We make pancakes ridiculously often, and this recipe for super easy pancakes is the recipe we use on a regular basis. Alex and I both have it memorized.
I love how simple it is - just whisk together the ingredients and cook. No whipping egg whites and folding them into the batter. If you have an electric griddle (affiliate link), you can make a whole batch of pancakes at once. Breakfast is ready in just 15 minutes!
I spent a lot of time trying different pancakes recipes before this blog, and in the early years of this blog. I discovered a lot of things that I didn't want in my pancakes. Sometimes the batter was too thin and the pancakes, too flat. Some pancakes were too eggy, or too buttery, or too salty. Some recipes were simply complicated.
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So I've come back to this easy pancake recipe, adapted from the Betty Crocker Cookbook (affiliate link), over and over again. It makes satisfying pancakes that are ready in almost no time at all.
Ingredients for Making Pancakes
All you need to make pancakes is flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, oil, milk, and an egg. The only equipment necessary is a single bowl, a whisk, and a griddle or skillet. Anything else is optional.
One of the things I love about this recipe is how very versatile it is.
You can use a mix of all-purpose and whole-wheat flour. (For the pictures featured here, I used half whole-wheat flour and half all-purpose.) You can also use all whole wheat flour, but the pancakes may be a little dense.
I often make multi-grain pancakes out of these, making sure that the total amount of flours added is 1 cup. I sometimes substitute in a little barley flour or millet flour.
To easily make the pancakes 100% gluten-free, make them out of all millet flour. Millet flour is slightly nutty, like cornmeal, and a tiny bit sweet. Millet flour pancakes will be a little delicate to flip, but will otherwise cook normally.
I sometimes double the sugar or add brown sugar instead, and add in vanilla or almond extract. Sometimes I add cinnamon or other baking spices.
If you really like butter in your pancakes, you can use melted butter in place of vegetable oil, but I prefer the neutral flavor of oil in these.
Tips for Making Pancakes
When you make pancake batter, use a whisk, and mix the batter until just combined. Do not overmix. A few small lumps in the batter are okay.
Let the batter rest 5 minutes while your pan or griddle heats.
Do not stir the batter before scooping it onto the hot griddle, or you will lose some of the bubbles and fluffiness.
Cook until bubbles pop through the top of the pancake, then flip.
I strongly recommend using an electric griddle (affiliate link). You can cook an entire batch of pancakes at once, and it provides uniform heat. If it's non-stick, there's no need to grease it. You don't need an expensive griddle (mine isn't).
If you only want to eat half a batch of pancakes, wrap the remaining pancakes in a couple of layers of plastic wrap, stick them in a freezer bag, and freeze them. You can also refrigerate the pancakes and reheat them gently within the next few days as an easy breakfast. Or, cook half of the batter and refrigerate your leftover batter for a day or two. Do not stir the batter before you scoop it onto the hot griddle.
Pancakes for Dinner
These easy pancakes are perfect for a quick dinner. Why? They're cheap to make. They require no advance planning. You probably already have all the ingredients for them in the house. And you go from hungry to dinner in 15 minutes.
Late in my pregnancy with Amelia, we ate pancakes for dinner once a week because they involved minimal cooking. It's seriously satisfying.
Just pull a package of bacon or sausage out of your freezer to cook alongside them (or scramble some eggs if you're into that kind of thing). In place of a vegetable, I usually saute some chopped apples on the stove with a little brown sugar and cinnamon to round out the meal. If I don't have meat or eggs as a side, I toss on some nuts for protein. Honestly, your pancakes will be done before the rest of your food is.
What to Serve on Pancakes (other than syrup)
Part of why I love pancakes is that they're so versatile. You can dress them up a number of ways other than just using syrup.
- Add extra sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, almond extract, or cinnamon to your batter.
- After scooping the batter onto the griddle, place blueberries or M&Ms on the wet batter. Flip and cook as usual.
- Top cooked pancakes with cinnamon sugar.
- Top them with whipped cream or fresh fruit or nuts.
- Top them while warm with chocolate chips.
- Top them with crumbled bacon or serve with sausage. (I like eating bites of sausage with bites of pancake, personally.)
These pancakes are worlds better than anything from a mix, and the recipe is incredibly customizable. You won't be sorry you tried it.
Like this recipe or have questions? Rate it or leave a comment below!
Other pancake recipes: Brown Sugar Oatmeal Pancakes, which are my favorite lightly sweetened pancake.
In the past:
One Year Ago: Chocolate Caramel Cheesecake, Lentil Soup with Lemon
Three Years Ago: Quick Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake
Four Years Ago: Peter Reinhart's Ciabatta
Five Years Ago: Dried Apricot-Pistachio Ice Cream
Seven Years Ago: Hot Chocolate Popovers
Eight Years Ago: Spidey Cake with American Buttercream Frosting
📖 Recipe
This quick and easy recipe for pancakes involves minimal cooking. Just mix together 7 ingredients and cook. You'll be eating in 15 minutes!
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, or a mix (120 grams)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon table salt
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (28 grams)
- ¾ cup milk (180 grams)
- add-ons (such as blueberries or M&Ms) (optional)
- syrup (to serve)
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In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add egg, vegetable oil, and milk. Use a whisk to mix until just combined. Do not overmix; it's okay to have lumps.
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Set batter aside for 5 minutes while you heat an electric griddle to 375F (or medium-high heat on the stove).
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If your griddle is non-stick, you don't have to oil it. Otherwise, wipe it with a thin layer of vegetable oil or butter, or spray with cooking spray.
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Scoop about ¼ cup per pancake onto the griddle. (If using add-ons like blueberries or M&Ms, add them to the surface of the pancake now.) Cook for 2 minutes, until bubbles pop through the surface of the pancake and the sides begin to look dry.
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Flip pancakes, then cook for another minute. Remove from the griddle, and serve.
Make pancakes multigrain by substituting in other flours for portions of the all-purpose flour. Sometimes I substitute in a little barley or millet flour. Buckwheat flour and cocoa powder can be added for no more than ¼ of the flour, but pancakes will be susceptible to scorching.
Make them 100% gluten-free by substituting millet flour for the all-purpose flour. Pancakes will be a little delicate to flip, but will otherwise cook normally.
Tips:
Use a whisk, and mix the batter until just combined. Do not overmix.
Let the batter rest 5 minutes while your pan or griddle heats. This is important as it helps the batter thicken.
Do not stir the batter before scooping it onto the hot griddle, or you will lose some of the bubbles and fluffiness.
I recommend using an electric griddle. You can cook an entire batch of pancakes at once, and it provides uniform heat. If it's non-stick, there's no need to grease it.
If you only want to eat half a batch of pancakes, wrap the remaining pancakes in a couple of layers of plastic wrap and stick them in a freezer bag. You can also refrigerate cooked pancakes and gently reheat them within the next few days. Or, cook half of the batter and refrigerate your leftover batter for a day or two. Do not stir the refrigerated batter before you scoop it onto the hot griddle.
Adapted from the Betty Crocker Cookbook
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