Home > Breakfast > How To Make Fluffy Pancakes

How To Make Fluffy Pancakes

by Nick Makrides

A steaming stack of soft and Fluffy Pancakes is super easy to whip with this simple list of ingredients! The perfect weekend breakfast!

Fluffy Pancakes - stacked with maple syrup being poured on top

These pancakes are a great celebratory breakfast option or a ‘just cos’ breakfast. You can add in your favorite flavorings and toppings and adjust them to your own liking. Personally, I like a generous dollop of Chantilly Cream with a sensible drizzle of maple syrup.

Fluffy Pancakes - side by side

You’ll love these Pancakes because they’re:

  • Fluffy – use my ‘overnight batter tip’ to get them even fluffier!
  • Easy – the batter comes together with simple ingredients
  • Quick – if you’re making these without waiting. Honestly though even if you do rest your batter overnight, making the batter is quick and the pancakes cook quickly too!
  • Thick – these pancakes are meaty, no thin rubbery pancakes, they’re almost like soft sponge cakes!
  • You can make them your own! These are totally adjustable with your favorite add ins like chocolate chips or berries or your favorite toppings!

Do this to get ultra fluffy pancakes!

Fluffy Pancakes - sliced pancakes showing fluffy inside close up

Giving your batter a little time to rest in the fridge before you make your pancakes is the key to get soft, fluffy pancakes. What happens is the flour in the batter expands and soaks in the moisture from the wet ingredients which results in softer pancakes. The same is true for Waffle batter.

How long do you wait?

Well, I’d say the shortest is about an hour, but what’s better is overnight. More time for the ingredients to have a party and get to know each other.

Can I skip the waiting time?

Yep, you can totally do that and still get nice fluffy pancakes, but waiting a little bit for softer fluffier pancakes is pretty worth it.

Ingredients You Need To Make Fluffy Pancakes

Note: the whole recipe, including the ingredient quantities, can be found at the bottom of this page – just scroll down to the bottom, or click the ‘Jump to Recipe’ button at the top of this post.

Fluffy Pancakes - ingredients image

  • All-purpose flour – also known as plain flour. Make sure you sif tit to get rid of any lumps. I haven’t tested this recipe with gluten free flour, but if you do, let me know and I’ll add notes to this section of the blog!
  • Caster sugar – also known as superfine sugar. You can use granulated sugar instead.
  • Baking powder – helps your pancakes rise.
  • Salt – I used fine salt.
  • Milk – I used cow’s milk but you can use plant based milks like almond or oat milk instead.
  • Butter – I used unsalted butter. Make sure you let your melted butter cool slightly before using.
  • Vanilla ExtractAlways use good quality vanilla extract when baking, it makes a huge difference. I have a great recipe here for it if you’d like to try your own!
  • Egg – I used a large egg.
  • Clarified Butter I used clarified butter to cook my pancakes. It helps give the pancakes a rich buttery flavour when cooking. You can use regular melted butter or even neutral oils like vegetable or sunflower oil. I think the quick and easy step of making clarified butter is totally worth it.

How to make Fluffy Pancakes!

Fluffy Pancakes - steps 01

  1. Mix the dry ingredients together
  2. In a separate bowl mix the wet ingredients
  3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until a batter forms. You can either let this rest in the fridge overnight for a fluffier pancake or use it right away for an already fairly fluffy pancake.
  4. Preheat your flat grill plate or skillet on medium high heat and brush with ghee/clarified butter.

Fluffy Pancakes - steps 02

  1. Pour about 1/4 cup of batter on to skillet.
  2. Allow to cook until bubbles begin forming at the top and the batter goes slightly dull.
  3. Turn over and cook until golden and crispy on both sides.

Fluffy Pancakes - close up of maple syrup being poured

Tips and Tricks For Recipe Success!

