• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

RecipeTin Eats

Fast Prep, Big Flavours

  • My RecipeTin
  • NEW cookbook!
  • Recipes
  • Recipes By Category
    • Iconic + cult classics
    • Mains
      • Chicken
        • Chicken mince
      • Beef Recipes
        • Ground Beef (Mince)
      • Pork
      • Lamb
      • Turkey
      • Shrimp / Prawns
      • Salmon
      • Fish recipes
      • Salad Meals
    • Quick and Easy
    • Soups
    • One Pot – One Pan
    • Stewy slow-cooked things
    • Slow Cooker
    • Sides
      • All
      • Salads & veg
      • Show Off Salads
      • Rice (all)
      • Fried rice recipes
      • Rice (plain)
      • Potato
    • Pasta
      • All
      • Pasta bakes
      • Pasta salads
    • Sweet
      • Cakes
      • Candy
      • Cheesecakes
      • Cupcakes & Muffins
      • Cookies
      • Puddings & Cosy Desserts
      • Bite Size
      • Pies
      • Slices & Bars
      • Frosting & Icing
      • Ice cream
    • Cuisine
      • Asian
        • All
        • Stir fries
        • Noodles
        • Soups
        • Chinese
        • RecipeTin Japan 🇯🇵
        • Korean
        • Modern Asian
        • Thai
        • Vietnamese
      • French
      • Greek
      • Indian
      • Italian
      • Mediterranean
      • Mexican
      • Middle Eastern
      • South American
    • Dietary
      • Gluten Free
      • Low Calorie
      • Vegetarian
    • Other Categories
      • BBQ
      • Breakfast
      • Burgers
      • 🎄Christmas
      • Cocktails
      • Party Foods
      • Rice Recipes
      • Roasts
      • Sandwiches & Sliders
    • Recipe collections
    • Cookbook recipes
  • My Food Bank
  • About
    • Me
    • RecipeTin Meals
    • My Cookbooks
      • Tonight (NEW!)
      • Dinner
    • Free Recipe Books
    • Contact
    • Nitty Gritty
      • Policy: Use of Recipes & Images
      • Privacy & Disclosure
Home Breakfast

Pancakes – Fluffy, quick, no-fail

By Nagi Maehashi
303 Comments
Share
  • Copy Link
  • E-mail
  • Facebook
  • WhatsApp
Published16 Jun '17 Updated26 Mar '25
Jump to
Recipe

Simple, soft, fluffy pancakes, an essential that everyone should know. You’ve been good all week. Go on. You deserve freshly made homemade pancakes for breakfast tomorrow!

Stack of the best easy soft, fluffy pancakes

Pancakes recipe

Homemade pancakes shouldn’t be complicated. It doesn’t matter if they come out wonky or with a splotchy surface instead of being a beautiful, even golden brown – after all, they’ll get smothered in toppings.

But they should be soft and fluffy. And in my world, not too sweet. Because….you know. Toppings. Load up on toppings!

Any day starting with homemade pancakes is a GREAT day!

Simple, fluffy pancakes. What will you top yours with? recipetineats.com

What goes in homemade pancakes

This is what you need:

  • flour

  • baking powder

  • sugar

  • egg

  • milk

  • vanilla extract – optional

No buttermilk, no baking soda / bi carb, no yoghurt. You only need baking soda for an extra fluff boost when you have add ins in pancakes, like Blueberry Pancakes, because it weighs the batter down.

And of course TOPPINGS! Why limit yourself to just butter and maple syrup? See below for all sorts of ideas!

Simple, fluffy pancakes. What will you top yours with? recipetineats.com

Pancakes Toppings – what to put on pancakes

  • Butter and maple syrup – the classic!

  • Maple syrup alternatives – honey, golden syrup and other sweet syrups suitable for eating raw

  • Lemon and sugar – one of my favourites! Light sprinkle of sugar and a squeeze of lemon

  • Strawberries and cream! Pictured below – layer it up like a cake, sandwiching the pancakes with whipped cream and sliced strawberries, then finish with a dusting of icing sugar / powdered sugar;

  • Sinfully rich sauces – like caramel sauce, chocolate sauce, butterscotch sauce, peanut sauce, anything!

