Fluffy Pancakes from Scratch
Thick, fluffy pancakes from scratch with everyday pantry ingredients and regular milk, no buttermilk needed. Golden outside, light and tender inside.
29% of it needs you at the counter
- Hands-on
- 10 min
- Cooking
- 20 min
- Resting
- 5 min
- Serves
- 4
- Calories
- 460
- Protein
- 13 g
- Per serving
- $0.67
Why this recipe works
A stack of homemade pancakes beats any mix, and it takes about the same time. This batter uses regular milk, so there's no special shopping, and it's easy to dress up with blueberries or chocolate chips.
- Mixing just until the flour disappears, lumps and all, keeps the gluten relaxed, so the pancakes rise tall and tender instead of flat and chewy.
- A 5-minute rest lets the baking powder start working and the flour hydrate, which gives a thicker batter and taller pancakes.
- Medium-low heat is the key to an even golden color: too hot and the outside burns before the middle cooks through.
Ingredients
To serve
You will need
- Large nonstick skillet or griddle
- Two mixing bowls
- Whisk
- ¼-cup measure
- Wide spatula
Method
Tap a step number to mark it done.
Mix the dry ingredients
Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl.
AI-generated illustration of this step. Mix the wet ingredients
In a second bowl, whisk the milk, eggs, melted butter and vanilla until smooth. (If the butter clumps in cold milk, that's fine.)
AI-generated illustration of this step. Combine and rest
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and fold with a spatula just until no dry flour is visible. The batter should be thick and lumpy. Leave it for 5 minutes while the pan heats.
AI-generated illustration of this step. Heat the pan
Heat the skillet over medium-low heat for 3 to 4 minutes, until a drop of water sizzles gently. Wipe it with a thin film of butter.
AI-generated illustration of this step. Cook the pancakes
Pour ¼ cup of batter per pancake, leaving space between them. Cook until bubbles appear on top and the edges look set and dry, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook until golden and springy in the center, 1 to 2 minutes more. Repeat, adding butter as needed.
AI-generated illustration of this step.
Cook's notes
- Don't stir out the lumps. A smooth pancake batter has been overmixed and cooks up flat and tough.
- The first pancake is a test. If it browns before bubbles form, turn the heat down a little.
- Keep finished pancakes warm in a single layer on a baking sheet in a 200°F oven. Stacking them traps steam and makes them soggy.
- Add blueberries or chocolate chips to each pancake right after pouring, not into the bowl, so they don't sink or tint the batter.
Nutrition per serving
460 calories
$0.67 estimated cost per serving
Where the calories come from
| Protein | 11% of calories | 13 g |
|---|---|---|
| Carbs | 53% of calories | 60 g |
| Fat | 36% of calories | 18 g |
| Fiber | 2 g | |
| Sodium | 690 mg |
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients and amounts; not lab-tested. Cost estimated from average US retail prices.
Questions people ask
How do you make pancakes fluffy?
Use fresh baking powder, mix only until the flour disappears, let the batter rest for 5 minutes, and don't press the pancakes with the spatula after flipping.
Can I make pancakes with buttermilk instead?
Yes. Use 2 cups of buttermilk instead of the milk and add ½ teaspoon of baking soda to the dry ingredients. The pancakes will be a little tangier and even more tender.
Can you make pancake batter ahead of time?
It's best fresh, but you can refrigerate it for up to 1 day. The pancakes will be a bit flatter, since the baking powder loses some of its lift. Freezing cooked pancakes works better: reheat them in the toaster.
