe!
You are welcome!!!
I usually don’t leave reviews, but I had to on this one. The first one fell a little flat and was missing something for me. So I made a second with a little natural honey while I waited for the rest of the mix to thicken, and WOW. And while I think that I didn’t have enough flour since the mix never really thickened, they were amazing!
That makes me happy!
This recipe is absolutely fantastic!! The only recipe I use now! Do you have any adaptations for adding pumpkin?
No but I do have pumpkin pancakes here. https://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/pumpkin-pancakes/
These were absolutely fluffy, tender and delicious, not to mention easy to whip together. They were a huge hit and this is now my go to pancake recipe. Thank you!
Awesome to hear that!
Beat pancake recipe ever! I have been making pancakes for decades. I was looking for a recipe for a more fluffy pancake and ran across this one. Made it for Father’s Day breakfast, and these were amazingly light, fluffy, and tasty. I made your homemade buttermilk syrup, too, and everyone loved it! So quick and easy, too. I’ll be keeping these!
Yesssss! Glad you liked it!
I’ve tried many recipes over the years but, this one is ABSOLUTELY THE BEST EVER!! Thank you so much!! I will never try any other. I love trying new recipes but, I always check out yours first.
Aww thanks Sharla.
These tasted amazing. I followed the recipe to a T and my batter was super thick and sticky. It made it hard to get them to cook evenly. I had my burner between low and medium. What am I doing wrong?
Shouldn’t be sticky but should be thick. Not sure what happened?
These were perfectly light and fluffy . One of the VERY few recipes i actually followed. Only variations i added were added vanilla and a touch of cinnamon and nutmeg. And added surprise caramel drops to each cake. Syrup not needed. Great grab n go treats for my boys
Can you make these pancakes without eggs.
Best pancakes I ever made! Fluffy, light, buttery… the only change was I added a dash of vanilla and used gluten free all purpose flour. Note, if you don’t slightly warm the milk before combining the liquids, then the butter separates. That’s ok, too, because it creates tiny delicious pockets of butter flavor. I also let the batter rest for 10-15 minutes before using as this makes them fluffier, alet thiker batter. Topped it with my own blueberry syrup using frozen blueberries and a little sugar cooked on the stove. Best breakfast ever, and to live for!
how do you freeze these pancakes- and once you want them again how do you reheat them?
I would just put them in a resealable bag and microwave to eat!
OH my god- I have finally found the PERFECT pancake recipe!!! Thank you Christy- I’ve been trying for years…and now you’ve ended my quest. I can’t wait to make these for my mom and I’m going to try them dairy free as well:) Soooo fluffy and cakey!! I took care not to over mix and sifted all the dry ingredients, added vanilla and let it sit for 10 min- INSANE results!
So glad you loved them!
I have made this recipe for years! It is definitely my go to. I do add 1-2 teaspoons of vanilla. Here’s a hint: let the batter sit undisturbed for 10 minutes. Tiny bubbles will form on the top making them even fluffier!
Thank you for the tips!
Stop! Stop! You are killing me! I am home alone and just made and devoured these gems. They are wonderful!!!
I’m guilty of that too. I’m sorry!!
These pancakes look amazing! Will coconut or almond milk work and if so do we still use vineyard?
Yes! It should work fine!
Would the homemade buttermilk recipe work with non-dairy milk like almond milk? Your pancakes look amazing!
Yes, it will absolutely work!
Will this recipe work with whole wheat flower?
Of course! It will have a heartier texture.
These fluffy pancakes were simply outrageous. I am not a pancake lover but you made them sound so good and the pictures were appetizing and I happen to have some buttermilk on hand, so I gave them a go! Wow…so, so fluffy. They cooked perfectly on my griddle at a medium ( 300 degree) setting. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
YAYYYYY! That makes me so happy!