  • Lemon curd, fruit compotes and sauces – like blueberry sauce (try the one in this Blueberry Cheesecake), Strawberry Sauce (use the one in this Strawberry Cheesecake) or try the warm apple topping in this Apple French Toast

  • BACON and maple syrup – YES!

  • Sprinkle of nuts

  • Fresh fruit – chop it, pile over pancakes with cream!

  • Ice cream – add a scoop onto a stack and drizzle with maple syrup, chocolate sauce, caramel sauce. Don’t forget the whipped cream!

  • Dusting of cinnamon and sugar

Pro tip: Keep a STANDBY PANCAKE MIX!

Homemade pancakes aren’t complicated to make, but sometimes it’s that much more appealing if there’s a ready made mix in the cupboard, just like the ones you can buy at the store!

Just measure out the dry ingredients and pop them in a ziplock bag, jar or airtight container, then when you want to make fresh pancakes, just add the wet ingredients!

To make a handy shake ‘n pour bottle like pictured above, you’ll need a 1.5L/1.5Qt+ bottle to leave enough headroom for the required liquids + shaking. I mix the wet ingredients in a jug then pour it in then shake away!

Simple, fluffy pancakes. What will you top yours with? recipetineats.com

Homemade Fluffy Pancakes

Now, go forth and elevate your morning by making a big stack of these soft, fluffy, golden pancakes! TELL ME what you top YOURS with! – Nagi xx


Watch How To Make It

Simple Fluffy Pancakes recipe video!

Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.

Homemade Fluffy Pancakes

Simple, Fluffy Pancakes

Author: Nagi
Prep: 5 minutes mins
Cook: 15 minutes mins
Total: 20 minutes mins
4.96 from 133 votes
Servings13 pancakes
Tap or hover to scale
Print
  • 119
Recipe video above. Simple, fluffy pancakes made from scratch, an essential that everyone should know! These are soft and fluffy, easy to make, and not too sweet so you can go wild with toppings. The key is getting the batter consistency right so it is easy to spread but doesn't spread too thinly so you get nice fluffy pancakes.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups / 300g plain / all purpose flour (Note 1)
  • 4 tsp baking powder (Note 1)
  • 1/4 cup / 55g white sugar (caster / super fine is best but not essential)
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 egg
  • 1 3/4 cups / 435 ml cups milk (any type, any fat %)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract or essence
  • 4 tsp butter , for cooking
Prevent screen from sleeping

Instructions

  • Place flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a bowl, whisk to combine.
  • Add egg, milk and vanilla. Whisk until lump free – no longer than 30 seconds.
  • Heat a non stick skillet – use medium heat if you have a strong stove, medium high if you have a weak one. Add a tiny bit of butter (about 1/2 tsp) and swirl to melt. Use paper towel to mostly wipe the butter off (this is the trick to avoid a dodgy 1st pancake).
  • Pour 1/4 cup batter into the middle of the fry pan (I use a slightly heaped ice cream scoop with lever, standard is 1/4 cup).
  • Swirl pan lightly to spread or use the ice cream scoop edge to spread into 11cm / 4.5″ circle (ruler is a must) (joking!).
  • When bubbles rise to the surface (see video), flip and cook the other side until golden.
  • Remove and keep warm in a low oven.
  • Use more butter every 2 to 3 pancakes – depends how good your non stick coating is.
  • Serve with toppings of choice!

