Make fluffy homemade pancakes from scratch with this easy and foolproof recipe that's perfectly portioned for singles, couples, and small families. Breakfast-for-dinner and weekend brunches are some of our favorite meals to make around here and we especially love these extra fluffy pancakes. When I'm craving pancakes but don't feel like standing over the stove for longer than a few minutes, this is my easy go-to pancake recipe.

Want to Make Just Enough Homemade Pancakes for 1 or 2 People?

This pancake recipe is for you if you only want to make five to 6 full-sized pancakes. Singles, can easily get 4 servings out of each batch especially if you add eggs and a side of bacon or veggie sausage or fruit. These pancakes freeze really well and when reheated they taste like they were just made. Double the recipe to freeze for easy weekday breakfasts for the kiddos.

stack of super fluffy pancakes with a knob of butter, maple syrup, and homemade berry sauce drizzling down the sides with a missing triangle piece removed from the stack

How Do I Fix Pancake Batter If It's Too Thick or Too Thin?

We love pancakes around here -- 100% whole wheat, with or without oatmeal, as well as the regular classic diner kind. But no matter what type of flour or ingredients you use, pancake batter should always be visibly a little lumpy (without full long streaks of flour) and easy still easy to pour.

If pancake batter is too thick, add milk or buttermilk 1 tablespoon at a time until it looks about right.

If pancake batter looks too runny, you may sprinkle a little flour into the batter until you reach the right consistency.

lumpy pancake batter without additional soft peak egg white added — Perfect lumpy pancake batter (without additional stiffly beaten egg white added)

perfect fluffy pancake batter with visible bubbles — Perfect lumpy bubbly pancake batter (with additional stiffly beaten egg white added)

Easy Fluffy Homemade Pancakes Ingredients

Here is everything you need to make the best homemade pancakes.

all-purpose flour
baking powder
baking soda
salt
sugar
buttermilk *see recipe notes for making an easy homemade buttermilk substitute.
vegetable oil
pure vanilla extract
unsalted butter
eggs

graffiti on a NYC wall of Andy Warhol with pinks, reds, yellows, blues and gold making up the bulk of the colors and he looks as if he's contemplating something with his hand holding his face near the chin and cheek area

A crêpe pan with melted butter bubbling and ready to cook the pancakes.

How to Make the Fluffiest Homemade Pancakes from Scratch -- Measure, Fold, Scoop, and Griddle.

Making homemade extra light and fluffy pancakes is really easy as long as you follow a couple of foolproof methods outlined in this recipe.

Measure the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Mix the wet ingredients. Whisk together the buttermilk, egg, vanilla, and vegetable oil. Set aside. *do not add the melted butter yet
Whip the extra egg white to stiff peaks (optional step, but recommended). In a clean glass or metal bowl, whip the egg white to stiff peaks and set aside.
Combine the wet & dry ingredients. Add the egg mixture and melted butter to the flour mixture. Using a rubber spatula (or fork) gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until no more streaks of flour remain (visible lumps are normal). Gently fold in the whipped egg white until well incorporated.
Cook the pancakes. Preheat a cast iron griddle/skillet or non-stick pan to medium-high heat, butter it liberally, turn down the heat to medium, and add about ⅓ cup pancake batter to the hot (but not smoking) pan. Cook until bubbles form and pancakes are slightly dry around the edges, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook until golden about 2 to 3 minutes more. Repeat with remaining batter, serve hot or keep warm stacked and wrapped in aluminum foil in a preheated 200°F/90°C oven, Enjoy!

Ways to Customize Homemade Fluffy Pancakes

Once you have a solid pancake recipe, it's time to get creative. Here are a few add-ins to get you inspired.

- add ½ cup chocolate chips (milk, dark, or white)
- add ½ cup frozen fruit (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries)
- add ½ cup peanut butter chips
- add ½ cup chopped toasted nuts (pecans, walnuts, pine nuts, macadamia nuts)
- add a little citrus zest (incorporate lemon, or orange zest into the flour mixture for a little extra flavor)

measuring cup with beaten egg, oil, vanilla extract and buttermilk — Beat the egg, oil, buttermilk, and vanilla extract BEFORE adding it to the dry ingredients.

pouring melted butter into pancake batter — Add the melted butter

white rubber spatula folding in the wet ingredients into the dry pancake ingredients — Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the wet pancake ingredients into the dry ingredients.

folding a whipped egg white into the pancake batter — Adding an extra stiffly beaten egg white helps add lightness to pancakes.