  • Use Clarified Butter for best tasting pancakes – it’ll also give you nice crispy edges
  • Make sure your baking powder is active and within it’s used by date. You can test it out by combining 1 tbsp of baking powder with 2 tbsp of boiling water. If it fizzes, you’re good to go!
  • Sift your flour to make sure there are no big lumps.
  • Don’t overmix your batter! Stop mixing just as soon as no dry ingredients are showing. It’s ok if there are some lumps in the batter. Overmixing your batter will result in tough and rubbery pancakes.
  • Let your batter rest! 10 minutes for fluffy pancakes, 1 hour for fluffier pancakes, overnight in the fridge for the fluffiest!
  • Make sure your skillet is hot before adding the pancake batter otherwise they’ll end up rubbery.

Frequently Asked Questions about Fluffy Pancakes

How do I store pancakes?

Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave until warm. To freeze, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months.

How Do I Know When To Flip My Pancakes?

Little bubbles will appear on the top of the cupcakes

Can I use dairy free milk?

Yes! Plant based milks like almond milk and oat milk work. You can even use canned light coconut milk. Regular coconut milk is too heavy.

Can I add things in my pancake batter?

Yep! Chocolate chips, berries or nuts make great add ins. About 1/3 cup of those will work.

Serving suggestions

I like my pancakes with whipped Chantilly Cream and maple syrup. They’re also great with raspberry sauce or jam or just with a side of your favorite berries!

Can I double the recipe?

Yep! Simply double all of the ingredients. If the batter looks a little thick, add 1/4 tsp of water and mix each time.

Gave this a go? Don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! Hungry for more? Join me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and TikTok for more great recipes!

If you loved this recipe, check these out!

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @thescranline on Facebook and Instagram!

Fluffy Pancakes - thumbnail

Fluffy Pancakes

A steaming stack of soft and Fluffy Pancakes is super easy to whip with this simple list of ingredients! The perfect weekend breakfast!

Serves 4

5 from 2 votes
Author: Nick Makrides
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: British
Calories: 444kcal
Author: Nick Makrides

Ingredients

Fluffy Pancakes

  • 2 cups (300 g) all-purpose flour
  • 3 tbsp caster sugar
  • 3 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 3/4 cups (440 ml) milk room temperature
  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) unsalted butter melted, plus more for the griddle
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg


Instructions

Fluffy Pancakes

  • Add the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt to a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
  • To a mixing jug add the milk, melted butter, vanilla extract and egg and whisk to combine.
  • Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until no dry ingredients are showing. Take care not to overmix, some small lumps are ok. The batter will be about the same consistency as heavy cream. If it’s too thick, add a couple tbsp of milk and fold through using a spatula.

Rest Time

  • The longer you leave this batter to rest in the fridge, the fluffier these will be. The minimum amount is 10 minutes, 1 hour is good, overnight is best. You will still get fluffy pancakes with 10 minute of resting time.

Cooking Your Pancakes

  • Warm up a flat skillet or flat plated griddle to medium heat and brush with melted butter, Use an ice-cream scoop that holds about 3 tbsp of batter and pour rounds of it on your griddle or skillet. Cook until bubbles begin showing and the batter begins looking a little dull (less shiny). Use a flat spatula to turn over and cook until golden. Serve with your favorite toppings. Hazelnut spread, Strawberries, berries, maple syrup, cream or chocolate sauce!

Notes

Storage - Pancakes are best served the day they’re made but tightly wrapped in plastic can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days.
Nutrition - is based on per serving. This recipe makes 12 pancakes and serves 4 people.
A note on measurements - all ingredients in this recipe are offered in Australian cup measurements and weight measurements. Weight measurements are created by me, in my kitchen here in Melbourne Australia. The best way to get recipe success is to measure ingredients by weight, using kitchen scales.

Nutrition

Calories : 444kcal
Carbonhydrates: 55g
Protein: 11g
Fat: 17g
Saturated Fat: 10g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g
Monounsaturated Fat : 4g
Trans Fat : 0.5g
Cholesterol: 84mg
Sodium: 669mg
Potassium : 264mg
Fiber: 2g
Sugar : 7g
Vitamin A: 587IU
Calcium: 328mg
Iron: 3mg
Nutrition Disclosure
Gave this recipe a go?Mention @thescranline or tag #thescranline!

You may also like

1 comment

Nick Makrides September 9, 2023 - 7:05 am

5 stars
The fluffiest pancakes to enjoy for breakfast anytime you please! N x

Reply

Leave a Comment

Recipe Rating