Are you looking for the best American pancake recipe? Look no further! This foolproof and easy method will give you perfect fluffy American pancakes every single time. There’s no better way to start the weekend!
A fair amount of people have been asking for my American style pancake recipe recently. So here it is! This is the recipe I have been making for years with my boys.
Now my grown up (weeps!) eldest son makes them for his friends and when they try them, they always end up asking for the recipe, which is pretty cool!
I’m not usually in the habit of saying recipes are “the best” – there are a LOT of recipes out there – but I’m going to make an exception for these pancakes.
I do believe they are the best pancake recipe ever. Well, let’s just say they are the best I’ve ever tried and I don’t feel the need to change a thing about this recipe.
why you’ll love this fluffy American pancake recipe
- This recipe is foolproof – even if you’ve never made pancakes before! If you follow my simple instructions, you will get perfect American style pancakes you’ll be proud to share with your family.
- Thick, fluffy and delicious pancakes every single time – no stressing over whether the recipe will work out!
- All you need to make them are everyday store cupboard ingredients.
They are like the kind of pancakes I imagine are served in American diners – warm, thick, fluffy and they smell amazing. I can eat far too many of them than I care to admit!
Trust me….these fluffy pancakes are the BEST way to start your weekend!
ingredient list
Scroll to the bottom of the post to find printable recipe card with ingredient amounts and detailed instructions. This is just a quick shopping list so you can gather your ingredients!
- self raising flour gives these pancakes a lovely thick, fluffy texture.
- even though self raising flour already has rising agents, I still add a little baking powder to give the pancakes extra “oomph”.
- caster sugar. I prefer caster over granulated sugar because the finer grains of caster sugar dissolve into the batter much faster. Using granulated tends to give your pancakes a slightly grainy, speckled look.
- flavourless oil or cooled melted butter. I use either vegetable or sunflower oil in this recipe. Using oil makes this recipe even more convenient to make and also makes the pancakes last slightly longer (not that that’s usually a problem!) But if you prefer to use melted butter, go for it.
- two large eggs
- whole or semi skimmed milk
- optional extra but really good – vanilla extract (not essence, please)
equipment list
- A good quality non stick frying pan. If you have a large griddle (or girdle as we call them in Scotland) that can fit across your hob, you can make a few pancakes at once!
- A long handled spatula (fish slice) for flipping the pancakes.
- A large mixing bowl
- A balloon whisk
- A plastic scraper to scrape down the sides of the bowl
- A large jug for pouring the batter into the pan OR a ladle/American 1/4 cup measure
step by step method
- Combine the dry ingredients. Sieve the flour and baking powder together in a large mixing bowl.
- Mix together the wet ingredients except the milk. Crack the eggs into a separate medium jug or bowl and add the sugar, oil and vanilla extract if using. Whisk together until well combined and the sugar has dissolved.
- Make a well in the centre of the flour and pour in the oil-egg mixture, followed by the milk. Whisk the ingredients together well until you have a smooth batter, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula at least once. As soon as the batter is smooth, fairly thick and no streaks of flour are visible, stop mixing.
- Cover the bowl and let the batter rest while you heat up the frying pan.
5. Heat the pan – Place a nonstick frying pan on the hob and set the heat to medium. It’s not wise to stick the heat on high straight away – it will get too hot too fast and the pancakes will burn as soon as you pour the batter in the pan.
6. Time to cook the pancakes – When the pan is nice and hot but not smoking – if it is, turn it down and wait for a few minutes. Take a piece of kitchen paper smeared with a little butter or flavourless oil and quickly rub it all over the pan. This will prevent the pancakes from sticking.
Top tip! At this stage, I pour the pancake batter into a plastic jug for easy pouring. You can also use a ladle or an American 1/4 cup measurement.
7. Pour spoonfuls of the mixture into the hot pan and wait until you see lots of bubbles on the surface, then quickly flip the pancake over and continue to cook for about 2-3 minutes. You’ll know when the pancake is perfectly cooked – it will be golden all over and lift straight off the pan easily.
TOP TIP – continue smearing the pan with a little butter as and when you need to – if the pancakes start sticking that’s a clear sign you need more.
how to keep pancakes warm while cooking them
To keep the pancakes nice and warm, I place them on a wire rack and place a clean tea towel on top. This is purely a nostalgia thing for me – my Granny did this when she used to make her Scotch pancakes.
