Name: Easy Fluffy Pancakes
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour; 3 1/2 tsp aluminum-free baking powder*; 1 tsp Kosher salt**; 2 Tbsp unsalted butter (melted); 1 1/4 cups milk; 1 egg (lightly beaten )

These quintessential fluffy pancakes are made from scratch in minutes and are loved by kids and adults alike. Throw out your boxed mix!

My kids absolutely love pancakes. Well, I'm not sure what they like more -- the fluffy, warm pancakes, the big slab of butter on top. Or maybe it's the maple syrup they both demand to pour themselves. This independent pour typically results in a huge puddle of maple syrup around their pancakes, but hey! That's one of the reasons we buy our maple syrup from Costco.

This easy fluffy pancake recipe has been tested in our household for years -- and it's been in the breakfast rotation along with blueberry donuts and chocolate chunk banana bread. That's some high praise! Now go make this easy pancake recipe for kids!

Why Kids and Adults Love These Pancakes

Easy pancake recipe for kids - This is the perfect recipe for kids to help make. There's nothing overly complicated, and my kids love stirring the batter.
Uses basic pantry staples -- Nothing fancy you don't already have in your kitchen: flour, eggs, baking powder, salt, butter, milk, eggs.
So fluffy - These pancakes are incredibly fluffy thanks to a little extra baking powder and not over-mixing the pancake mix.
Fast, fast, fast -- I can get my first round on pancakes on the table in about 15 minutes, including letting the batter rest for 10 minutes. That's fast!
Sugar free -- Maple syrup my kids drown their pancakes in is plenty of sugar on its own.

stack of pancakes with a slab of butter taken from 45 degree angle, showing maple syrup dripping from the top.

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I don't hate on those who use pancake mix out of a box or the "Just Add Water" kind, but when making pancakes is *this* simple, it really doesn't make any sense to include all of the additives and preservatives. I'll save those additives and preservatives for a better time.

Just so you know, they came out perfectly fluffy. I've never made pancakes from scratch before and these were super simple. My husband isn't really a pancake fan but he loved them and said they came out great! I am definitely using this as my go-to recipe for pancakes from now on, except I might have to double it from time to time. Thank you!

-Imsen

You'll also notice these pancakes are not sweetened. I love making this Quick Blueberry Maple Compote. The compote is maple syrup and fruit combined into a powerhouse drizzle and makes the pancakes plenty sweet. If you feel the need to add sugar, feel free to add 1 Tablespoon of sugar to the batter.

Three pancakes cooking in a stainless steel pan showing their golden tops.

Ingredients You'll Need + Important Notes

The good news is that the batter for these pancakes can be whipped up in less than 5 minutes. It's really just utilizing your basic pantry staples: flour, baking powder, butter, eggs, milk, and salt.

all-purpose flour - Make sure you measure properly by spooning the flour into a measuring cup.
baking powder -- Use aluminum-free baking powder. I buy Rumford brand but there are several brands that are aluminum free like Clabber Girl or Bob's Red Mill. This is the rising agent for these pancakes and there's quite a bit to get that nice rise. If you aren't using aluminum free baking powder, your pancakes could taste tinny.
Kosher salt - Not to be confused with table salt. See note below on the difference!
unsalted butter - There's plenty of salt in these pancakes, so I prefer unsalted butter.
milk - We always keep whole milk in the house, but you can use whatever kind of milk you have on hand.
egg

Individual ingredients for easy pancakes in individual bowls, including egg, baking powder, butter, flour, salt, and milk.

Table v. Kosher Salt

This recipe calls for Kosher salt. Kosher salt is made of larger, flakier crystals of salt than table salt. Table salt is very fine. If you use table salt, a teaspoon of table salt will taste very salty so make sure you're use Kosher salt.

How to Make Easy Pancakes For Kids

This pancake recipe is a hit because this pancake recipe is MADE for kids. It's easy to make whether you have a little helper with you or just need to get breakfast on the table ASAP.

Step 1: Mix your ingredients.

Wet ingredients go in a separate bowl and then are combined with the flour, salt, and baking powder.

Step 1 of the directions showing the batter all mixed together in a glass bowl.

Step 2: Let batter sit.

You only need to let it sit for a couple of minutes. You'll notice the baking powder will activate and the batter will thicken. It's ready to go.

Step 2 of the directions showing the batter after it has sat for a bit and is considerably thicker.

Step 3: Heat your pan.

My heat is just above medium. I don't own a non-stick pan, but that would be the easiest thing to use. If you are using stainless steel like me, butter is your non-stick element!

Step 3 of directions showing a slab of melted butter in a stainless steel pan.