Techniques For Making Better Pancakes From Scratch

In the above photographs, you can see the techniques we discuss below for how to make better pancakes at home. Using these guidelines is all but guaranteed to help you make better pancakes at home.

Use room temperature ingredients. Room temperature ingredients speed up the chemical reactions taking place between the ingredients, and also help create larger air bubbles that get trapped by the batter during the cooking process, making for a fluffier pancake.
Whisk the buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, and oil (if called for) together before adding it to the dry flour mixture. This helps avoid over-mixing the batter once the wet and dry ingredients are combined. Overmixing can lead to dense chewy pancakes.
Use a fork or rubber spatula to gently stir or fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients instead of using a whisk. This can help you make sure not to overmix the batter which can overwork the gluten and produce dense pancakes.
While not totally necessary, the addition of a stiffly beaten egg white (or two) gently folded into the batter can help give a little extra lift to pancakes. Using a totally clean and grease-free coil spring whisk makes this task extremely quick and easy.
Always remember a thicker batter = a thicker pancake. If you want a slightly thicker pancake than what's pictured in this recipe, add a bit less milk. For a thinner pancake, use a little more milk.
Let the batter rest*. Letting the pancake batter rest for a few minutes (or up to 45 minutes in the fridge) allows the gluten in the flour to relax and the starch grains to swell which helps make tender fluffy pancakes. *Full disclosure, often I don't let this batter rest but a couple of minutes because I'm usually in a hurry, and these pancakes are always fluffy and tender. So, if you're a busy Mom, Dad, or caregiver that can't be bothered with resting the batter, don't.
Make sure baking powder and baking soda (if using) are both fresh and not expired. Expired leavening agents lead to Flat Stanely pancakes. I like to use a combination of baking powder and baking soda when I use buttermilk in pancakes. It makes a super fluffy angel soft pancake. But if you don't have baking soda, just omit it.
Use buttermilk or a buttermilk substitute. Buttermilk is key to the best-tasting pancakes in my opinion and the acid in it helps create a fluffier (and tastier) pancake. If you don't have it, make an easy substitute by adding fresh lemon juice (or vinegar) to the milk and letting it stand for 5-10 minutes. *See recipe notes for exact measurements needed for this recipe.

Troubleshooting Pancakes -- What's Wrong With My Pancakes?

Why are my pancakes gummy in the middle? Either the heat is too high which means the pancakes are browning on the outside faster than they're cooking in the middle, OR you're just not cooking them quite long enough.
Why are my pancakes too brown? Maintaining an even temperature of the skillet or griddle is key to perfectly golden pancakes. If your skillet is smoking, it's way too hot. On the other hand, if the butter isn't sizzling, your pan is too cold. Adjusting the temperature up and down as needed is required for well-cooked pancakes.
Why are my pancakes flat? If your pancakes are too flat, it's usually because the batter is too thin and runny, or the baking powder isn't active. Add flour 1 tablespoon at a time to help thicken the batter and if that doesn't help then the leavening agent (usually baking powder) may be the culprit.
Why are my pancakes rubbery? Overmixing pancake batter further develops the gluten which renders touch, chewy, and dense pancakes. Pancake batter should not have long streaks of visible flour, but it should be very lumpy. *see photos for what pancake batter should look like
Why are my pancakes dry? Dry pancakes indicate you've likely used too much flour, too little baking powder (or baking soda), or used too little fat (like eggs, butter, or oil). I like to use a combination of butter (for flavor) and oil (for fluffy texture) to create a perfectly textured pancake. If your pancakes end up dry, don't throw them out. Either serve them with homemade fruit syrups and jam or use them to make a pancake bread pudding.
Why are my pancakes falling apart? Pancakes usually fall apart because no egg is used, or not enough egg is used. Essentially, if a key ingredient is missing or the ratio of ingredients isn't in balance, pancakes have a tendency to break apart. If using an egg substitute like applesauce or mashed bananas, be sure to use the right proportions (¼ cup of applesauce OR ¼ cup smashed banana = 1 large egg)

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Light and Fluffy Pancakes for Two (or a Crowd)