Recipe Notes:

1. Flour: The flour and baking powder can be replaced with 2 cups + 1 tbsp self raising flour. The flour can also be substituted with whole wheat flour.
2. STOVE TEMP: The trick with pancakes is getting the stove temp perfect – it should take 30 seconds for the bubbles to appear then 30 – 45 seconds on the other side until golden, 1 minute per pancake. So adjust as you cook, and if you’re impatient like me, get 2 pans going at the same time!
3. Some TOPPINGS: Butter, maple syrup, fruit sauces, jam, cream, lemon juice + sugar (this is terrific), bacon + maple syrup (heart attack risk is worth it), yoghurt, macerated strawberries (1 cup chopped strawberries tossed with 1 tbsp white sugar, leave for 10 minutes = strawberries in red juice, see photo in post).
4. PRE-MADE PANCAKE MIX: Place the flour, salt, baking powder and sugar in a ziplock bag, large jar or bottle. Then add the egg, vanilla and milk when you want to  make up a batch of pancakes! If you want to be able to add the liquids into the jar or bottle then pour the batter straight into the pan, it will need to be 1.5L/1.5Qt or greater. The bottled pictured in post is a 2 litre milk carton (only dry ingredients are in it). 
Click here for printable instruction labels (nothing fancy but does the job!).
5. Nutrition per pancake assuming only half the butter is consumed (because most is wiped off), excluding toppings because I cannot be held responsible for how much you load up your pancakes! And yes, this recipe makes 13 pancakes. Because it’s just how my recipes seem to go – always a weird number.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 62gCalories: 108cal (5%)
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @recipe_tin.

More pancake recipes

  • Extra Fluffy Blueberry Pancakes

  • Nutella Stuffed Pancakes

  • Fluffy Ricotta Pancakes

  • Giant Pancakes – to share!

  • Pikelets – mini pancakes!


Life of Dozer

I’m surprised there isn’t a massive drool hanging from his mouth.

Oh wait. I don’t want to gross you out, but after I wrote this post, I almost slipped on a puddle of drool when I was cleaning that area. Ewwwwww!

Previous Post
Chinese Chicken (Char Siu!)
Next Post
Chicken Stir Fry with Rice Noodles

Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative!

Read More

Free Recipe eBooks

Join my free email list to receive THREE free cookbooks!

Related Posts

Baked breakfast hash with sausage and potatoes

Baked sausage breakfast hash

Cheese, herb and garlic quick bread

Cheese, Herb & Garlic Quick Bread (No Yeast)

Pikelets

Pikelets

More Breakfast

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Cooked this? Rate this recipe!




303 Comments

  1. Dorothy says

    January 1, 2025 at 6:31 pm

    5 stars
    Made these for New Year’s Day breakfast for my daughter who loves pancakes. We loved it. So fluffy and delicious! Thank you !!!

    Reply
  2. Dee says

    December 31, 2024 at 8:42 am

    5 stars
    This recipe works so well – easy and consistently delicious. (I still always mess up the first one, though, even with the paper towel trick! Am determined to get it right one day.)

    Reply
  3. Evelyn Craig Craig says

    December 28, 2024 at 7:38 am

    5 stars
    Love this recipe. Super delicious. Does anyone know if this is the same recipe to make crepes? Do you just use more liquid to thin it out? Thank you 🙂

    Reply
  4. Ann says

    December 26, 2024 at 4:59 pm

    5 stars
    Made these yesterday and today, everyone has raved about them being the best pancakes, easy to make and taste awesome!!

    Reply
  5. Nat says

    November 22, 2024 at 3:51 am

    5 stars
    I make these so often because my daughter loves them and they are super easy. I cook the whole amount in one go and then freeze in portions to save time in the mornings.

    Reply
  6. Rachael says

    November 9, 2024 at 10:13 am

    5 stars
    These are by far the fluffiest pancakes I’ve ever made! Soo tasty – I’ve put the leftover batter in the fridge so I can have them again tomorrow. My favourite topping is lemon juice & sugar 😋

    Reply
    • Alyssa Fabish says

      August 17, 2025 at 8:38 am

      5 stars
      So good would do again with family the fluffiest pancakes to make my 12 year old made them and loved them

      Reply
  7. Gill says

    October 27, 2024 at 11:37 pm

    5 stars
    This recipe makes the most delicious fluffy pancakes. For just the two of us I halve the ingredients using lactose free milk.

