I know there are easier options, but I love making my homemade pancakes recipe from scratch. They’re easy, wholesome, and quick.
I know about freezer pancakes and waffles. I also know about the boxed pancake mixes, but I get this silent, little thrill when I can whip up a batch of something from ingredients in the pantry from the top of my head. (It is probably some odd pride thing, but I digress).
Pride aside, (don’t worry, this won’t be a poem) I love the versatility of options available to me to make and create food with the basic supplies on hand. If I have baking supplies and a little know-how, the sky is the limit and I love that kind of potentiality!
I make pancakes several times a week and my kids would like to eat them every day (Please don’t Mom-Shame me!). I do have some healthier variation, like my Two-Ingredient Flour Free Pancakes over here.
Making variations to this pancake recipe from scratch is simple. For example, by substituting some of the flour for mashed sweet potatoes or whole-grain oats you can amp up the nutritional values. But this is the simple base homemade pancake recipe from scratch and once you have this one mastered and memorized, flexibility and variation are yours for the taking!
Before we start, I need to make a few notes to help you:
Pancakes Recipe from scratch TIPS
- The fluffiest pancakes are earned by beating the eggs very well in an electric stand mixer (I love my Kitchen-aid, *swoon*), but it is not required. Mixing with a whisk or a spoon is OK, too.
- Buttermilk is used in this recipe. I rarely remember to buy it, so you can MAKE YOUR OWN! Add 1 Tablespoon of distilled white vinegar to a measuring cup, then fill the rest of the way with milk. Let it sit for about 5 minutes and it bakes just the same as buttermilk. If you don’t have distilled white vinegar, lemon juice or other kinds of vinegar work, too. If you want to skip this step, plain white milk or even plant-based milk will work. The acidity in the buttermilk or vinegar version react with the baking powder to add extra loftiness to the batter. So if you go another route, understand that you might have a denser pancake.
- Vanilla is optional but adds a little depth to the flavor that we enjoy.
- Sugar is also optional, but adds a little extra sweetness we enjoy sometimes, too!
- If your batter is too thin, add 2 Tablespoons of flour.
- If you batter is too thick, add 2 Tablespoons of milk.
Easy Homemade Pancake Recipe – From Scratch

2 1/2 Cups Flour
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
Pinch of Salt
1 1/4 Cup Buttermilk (see above for substitutes)
A Large Egg
1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla (optional)
1 Tablespoon of Sugar (optional)
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
In a large bowl, with a mixer (see above tips), beat the egg on high for two minutes or until frothy. Add oil and sugar. Beat for 2 minutes more. Add the buttermilk and vanilla. Beat for one more minute. The wet mixture should be frothy.
Fold in the flour mixture until fully incorporated about 1/4 cup at a time.
Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, pour batter on to a buttered, medium-low heated skillet. When 5-10 bubbles on the top of pancakes form and then pop, it is ready to flip.
Enjoy!
Discussion
Now, I must know! We like to eat ours with Nutella, lightly sweetened macerated(link) strawberries and powdered sugar (or whipped cream if we have company and we really want to impress them LOL), or peanut butter and real maple syrup.
How do you do top your pancakes?
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