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This is the best homemade pancakes recipe from scratch. You can fool around with all sorts of other ingredients when it comes to pancakes, but in the end it’s always Grandma’s recipe that rules them all.
This was my Grandma’s and then my Mom’s recipe and now it’s all that I use for my family anymore! It’s perfect every time! I also have a great Belgian Waffles recipe if you want to try those as well.
How to Make Pancakes from Scratch
Making these is easier than you think. Here’s how to get started:
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, white sugar and salt in a medium bowl. (see the recipe card below for measurements)
- In another bowl, combine milk, eggs, oil and vanilla.
- Make a well in the dry ingredients, then pour in the wet ones, whisking until smooth.
- Start heating your griddle (medium heat) then take a scoop of batter and pour onto the preheated griddle. Flip when slightly bubbled and golden brown underneath. Cook until golden brown.
- Serve and enjoy!
Variations
- Whole Wheat: You can substitute whole wheat flour easily (just add another 1/2 tsp of baking powder to compensate for the heaviness).
- Cake Flour: If you want your pancakes to be fluffier, follow the instructions below and use cake flour!
How to Make Fluffy Pancakes
I have a whole post on how to make fluffy pancakes, so make sure to read that! I suggest letting the batter sit for a while ( 5-10 minutes) and let the chemical reactions start working. I’ve also found that waiting to heat your griddle AFTER you make the pancakes gives you that time to let the batter sit.
Making Pancakes From Scratch Tips & Tricks
- Use a hot griddle. Not as hot as a lot of recipes tell you, because then you just burn the outside of the pancake and the inside is raw. Try using a medium-high heat setting.
- Get a wide spatula/flipper. This will help you lift the pancake properly and turn it over. I like flippers.
- Serve this with my Homemade Brown Sugar Sauce (that’s what is in the photos)
- If you want lighter, fluffier pancakes use the cake flour, but the end product pancakes do soak up the syrup more than the all purpose flour pancake recipe does. I personally like it better, and will keep a bag of cake flour on hand for pancakes.
- Don’t have cake flour? See below for instructions!
IMPORTANT NOTE
IF YOU ARE USING SIFTED FLOUR, adjust your liquid measurements! I do NOT use sifted flour and that is why your batter will be too runny. Don’t sift your flour!
How to Make Cake Flour
Making your own cake flour is so easy it’s not even funny! I just happened to have a bag of it, but when I make pancakes and don’t have that bag anymore (because obviously I am bad at remembering to buy flour) I will make some cake flour. All you have to do is:
- For every cup of all-purpose flour that you use, you are going to remove 2 tbsp of the flour, then replace it with 2 tbsp of cornstarch and whisk in.
- So for example, scoop 4 cups of all-purpose flour into a bowl. You will then remove 8 tbsp ( which is 1/2 cup) of the all-purpose flour and put it back in the bag. Then you will get 1/2 cup of cor
nstarch and add that into the bowl of flour. Take a whisk and whisk it all together. - Voila! Cake flour!
This is the recipe that my mom used while we were growing up as she always made pancakes from scratch. She would freeze then and then we would eat them during the week for a quick breakfast! Try my Overnight Cinnamon French Toast Casserole or my Best Bakery Style Blueberry Muffins for more great breakfast and brunch recipes!
Happy cooking!
Karlynn
The BEST Homemade Pancake Recipe From Scratch
- Prep Time
- 5 minutes
- Cook Time
- 20 minutes
- Total Time
- 10 minutes
- Course
- Breakfast Meals
- Cuisine
- American
- Servings
- 14 pancakes
- Calories
- 201
- Author
- Karlynn Johnston
Ingredients
- 2 2/3 cups all-purpose or cake flour
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 cups milk
- 2 eggs
- 6 tablespoons oil or melted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- In a medium bowl or a large 16 cup capacity liquid measuring cup, whisk together the flour, baking powder, white sugar and salt.
- In another large capacity liquid measuring cup, combine 2 1/2 cups of milk, eggs, oil and vanilla. Mix until combined. If you need to, add more milk until the batter reaches desired consistency.