    Reply
  8. Ashley B says

    October 14, 2024 at 11:32 pm

    5 stars
    The best, delicious and easiest pancake recipe ! My whole family loved these this morning . Thank you for sharing ! <3

    Reply
  9. Joanne P says

    October 13, 2024 at 10:24 am

    5 stars
    Super fluffy pancakes! I used some coconut milk, and added choc chips and dessicated coconut to the batter, then topped them with jam and they tasted like cherry ripe pancakes!!

    Reply
    • Camille Mey says

      June 11, 2025 at 9:57 am

      5 stars
      Finally an actually fluffy pancake recipe. Will be saving this. Thank you.

      Reply
  10. Holly says

    October 13, 2024 at 1:17 am

    5 stars
    Delicious and easy, this has become my go to Saturday morning recipe

    Reply
  11. Amalia says

    October 12, 2024 at 10:55 pm

    5 stars
    Thank you so much Nagi for this amazing pancake recipe. Honestly, all your recipes are to die for, they are so good. My sister absoluty loves it when I bake them for her on a Sunday morning. Thank you once again for this wonderful recipe!!

    Reply
  12. Ethan says

    October 9, 2024 at 9:25 am

    5 stars
    I don’t think I’ve ever left a recipe review before but I wanted to say that this is by far the best pancake (I actually made waffles with it instead) recipe I’ve tried, with similar sentiments from my wife and kids. Thanks!

    Reply
  13. Jesse says

    October 6, 2024 at 7:23 am

    5 stars
    Best pancake recipe ever!

    Reply
  14. Kiki says

    September 30, 2024 at 8:39 am

    5 stars
    These pancakes are sooooo good! I made these with my friends when they came over for a sleepover and they loved them!

    Reply
  15. Nicole says

    September 28, 2024 at 10:21 am

    5 stars
    Thank you as always Nagi for a fail proof recipe when hubby ‘needed’ a fix and we had no shaker pancake mix! I assured him that RTE will work everytime so have faith

    Reply
  16. Sammy says

    September 1, 2024 at 4:54 pm

    5 stars
    I have made pancakes, not often, but enough, they have never turned out like they did tonight! Made father’s day breakfast for dinner tonight for husband. They were perfect! Topped them caramelized bananas, bacon, maple syrup, caramelized white chocolate sauce and whipped cream. They were thick and fluffy and super yummy!
    Another good recipe! Thank you so much! Xx

    Reply
  17. Tina - Marie Kirby says

    September 1, 2024 at 7:08 am

    I just made these for my hubby for father’s day and they were so delicious. I’ve saved them so that these are my ho too pancake

    Reply
  18. Kate says

    August 25, 2024 at 9:32 am

    4 stars
    Finally, an easy pancake recipe that works! No more too flat pancake PTSD 😅 Next time I might add a little kefir into the mix for extra rise

    Reply
  19. Rachelle says

    July 26, 2024 at 5:41 am

    5 stars
    These are perfect for quickly whipping up fluffy pancakes. It was my first time making them today and this recipe will now be my go to. Thank Nagi and team!

    Reply
  20. Pat says

    July 1, 2024 at 12:32 am

    5 stars
    I tried this because I ran out of my go to box mix, which is very good. I will not be buying it in the future. This receipe is so easy. I didn’t have vanilla but substituted almond. My husband loved these pancakes. Definitely will be keeping this receipe. Just looked up a waffle receipe and that is next to try.

    Reply
Newer Comments
Older Comments

Primary Sidebar

Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative! Read More

Free Recipe eBooks

Join my free email list to receive THREE free cookbooks!

Meet Dozer

Official taste tester of RecipeTin Eats! Meet Dozer
As Featured On

Never miss a recipe!

Subscribe to my newsletter and receive 3 FREE ebooks!

Subscribe
Recipes
  • All Recipes
  • By Category
  • Collections
About
  • About Nagi
  • About Dozer
  • RecipeTin Meals
Related
  • RecipeTin Japan
Help
  • Contact
  • Image Use Policy
© RecipeTin Eats 2025
  • Privacy Policy & Terms
Site Credits
Maintained by Human Made Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled
All Rights Reserved

Subscribe to my newsletter

Sign up and receive 3 FREE EBOOKS!