Step 4: Pour batter into the pan.

I use a ¼ measuring cup to pour the batter into small pancakes that are about 4 inches in diameter. I do four pancakes at a time. Cook untl you start to see bubbles. Flip and cook the other side.

Step 4 of the directions showing pancakes cooking on a stainless steel pan.

Tips for Making Fluffy Pancakes

Here are a few additional tips to ensure you've got fluffy pancakes you and your kids will love!

Properly measure your flour. This could be a tip I include on every page where flour is involved. Don't scoop the flour out using your measuring cup. Pour the flour into a measuring cup or use a spoon to scoop it into your measuring cup. This will guarantee you don't pack the flour in resulting in too much. Too much flour means dense, dry pancakes.
Let the batter rest. This is really essential because the batter will thicken up a little bit when the flour absorbs the liquid and the baking powder has time to activate. Thick batter equals fluffy pancakes. Watery battery will mean thin, flat pancakes.
Use a non-stick skillet. Don't mess with a regular skillet because you'll have to use a lot more butter to ensure the pancakes don't stick, and that's really difficult on medium heat. You could also use a griddle if you're fancy.
Use Kosher Salt and aluminum-free baking powder. We've already covered this, but I can't stress how important it is.

Top view of a stack of pancakes on a white plate with blueberries strewn around the bottom of the stack.

How to Store Pancakes

To store: These pancakes can easily be frozen and heated up when the busy week hits. We store our pancakes individually in freezer-safe bags once they're completely cooled to room temperature. Then we take them out as needed and stick them in the microwave for 25-30 seconds until nice and warm. They're delicious from the freezer. You feel like you've had a homemade, sit-down breakfast even on the craziest of mornings (which is every weekday morning around here).

To reheat: Place the pancakes in the toaster until heated through or in the microwave for 20-30 seconds.

How to Make Pancakes Vegan

If you want to make these pancakes vegan, substitute the butter for olive oil or canola oil and the milk for almond milk. Instead of the egg, mash up bananas or use applesauce. Voila! Vegan pancakes.

Other Breakfast Ideas

Check out these delicious breakfast ideas for some more inspiration!

Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread is so crazy delicious! And what else are you going to do with those brown bananas on your counter?!
Banana Spinach Smoothie is the perfect way to start the day with something nutritious and so easy to make.
This Healthy Egg and Vegetable Bake is one of the most popular recipes and I understand why: so easy and so delicious.
Belgian Waffles are good any weekend of the year. I double the batch and put the rest in the freezer for when we need breakfast STAT.
Go sweet with Greek Yogurt Coffee Cake or Blueberry Donuts

More Breakfast Recipes

Aerial view of a stack of pancakes with a generous slab of butter with maple syrup and blueberries around the pancakes.

Easy Fluffy Pancakes

These quintessential cozy, diner pancakes are made from scratch in minutes. They're loved by kids and adults alike. Throw out your boxed mix!

4.13 from 24 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 15

Servings: 4" pancakes

Recipe Author: Kathryn

Ingredients

▢ 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
▢ 3 ½ tsp aluminum-free baking powder*
▢ 1 teaspoon Kosher salt**
▢ 2 Tbsp unsalted butter melted
▢ 1 ¼ cups milk
▢ 1 egg lightly beaten

Instructions

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a medium size bowl, whisk melted butter, milk, and egg. Gently stir in the dry mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined. Be careful to not over mix. Let batter rest for 2-3 minutes to thicken slightly.
Heat non-stick frying pan over medium to medium-high heat. Melt a small pad of butter (about ½ Tbsp). If butter sizzles, it's ready for batter. Add 4 small pancakes (using about ¼ cup of batter each time) onto pan. When bubbles start forming at the top and bottom is browned, flip and cook other side (about 2-3 minutes).
Continue cooking in smaller batches. Serve immediately with butter and blueberry compote.

Notes

*Aluminum-free baking powder is the way to go, in general, but it is particularly important you have aluminum-free baking powder when you're making pancakes. If you're not using aluminum-free baking powder, your pancakes could taste tinny.

**Lots of comments below about these pancakes being too salty. Make sure you're using Kosher salt, not table salt. Table salt is much finer and you need less of it. This recipe calls for Kosher salt.

To Freeze: These pancakes freeze well. Just make sure you bring them to room temperature before individually wrapping in a bag that seals shut.

To defrost: Take them out of freezer and put in the microwave for 20-30 seconds until thawed and warm.

Nutrition

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Comments

4.13 from 24 votes (11 ratings without comment)

Easy Fluffy Pancakes (that Kids Love!)