- Make a well in the dry ingredients, and pour the egg mixture in. Whisk together until the batter is smooth with only a few flour chunks – it doesn’t have to be completely smooth.
- If you have a griddle start it heating now on medium heat. I have a cast iron one that I adore, but it takes a while for it to heat up uniformly. If not, heat the largest pan that you have.
- To make the pancakes I use a muffin batter scoop, which is called a #8 disher scoop. This is one of my favourite kitchen hacks, that scoop! It measures out muffins, pancakes, extra large cookies, you name it!
- Take one scoop of batter and pour onto your already heated griddle, fitting on as many as you can at once. Flip your pancakes when they are slightly bubbled on the surface and golden brown underneath. The key is a medium heat that is ready and raring to go, so they instantly sizzle when you place them on the surface, but not so hot they burn.
- Continue to cook all of the batter, placing cooked pancakes on a covered plate when cooked.
- Serve with my Homemade Brown Sugar Sauce.
Recipe Video
Nutrition Information
All calories and info are based on a third party calculator and are only an estimate. Actual nutritional info will vary with brands used, your measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
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Colleen says
Best pancake recipe I have ever tried! My family loved them!
Stephanie says
I used this recipe as a base recipe but made the following changes. Used 2 cups whole wheat flour and 2/3 cup all purpose flour, added the suggested 1/2 tsp additional baking powder if using whole wheat flour. Used almond milk instead of cow’s milk and added one mashed banana and a dash of cinnamon. They turned out great and still had a good rise for using whole wheat flour.
Lori A Bradford says
I MADE THIS RECIPE FOR DINNER TONIGHT, I EVEN MADE MY OWN CAKE FLOUR FOR THE FIRST TIME. I FINALLY FOUND MY GO TO PANCAKE RECIPE, I WILL BE ELIMINATING ALL OF MY OTHER PANCAKE RECIPES NOW,SO THAT I WON’T HAVE TO REMEMBER WHICH ONE IT WAS THAT I TRULY LOVED. EVEN THOUGH I DIDN’T MEASURE EXACTLY AS IT CALLS FOR,THEY CAME OUT PERFECT, THE BATTER ITSELF GIVES ME THE PERFECT CONSISTENCY. I CAN’T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT THIS AMAZING RECIPE, I AM BEYOND HAPPY TO HAVE STUMBLED UPON THIS PERFECT PANCAKE RECIPE.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU ❤❤❤❤❤❤??????,OH,MY FAMILY SAID THEY ARE THE BEST I’VE MADE,AND TO NOT LOSE THIS RECIPE, HOW COOL IS THAT!!!!!
Abdulkhabirr says
I just use all organic pan cake mix, As well as mentioned condiments ????????????????????????????
Almonds ,oats milk, coconut milk, never cows milk …2 eggs…olive oil/coconut oil steer it for about 4-6 minutes
…and if I decide too, I’ll add very small slices fruit ,honey ,oats slightly cooked maaan ,sorry lady ,but not to mention cinnamon, with a tap of vanilla drops,
I eat them dry ,or add maple syrup…with lightly shaved walnuts , pecans,, almonds, about 2-3 per servings that’s a breakfast…share it or try it. You can even eat them as a sweet snack at night with Sautéed, sweet than grill your salmon (use the recommendation size(serving size…use your palm to measure your amount if you can’t recognize the right size it is worth the taste and nutritional diet.
Be aware ,I also use all organic products.”
Meg says
Had so much fun making these with my 3 boys for Shrove Tuesday. Thank you!!
j bob says
this is the worst recipe ever
“for every cup take away a tblspn so with this many cups take away half a cup.
just say the measures.
two and a half cups.
3 tblspns. etc. omg.
not to mention all the useless information. like , go write a book somewhere else.
btw. eggs.
your recipe just says add eggs.
lol.
like i said. this recipe is useless.
this person has no clue
Karlynn says
I did write books. Two. Bestsellers, even.
I’m super sorry I wrote in big words too hard for you to understand ???
thanks for making my day, this is the most fun I’ve ever had responding to a comment, you made it way too easy LOL!!!
