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Vanilla pancakes are the perfect lazy weekend breakfast! I’ve been making this foolproof recipe for years (ever since I lived abroad without pancake mix). They’re made using only 7 pantry-staple ingredients you probably already have.
save this recipe!Any pancake recipe that doesn’t use a store-bought mix is a winner! Even more so if the recipe is so easy that you can make it with your eyes closed. Spoiler alert: these pancakes check both boxes!
These vanilla pancakes are basically the love child of my love for homemade Sunday breakfast combined with my degree in food science. In less than half an hour, you’ll find yourself with ten fluffy, delicious, and tender pancakes!
Reader rating
“I make these pancakes for my family a lot and we all love them! Thanks for posting this AMAZING recipe!” —Jisoo
Fluffy Pancakes Recipe Ingredients
- Flour: All-purpose flour gives these pancakes structure without making them dense.
- White sugar: Adds light sweetness and tenderizes the crumb by competing with flour for moisture, which slows gluten development and keeps the texture soft.
- Baking powder: A full tablespoon, more than most recipes call for, which is part of why these come out noticeably fluffier than a boxed mix.
- Salt: Balances sweetness and sharpens the vanilla flavor. It also tightens the gluten slightly, helping the pancakes hold together without turning dense.
- Milk: Adds moisture and helps activate the baking powder. Vanilla soy milk reinforces the vanilla flavor rather than diluting it.
- Egg: Binds the batter and adds richness.
- Vanilla extract: The defining flavor here. Real extract makes a noticeable difference in a batter this simple.
- Butter: Melted and whisked into the wet ingredients, distributing fat evenly through the batter for a tender, rich crumb.
How to Serve Vanilla Pancakes
These pancakes are built for classic toppings: maple syrup, a pat of butter, and fresh berries if you have them. For a fuller breakfast spread, serve them alongside strawberry oatmeal or a 15-minute breakfast fruit salad for something fresh on the side. If you’re feeding a crowd, add the best plant-based sausage to round out the plate with some protein.
Storing homemade fluffy pancakes
Let the pancakes cool completely before storing, then keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. To reheat, pop them in the toaster, a 350°F oven for a few minutes, or the microwave in 20-second bursts.
To freeze, layer pancakes between sheets of parchment paper in a freezer bag or airtight container, where they’ll keep for up to two months. Reheat straight from frozen in the toaster or oven, no need to thaw first.
Recipe Improved
This recipe has been retested and improved since I first published it in 2020 to fix slight flavor issues that some readers have commented on. Thank you everyone for your input. This community wouldn’t be the same without you!
Veganize these pancakes
This is one of the easiest dishes to make into a vegan-friendly recipe. Here are the ingredients you’ll have to omit along with ideas for replacements.
- Milk: Instead of cow’s milk, use the plant-based milk of your choice. Vanilla soy milk would work well, as would almond or oat milk. They can also be plain and unsweetened.
- Egg: Instead of an egg in this recipe, flax seeds work really well. To replace one egg, mix one tablespoon of flax meal (ground flax seeds) with three tablespoons of hot water.
- Butter: Simply use the plant-based butter of your choice!
Syrup is the obvious topping choice, but I love these pancakes with rhubarb compote or no-pectin jam!
Best Fluffy Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup flour
- 2 Tbsp white sugar
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 ¼ cup milk, or plant-based milk, like vanilla soy
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 Tbsp butter, or dairy-free alternative
Instructions
- Stir Dry Ingredients: Stir together 1 ½ cup flour, 2 Tbsp white sugar, 1 Tbsp baking powder, and ½ tsp salt in a large bowl.
- Stir Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl whisk 1 ¼ cup milk, 1 large egg, and 1 tsp vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, melt 4 Tbsp butter in the microwave, then drizzle it into the milk mixture while whisking (it will solidify; that's okay).
- Combine: Add milk mixture to the flour mixture, stirring until mostly combined (some lumps in the batter is okay, do not over stir). Let rest for about 5 minutes to maximize their fluffiness.
- Cook: Lightly grease or butter a large saute pan and set over medium heat. Once hot, spoon in ¼ cup portions of batter, leaving space between each pancake. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until bubbles form on the surface, the edges look set, and the underside is golden brown. Flip and cook another 1 to 2 minutes, until the second side is golden and the pancakes spring back when gently pressed. Adjust heat as needed to keep them from browning too quickly.
- Serve: Set oven to 200°F (95°C). Keep cooked pancakes warm by setting on a baking sheet and keeping then in the oven while you finish cooking the rest of the pancakes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist, and should be taken as an estimate. For the most accurate nutritional information, calculate it using the actual ingredients in your recipe.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!
I made this recipe using the measurements in the content portion of the post, not the recipe below. The measurement for baking powder in the content portion is 3 1/2 tablespoons (clearly it was early and I wasn’t thinking through that that is WAY too much baking powder). I mixed up the batter according to the post and it tasted AWFUL. The whole batch was a waste because all you could taste was baking powder. I see that the measurement is correct on the recipe card at the bottom, but please fix the top measurement so no one else has a ruined batch!!
Holy moly, Amey, I’m so sorry to have caused you to ruin your batch!! I’ve just changed it so no one else will suffer a less-than-spectacular breakfast, and I hope you were able to salvage a good breakfast in the end. So sorry again and thanks so much for dropping in to let me know it was wrong!
It still says 3 and a half tsp. I thought that was too much but it in. Have to start over. 😕
Hi Zoanne, sorry to hear it didn’t work for you! I make this recipe often with the 3 1/2 tsp listed and don’t have a problem. Could you have accidentally added more?
Actually 2-3 tsp is about one tablespoon so it should be fine, but whatever floats the boat lol
ANYTHING is better than Bisquick! Bisquick is nasty! I can’t even stand the smell of it. Not even as a child. I hated pancakes, biscuits or anything made with Bisquick. I only make things from scratch.
Oh wow! I grew up on it, but I’m curious how I would like it now. Haven’t had it in foreeeever!
Delicious and fluffy! One of the best pancake recipes I’ve found. Will be using this recipe again for sure.
So happy to hear it, Cassie! 😀
Just tried this pancake recipe for dinner. My family has requested that we replace our existing recipe with yours! Yummy…..also with chocolate chips. Thanks!
So happy to hear it Krissy! Enjoy! 😀
The recipe was very good! can I ask what size pancakes you make? I am only coming up with 6-7 4″ pancakes. I’m going to have to add a little more to the ingredients next time.
So happy to hear it, Bobbisu!I make 1/4 cup pancakes, which are usually 3 to 4 inches.
Too salty for our taste
Sorry to hear it, but thanks for letting us know! 😀
It was an alright recipe, my pancakes turned out a bit chewy and they didn’t rise much. I put the right about if everything in so I don’t know what went wrong.
Thanks for your feedback Sidney!
this is my favorite pancake recipe out of all of the ones i’ve tried so far! pancakes are my favorite food so i have tried a BUNCH of different recipes. they were flavorful, fluffy and delicious! I added an extra tbs of sugar because i like things a bit sweeter, and me and all of my roommates loved them.
So happy to hear it, Jess!! 😀
I don’t like my pancakes too sweet, but these were really bland. Lovely and fluffy, but needs more sugar or something.