This easy pancake recipe is perfect for beginners in the kitchen. If you’ve had trouble making pancakes in the past, or are intimidated by the many steps and considerations required to make super fluffy pancakes, but still want to enjoy a delicious pancake breakfast, then this is the recipe for you.
What makes pancakes difficult? Expectation. For this recipe, we’re throwing expectations out the window, and just making easy homemade pancakes from scratch, and not worrying about things like:
- fluffiness.
- thickness.
- <insert whatever fanciness you’ve thought of recently>
Our main aim for today is…delicious homemade pancakes. Getting them to be super light and fluffy, or thicker than your granddad’s briefcase can be aims for another day. Today, it’s all about keeping things simple, and free from any stressful expectations, or complicated components.
Jump to:
How to make easy pancakes from scratch
This simple recipe is suitable for anyone building their confidence in the kitchen that is looking to make pancakes. It’ll walk you through the steps to easily make pancakes without having to worry about some of the nitty gritty details.
It’s really quite an easy process. You’ll start by warming your milk and butter together. Then you’ll prepare your dry ingredients. Combine them with your remaining ingredients and milk-butter mixture to form your pancake batter. And then you’ll cook ‘em. See? Not scary at all, right?
One thing I do recommend you do before we get started it read my guide on How to Read a Recipe Post. It will prepare you with all the knowledge you need to ensure that you understand how to follow this pancake recipe (or you know…any recipe).
Pancake tips for beginners
The goal here is just to get you making pancakes, but if you’d like to understand the basics of achieving a melt in your mouth, make-your-local-restaurant-jealous fluffy pancake, here are a few tips so you know what points to improve on in the future:
Sift the dry ingredients twice
You will instantly lighten the pancake by sifting the dry ingredients together. Sifting brings air into the dry ingredients that results in a fluffier pancake. I sift the flour twice…because two sifts are better than one.
Warm the milk
Using warm milk will help the pancake to puff up during the cooking process, whereas cold milk would do the opposite. By heating the butter and milk together, it makes the mixing process easier. And if the milk is too cold, your butter can solidify in it, and that means it won’t mix well.
As a little precaution: warm milk is the key here. You don’t want to use hot or boiling milk, as that might result in a scrambled egg in your batter.
Do not overmix the batter
This is probably the most important (and most difficult) step. I used to thoroughly whisk my batter to make sure that all the flour was mixed together for a super smooth consistency. But would always end up with flat and heavy pancakes as a result of overmixing.
Overmixing your batter is actually ridiculously easy to do. So, if you remember one thing from this section, let it be this: it’s okay to have a lumpy batter. In fact, you want a lumpy batter (it’s okay if there are a few small streaks of flour remaining). Use a wooden spoon and avoid using a whisk or electric mixer.
That said, this is not a recipe that’s super concerned with overmixing your batter. You don’t need worry about finding that perfect balance today. Just don’t go crazy, and your pancakes will turn out great.
You may notice that your first few pancakes are lighter and fluffier once cooked than the last half. This is because as the ladle dips in and out of the batter, it further works the gluten in the mix, resulting in a tougher pancake. (This is something I’ve never personally experienced, but a number of people have mentioned it to me, so I’m including it here just in case you notice it too.)
What kind of pan to use
Electric griddles or a non-stick skillet with sloping sides are likely to be your best options. A cast iron pan works great, but it’s not likely you have one lying around if you’re new to the kitchen.
If you’d like perfectly symmetrical pancakes, a mould is good option (though I personally don’t think you need to worry about this!).
What can I top my pancakes with
The sky is the limit when it comes to topping your pancakes! You can choose to top your pancakes with your favourite fruit or berry. For these photos, I used sliced strawberries, blueberries, and some maple syrup. If you’re feeling a little fancy, you can add grilled pineapple for some Hawaiian flare.
Of course, you can never go wrong with a pat of butter, and some maple syrup. (You can use ‘pancake syrup’ too.)
Substitution guide
Generally speaking, you want to avoid substitutions in recipes unless you have a strong understanding of the ingredient changes you’re making. However, here are the answers to a few common substitution questions I receive.
Can I use low fat milk?
Yes, you can. But be aware that whole milk does result in fluffier pancakes.
Is this recipe gluten free? Or can it be made gluten free?
This recipe is not gluten free, and switching the flour to a gluten-free flour may not work. If you’re looking for a gluten free pancake recipe, I’d recommend checking out these healthy sweet potato pancakes.
Dutch baby pancake recipes
This is about as easy as it gets when it comes to making homemade pancakes from scratch. But if this still feels a little too involved. Here are a few (essentially, no-fail) Dutch Baby Pancake recipes to check out:
Other amazing pancakes recipes
While this pancake recipe is more geared towards beginners, here are a few other recipes to try if you’re feeling a little more confident:
- Fluffy, Fluffy Pancakes (No buttermilk)
- Fluffy Japanese Pancakes
- Strawberry Cheesecake Pancakes
- Lemon Mascarpone Pancakes
- Blackberry Pancakes with Brown Sugar Butter
- Sour Cream Pancakes
- Savory Lentil Pancakes
- Fluffy Yogurt Pancakes
Helpful Tools
The link below is an affiliate link. This means that if you choose to purchase using them, I will receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. And that would be so very lovely of you. Thank you.
Here’s an example of a pancake mould that you can use. I don’t think they’re entirely necessary, but if that’s the look you love, then that’s the look you love.
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Print📖 Recipe
Easy Pancakes (for Beginners!)
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 pancakes 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
An easy pancake recipe for beginners that gets made with no fuss and minimal worries!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 ¼ cup milk, warmed
- 3 tbsp salted butter
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 ½ tbsp granulated sugar
- Cold butter for cooking
Instructions
- In a saucepan over medium-low heat, warm salted butter and milk together. Stir occasionally until the butter is completely melted. Do not let the milk boil. Set aside to cool.
- In a medium sized bowl, sift together flour and baking powder. Transfer flour mixture to another bowl and sift the mixture again (I just place my sifter on top of the second bowl, and pour my mixture through). Add in sugar, beaten egg, and milk/butter mixture. Gently stir the mixture together until just combined. (It’s okay to have lumps in the mixture. Batter should look bubbly, slightly lumpy, with no or very little exposed flour).
- Place a slice of butter on hot griddle or nonstick skillet, and ladle in pancake batter and cook until golden brown on both sides, 2-3 minutes on each side. Top with your favorite topping and serve warm. Enjoy!
Notes
- I usually add a slice of butter between each pancake to give each one a crispy texture on the outside.
- The size of your ladle will determine how many pancakes you are able to make with this recipe.
- If you’re confident in how to do it, you can warm your milk and butter together in the microwave too.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Easy Pancakes, easy homemade pancakes, easy pancakes recipe, easy pancakes mix
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