Janene says
I regret using this recipe. First of all, it was not good at all. Second of all, your reply was very unprofessional.
Mom says
We halved the recipe since it’s just me and my toddler. They were perfect. I never have luck with made-from-scratch pancakes.
Karlynn says
Glad to hear it was awesome for you two!
Wes says
A hit with the grandkids this weekend, thanks! Added some chocolate chpis and they were sure impressed.
Venus says
I don’t usually leave comments on anything, but these were so good I just have to! I used roughly 1/4 of the recipe (because I just made them for myself and my baby sister) and I didn’t even need syrup. The recipe is easy and quick, I added about a tbsp of cinnamon to the batch and it was perfect! I’ll definitely recommend this to others in the future.
Joyce Carlson says
The recipe says 2 eggs, but the video has 3. What is the correct amount?
Karlynn says
Hey, if there’s three in the video it will because they were small chicken eggs from the family farm, the recipe will be correct with two. When I have to use the small eggs from the farm they’re definitely not the same as large eggs from the store so I have to improvise! Sorry for the confusion, always go with the written recipe over video!
Bob LaBlah says
I just mixed everything together and cook. I know technically you’re supposed to mix the dry then slowly add the wet blah blah blah….but with two hungry kids I don’t have time for that nonsense. Thanks for the recipe, I eat keto so I have no idea what they taste like but my kids loved them and they did look quite nice sitting on the plate.
I made massive pancakes but i think this recipe will definitely make as many as it says if you follow directions
On a side note, I will never figure out why every recipe on these types of websites have to be introduced with their own short story and force me to hunt for the ingredients list…. That’s literally the only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars
Karlynn says
Hey Bob, glad the Recipe worked! I don’t usually respond to people who complain about the stories, but in my case I have thousands of readers that LITERALLY have watched my kids grow up on the website & followed our adventures etc for OVER TEN YEARS! I will never, ever change my format for the new “gimme the recipe” generation of people that are taking the joy out of connecting online. Loyal online friends and readers are worth more to me than impatient people. Also there is a JUMP TO RECIPE button at the top for those who don’t want to read sooo…… ? I even make it easy for them too!
Alexandra says
Loved these pancakes. I accidentally put lemon extract and then on top of it added the vanilla … still fabulous! Pinned it to my board. Thank you!! ?
Ingrid Ashley says
I never comment but these were great kids super happy. I had a strange reaction though when I mixed the batter I had the same consistency etc but when I went to grab my scoop and came back to the bowl the batter was fluffing up and more like a light sponge than liquid, then when cooking they were much fluffier – just curious if this happened to others. They still tasted fabulous!
Mari Parrill says
My kids (3 and 5 years old) loved them. This recipe is so easy to prepare. The first time I prepare them I did them as the recipe and they were perfect. This time I did them with less milk and I am happy with the results. They still fluffy and delicious. Thank you ?
April says
I made these pancakes per the recipe and they were delicious. The only “knock” I have against it is that the batter gets runnier as it sits in the bowl, which is the opposite effect of every other batter I’ve ever made. Because of this, the folks who get the first batch get fluffy pancakes, but the folks who are served towards the end are getting something closer to a crepe.
Margo Haynes says
Great recipe! I too used it for waffles one morning & was delighted to find my batter made the most perfect, light, fluffy pancakes & waffles! You two “youngsters” make a fantastic team!!! While I’ve always been considered an excellent cook, at 81 I still manage to pick up a lot of new tips & tricks from you! Thank you for such a delicious recipe, I have never been disappointed with one of your recipes…Love your food blog!!
Karlynn says
Aww thank you Margo, you made our day!!! Thanks for being such a great reader!
cooking gram says
I have learned over the years, through trial/error, that when you add liquid to any batter you always add in increments until proper consistency achieved. Never just pour suggested original recipe amount. There are so many factors that will contribute to a good/bad outcome.
Karlynn Johnston says
Exactly!! Very smart cooking tip!