You can also place the pancakes in a warm oven (120C) while you cook the remainder of the batch, but don’t leave them in for too long or they will dry out.
how to make thick American pancakes
- Use room temperature ingredients. If your eggs and milk are fridge cold, the pancakes will not rise quite as much. Remove the eggs from the fridge about one hour before making the pancake batter. measure out the milk and leave it sitting on the kitchen counter for around 30 minutes before starting the recipe.
- Sift the flour and baking powder together. I know, I hate sieving too, but these little extra steps make all the difference.
- Don’t overmix the batter. If you do, you will activate gluten in the flour and the pancakes will turn out tough and rubbery. Have you ever eaten a chewy, tough pancake? The batter had the living daylights beaten out of it! Stop mixing as soon as the flour has disappeared into the batter. A couple of small lumps here and there aren’t a big deal.
- If you have time, rest the batter to allow the gluten to relax. I always make up the batter before I prep my pan. By the time the pan is the correct temperature for cooking pancakes, the batter will be perfect. Even just 10-15 minutes of resting time will make a difference.
- The heat of the pan is KEY to making successful pancakes. Don’t have the heat too high – you need a nice medium heat. It’s better to heat the pan gradually than turn it on high from the start – if you do this, you’ll find it hard to control the temperature and the pancakes will burn on the outside before they get a chance to cook right through to the middle.
what to serve with fluffy american pancakes
Of course, the classic American way is to serve pancakes piled high with streaky bacon and lashings of maple syrup. I love a stack of pancakes with lots of fresh berries and drizzled with maple or golden syrup.
I also love serving pancakes with sliced bananas and toffee sauce – banoffee pancakes, yes please!
They are also delicious with this blueberry syrup recipe from I am Baker. This peach and blackberry compote would also be very good.
My kids enjoy pancakes with Nutella – funnily enough they are also crazy for these Nutella stuffed pancakes – or simply spread with butter and strawberry jam.
faqs
Yes, buttermilk can be used in place of milk if you like. Buttermilk is great for making light, fluffy pancakes. However, I know buttermilk is something not everyone has in the fridge at all times (and no matter what anyone says, homemade buttermilk does not give you identical results) so I wanted to develop this recipe with basic storecupboard and fridge ingredients.
Absolutely. If you are cooking for a large crowd, you can go ahead and double the recipe with affecting the results. On a side note, if you have taken complete leave of your senses and find yourself hosting a sleepover for 6+ children you will definitely need to double the recipe. Yes, I am speaking from experience!
American pancakes and English pancakes are two distinct types of pancakes with notable differences. American pancakes contain raising agents such as baking powder to make them thick and fluffy. English pancakes have more in common with the French crepe. They are made with plain flour (no raising agent) and are much thinner and flatter.
recipe variations
- blueberry pancakes – Pour the batter into the pan as usual, then place a few fresh blueberries on top. Allow to cook for a few minutes before flipping.
- For chocolate chip pancakes, do exactly the same as above. I do think actual chocolate chips rather than a chopped bar of chocolate works best here – chips are more stable and therefore, less likely to melt all over the pan and cause a mess.
- To make lemon and raisin pancakes, add the finely grated zest of one large lemon and 100g raisins or sultanas to the pancake batter.
storing pancakes
If you have any leftover pancakes, they can be stored in an airtight tin or tupperware box for the next day. I wouldn’t recommend storing them for longer than a day or two.
REHEATing
Pancakes are of course at their very best eaten as fresh as possible, but you can reheat pancakes in a toaster for a couple of minutes. The microwave is not the best way to reheat pancakes – they become quite rubbery.
FREEZING
To freeze pancakes, allow to cool down completely then place them on a tray that will easily fit inside your freezer. Once the pancakes have frozen, place in freezer bags or a freezer safe
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Fluffy American Pancakes
This fluffy American pancake recipe will give you perfect results every single time. They are the ultimate weekend breakfast treat! Pile them high and drizzle with lots of maple syrup.
Ingredients
- 250g (2 Cups) self raising flour
- 1 level teaspoon baking powder
- 2 large eggs
- 75g (1/3 Cup) caster sugar
- 50g (Scant 1/3 Cup) melted butter or vegetable/sunflower oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional but good
- Approximately 250ml whole or semi skimmed milk (you might need about 50ml extra)
Instructions
- Sieve the flour and baking powder together in a large bowl.
- Crack the eggs into a separate bowl or jug and pour in the sugar, oil and vanilla extract, if using. Whisk until well combined and the sugar has dissolved. Make a well in the centre of the flour and pour the oil/egg mixture into the flour along with the milk.
