Easy Fluffy Pancakes
- PREP 10min
- COOK 20min
- TOTAL 30min
These easy fluffy pancakes are made from scratch. They’re not too sweet and are flavored with vanilla, making them extra delicious. These are easy to adapt (try adding a handful of berries, nuts, or chocolate to the batter).
*We call for unsalted butter in the recipe. You can use salted butter, but you may want to reduce the amount of salt used.
You Will Need
1 ½ cups (195g) all-purpose flour, see tips below for how to measure flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder, see notes for substitutes
1/2 teaspoon of fine sea or table salt, reduce to 1/4 teaspoon if sensitive to salt
1 ¼ cups (295ml) milk, dairy or non-dairy
1 large egg
4 tablespoons (55g) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for skillet
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Make Batter
Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, and the salt in a medium bowl.
Warm milk in the microwave or on top of the stove until lukewarm, not hot. You should be able to keep your finger submerged for 10 seconds.
Whisk milk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla extract until combined. (By warming the milk slightly, the melted butter mixes into the milk instead of turning into small lumps).
Cook Pancakes
Heat a large skillet (or use griddle) over medium heat. The pan is ready if when you splatter a little water onto the pan surface, the water dances around the pan and eventually evaporates.
Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, pour milk mixture into the well and use a fork to stir until you no longer see clumps of flour. It is okay if the batter has small lumps – it is important not to over-mix the batter.
Lightly brush skillet with melted butter (this is optional if you have a high-quality non-stick pan). Use a 1/4-cup measuring cup to spoon batter onto the skillet. Gently spread the batter into a 4-inch circle.
When edges look dry, and bubbles start to appear and pop on the top surfaces of the pancake, turn over. This takes about 2 minutes. Once flipped, cook another 1 to 2 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked in the middle. Serve immediately with warm syrup, butter, and berries.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Measuring flour: Fluff the flour in its container, then gently scoop it into your measuring cup until slightly mounded. Level off the top with a knife for accurate measuring. For even more accuracy, use a scale and measure the flour by weight (in grams).
- Best baking powder: Use aluminum-free baking powder (Rumford and Bob’s Red Mill are examples), as they prevent the tinny flavor that can appear when baking powder is used in higher quantities (like in this recipe).
- Pancakes without baking powder: For the fluffiest pancakes, use baking powder. Swap the milk for buttermilk and use 3/4 teaspoon of baking soda. If you do not have buttermilk, you can make homemade buttermilk by stirring 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar into the 1 ¼ cups of milk called for in the recipe and setting it aside for 10 minutes.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.