Mike says
Great consistancy and flavor. One of the few recipes that will actually yield as many pancakes as it says. Most I try will yield many less. I should have actually halved this one for 4 people
Mary Peterson says
I followed this recipe to the smallest detail. The batter was very runny- so much so that my husband, after seeing the 1st 3 pancakes hit the platter, thought I made his mother’s very thin Swedish pancakes. I had to add 2/3 C flour (purchased cake flour rather than using the ‘cake flour’ recipe provided (that was scooped directly from the box then leveled with a knife) then let it sit 15 minutes. I could have added a bit more flour. The worst part, though? The overpowering flavor of too much baking powder. Almost sour mixed with metallic. Yuck. If we make this recipe again the BP will get cut in half, the milk reduced, skip the vanilla & reduce the sugar. Very, VERY disappointed.
Mr. Kitchen Magpie says
Hi Mary,
I’d recommend re-examining the recipe, this has been used for years and I make it constantly, as do others. You’ve definitely missed something, over-mixed or used the wrong ingredient type.
Celina says
Thanks for this recipe! Decided to make pancakes for my grandkids this morning and searched for a recipe and came upon yours. It was so simple to make! I only made 1/2 the batter and used regular ap flour and skim milk. I added the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients (adding the melted butter last after lightly combining the dry to wet). They were perfectly fluffy and delicious! My oldest grandson (2 1/2 yrs) wanted waffles so we used the same batter (he helped make them ?) and they also came out great! My grandchildren loved them and they didn’t even ask for syrup on them. (They had the perfect amount of sweetness that there was no need for syrup.) 😉 This will be my go to recipe from now on. Thanks! ?
Annie says
Made these today with no problem, the batter was a good consistency and they were just sweet enough because why make them super weeet when you’re loading them with syrup in my opinion. I’ll be keeping this recipe. Oh and make sure to let the batter sit it’s a good trick.
Katie says
WAY TOO RUNNY!! The ratio is way off. Tastes good, but the liquid measurements make no sense
Karlynn Johnston says
Did you start with the 2 1/2 cups of milk? That’s to make sure that it’s not runny because you have sifted flour.
Mr. Kitchen Magpie says
Hi Katie, please reassess your ingredients and be sure to read the recipe thoroughly. It has never produced runny pancakes of any kind.
Amanda Trawick says
This recipe was good. Only thing was it was really runny going by the recipe. The pancakes wouldnt rise, just made me sad. So i just poured a little more cake flour to the batter and viola! That worked. Then after the pancakes cooked perfectly. They all rose up to the same size every pancake. They where also fluffy and delicious.
Karlynn Johnston says
Sorry they didn’t turn out, but the quality control is usually on the readers end. I even have a VIDEO showing how the batter is supposed to look ( it doesn’t set up , this isn’t a cake, it’s runny and you pour it!!) and this recipe has been used for decades in my family. Read the recipe card, don’t use sifted flour and watch the video and you will realize that yes, pancake batter is a liquid and that if you don’t follow the instructions it won’t work!
The batter is FLUID for pancakes! Watch the video!
Lori says
not sure why all the confusion, I just made these because my husband wanted pancakes for ‘dinner’. They turned out fabulous.!!
Linda says
I read reviews saying it was runny so I erred on side of precaution and did 2 cups milk, and didn’t whisk hard, and yet the batter came out runny. I don’t know what happened, and I’ve been making pancakes with regular AP flour for years. 🙁 I specifically looked online for a recipe with cake flour because I thought it might make fluffier pancakes and was all excited when I found this. *sadness*
Karlynn Johnston says
You guys are reading the recipe correctly, right? It’s almost a 1:1 ratio of milk to flour? You are reading 2 and 2/3 cups, and not 2/3 of a cup????
B. Wallton says
Absolutely fantastic dipped in awesomeness. I have made a t9n of pancakes but this recipe was awesome. I didn’t have any milk but I know how to substitute with water and butter. The batter stayed thick and fluffy. I also didn’t have vanilla so L used allmond extract instead.
B. Walton says
Oh I used regular all purpose flour, didn’t sift it.
Katherine L Wright says
I love them I finely found a great pancakes recipe. But I use 2& half cups of milk & 2/3 cups of sugar. ?????
Athena Pappas says
Delicious! Will definitely make them again!