- Whisk everything together well until you have a smooth batter, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a scraper once or twice. Stop mixing as soon as the batter is smooth and there are no streaks of flour visible. The batter should be quite thick - you don't want it as thin as single cream, but it shouldn't be as thick as cake batter. You might need to add an extra 25-50ml milk to reach the right consistency. Alternatively, place all the ingredients in a blender and briefly blitz to a batter. Allow the batter to rest for a few minutes while you heat the pan.
- Place a non stick frying pan on a medium heat - don't whack the heat up to high, bring it to heat gradually. This should take about five to eight minutes depending on your hob and pan.
- Your griddle or frying pan should now be nice and hot. If it's smoking, it's too hot so turn it down a little. A nice medium heat is perfect. Smear the pan with a little butter or flavourless oil and drop in spoonfuls of the mixture (I transfer the batter to a jug for easy pouring.) When bubbles appear on the surface, flip over and cook for two or three minutes. Keep the pancakes warm by wrapping them in a clean tea towel on a wire cooling rack.
- Serve the warm pancakes with maple syrup, bacon or fresh fruit, whipped cream, butter, jam, the possibilities are endless!
Notes
you can use buttermilk in place of the milk, if you like.
Pancakes are best eaten on the day they are made. Any leftover pancakes can be toasted the next day or frozen for up to three months.
The recipe can easily be doubled, or even tripled if you're feeding a lot of hungry people!
TIPS FOR RECIPE SUCCESS
1. Use room temperature ingredients.
2. Don’t overmix the batter. If you do, then you will activate gluten in the flour and the pancakes will turn out tough and rubbery.
3. Let the batter rest for a while to allow the gluten to relax. Even just 10-15 minutes rest time is better than nothing.
RECIPE VARIATIONS
Make blueberry pancakes by sprinkling over a few blueberries immediately after pouring the batter into the pan.
You can make chocolate chip pancakes exactly the same way!
For lemon and raisin pancakes, add the finely grated zest of one small lemon and 25g raisins to the batter.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 87Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 35mgSodium: 114mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 3g
Calories and nutritional information are provided by a third party application and should be viewed as indicative figures only.
Mmmmmmmm…a great start to any weekend. I’ll always remember pancakes with homemade jam & “Nannie’s nice butter”!!
Love ’em…..don’t make them often enough, but I do love them. The recipe I have tend to be flat so your recipe will be for my next time. 🙂
Oh you know I love pancakes! Especially with blueberries!! No sleepovers here though! Two boys is plenty.
Yep, me too! They were so good! 🙂 xxxx
I think I agree with you there Heather…two boys is definitely enough! I still remember the sleepover we had with six boys…carnage!
Hi NY! I saw the picture on FB, so glad you made these and enjoyed them!
Thanks for sharing your recipe – I’ve been wanting to make blueberry pancakes like this for ever!
No problem at all, let me know what you think if you make them 🙂
I love how thick and fluffy your pancakes look! Interestingly, I’ve never tried pancakes with Nutella … I think your boys might be onto something good here!
Thank you Thanh 🙂 Yes Nutella is definitely the favourite with my boys. Although I prefer to eat it straight out out the jar…;-)
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These are so good!
I did half the quantity, made 6 but with a little batter over, the potential for one or two more.
So, 3 this morning & the others tomorrow.
Thank you for sharing.
I’m delighted you enjoyed them Kath, thank you! 🙂
Easy to follow recipe that produces gorgeous pancakes!
Thank you!
Would like to see you come up with a Japanese hotcakes recipe.
Tried your American fluffy pancake recipe and it turned out really good.
Hi Azriel, I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe! I’ve never heard of Japanese hotcakes, I’ll have to check them out!
I think another variation is japanese souffle pancakes.
Best pancake recipe I’ve ever tried! Thanks so much. I had one happy husband eating these.
Thank you so much Lou Lou, really glad they went down well!
I used this recipe to make pancakes for my family and they were perfect thank you for this recipe
You’re very welcome – I’m so happy you liked them!
Oh my goodness I just had to pop over and thank you! I cannot tell you how long I’ve been trying to make fluffy American pancakes for! Had numerous disasters over the years. Wow! These are amazing, thanks so much for changing my life ha ha. Everyone was so impressed! Easy to make and oh so tasty!
Yay, I’m so happy to hear this! 😀
Excellent. Only ever made pancakes couple of times before, but this recipe was easy and end result light and fluffy middle, slightly crispy on the edges. Yum!
I’m really glad you enjoyed them! 🙂