BonJon says
LOL Oh my! Cake flour? Hmmm. Well, I am famous for pancakes and waffles, so I’ll comment. I’m 65, been making pancakes since I was 11!
1) Good pancakes rise from a mix of acid and base: so don’t over mix the dry and wet, just combine until blended and quit. Don’t hold the batter a long time and DON’T chill it. Have your griddle preheating while you mix. I SIFT. Always. Quality of your flour is key. I use King Arthur AP flour.
2) I use stick butter to grease the griddle as each cake is poured. HINT: If the butter burns the moment you start greasing, it’s too hot, but the burned butter can be wiped away with paper towels. IF the butter doesn’t even sizzle fast, it’s not hot enough.
3) the only way to learn to how to flip pancakes is to practice. Start small, with “silver dollar” pancakes, increasing the size as you gain the skill. It’s not magic, it’s a learned skill.
4) there are no prizes for IHOP size pancakes: they are hard to make with average kitchen gear, you’ll be tempted to overeat, and you’ll have a lot more food waste.
5) thick is not better. They won’t cook in the middle. After they start rising, if they are over 1/2″ thick, take the back of a large spoon and smooth them out wider, thinner.
6) griddle only has to be flat, not fancy. My 2 burner heavy aluminum griddle was purchased in 1987 at a garage sale for $1.
7) Pour the batter and leave them alone. Don’t check them, don’t move them until the edges have about 1/2″ dry looking border, a drier looking bubbly top. That’s when they are ready to release. To pour, I pour my batter back into the measuring cup (2 cups) i used for the milk, or the 1/2 cup dry (flour) measure makes a nice scoop for batter.
Crystal says
Delicious! Thanks for sharing. I did use buttermilk instead of regular milk. Also, thanks for the cake flour tip!
Dee says
BonJon… Very kind of you to share. Thank you!
Lizzie says
Thank you!
Karlynn Johnston says
I’m sure that you must have used sifted flour, or sifted it. There’s no way it can be that runny unless the flour is too light when measured. This has the same ratios as most pancake recipes!
Ruvi Garcia says
I am making it today. Its not runny at all. Its thick and rich. I added more sugar because I want it a little sweeter. I hope it doesn’t affect the taste or consistency. I do really hope it will taste good. ?
Saj says
I’ve tried many pancake recipes over the years but this is hands-down the best one so far! The pancakes were fluffy on the inside and slightly crispy on the edges, they were so delicious! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Karlynn says
Glad it worked out Saj!
Karlynn Johnston says
You guys are reading the recipe correctly, right? It’s almost a 1:1 ratio of milk to flour? You are reading 2 and 2/3 cups, and not 2/3 of a cup????
Jane says
Read the recipe and it will work!
Karlynn Johnston says
Hi Janet, the flour to milk ratio is the same as most other recipes so I’m assuming you didn’t measure the flour properly or something! Also if you used sifted flour OR sifted it yourself, it would take all the volume out of the flour which you need. This has never been too runny and I have been making it forever!
Bri Lowe says
Sorry yours didn’t turn out correct. I disagree on worse recipe ever. I printed this one out too save. We did it per recipe and it came out great! I just did a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with the milk to make 3 cups and they were think and tasted great 🙂 I wish I could add a picture on here.
Karlynn Johnston says
You guys are reading the recipe correctly, right? It’s almost a 1:1 ratio of milk to flour? You are reading 2 and 2/3 cups, and not 2/3 of a cup????
Julie says
Hi Karlynn, THANK YOU! I tried your recipe, and I mixed all purpose flour with bread flour, the result…. Delicious pancakes! They were moist, the flavor was awesome, perfect consistency. Definitely, I will add this to my book of recipes.
We enjoyed them a lot!
Karlynn Johnston says
Glad that you liked them so much!!!! Thanks for letting me know!
kenny K says
totally cool like a drive in move ! Tonight showing….. GOOD EATS
Karlynn Johnston says
These pancakes are definitely GOOD EATS!
Kiara says
Hi there,
This recipe was great! Thanks!
Karlynn Johnston says
Glad they worked out for you!