I hate when my pancakes fall flat as a…well, you know! I love fluffy pancakes that don’t collapse before you even get them to the table. This fluffy pancake recipe stays light and full from the first pancake to the last! This melt-in-your-mouth breakfast will get everyone to the table in a hurry.

The BEST Fluffy Pancake Recipe

I love pancakes because they’re just so versatile! Depending upon what you mix in or add to the top, you can make them sweet, savory, for breakfast or dinner. We frequently prepare this fluffy pancake recipe as a “Breakfast for Dinner”. Paired up with bacon, sausage or scrambled eggs, these are the best.

These fluffy pancakes taste soooo good on their own, even without toppings or syrup. But it’s still fun to top them to the liking of each personal in your family. Make these delicious pancakes for Easter breakfast, a lazy weekend morning or whip up a big batch so you have enough leftovers the entire week (see more on that later in this post). This fluffy pancake recipe is one of our favorite quick and easy breakfast ideas for kids.

Alternative Toppings and Mix-Ins

I’ve included the fluffy pancake recipe for you and sharing ideas on how we top them. Seems like each person in my family wants them served a different way. With the basic pancake recipe, it’s easy enough to create some fun toppings or mix-ins to make each plate of pancakes unique!

Blueberry pancakes

Blueberries – skip adding the blueberries to the batter bowl (they just sink to the bottom). Instead, pour pancake batter onto the griddle, then just drop the blueberries onto the batter (about 5 each pancake) before flipping to the other side.
Bacon – the ultimate sweet and salty delight, with crumbled bits of cooked and cooled bacon in each pancake. Pour pancake batter onto the griddle, then drop the bacon bits onto the batter before you flip to the other side.
Whipped topping
Peanut Butter and Jelly – this is how my dad ate pancakes when I was a kid. Spread peanut butter on top of one pancake and stack with a second pancake. Repeat until you have a stack of 3. Spread jelly on top (or do like Dad did, melt the jelly, jam or preserves and pour them over the top of the stack!)
Butter and syrup – the classic!

More Tasty Pancake Additions

Strawberries and Yogurt – add a dollop of yogurt to the top of your pancake stack then sprinkle with sliced strawberries.
Bananas and Walnuts – mash up 2 ripe bananas and add to the pancake batter. Serve with extra sliced bananas and chopped walnuts.
Sprinkles – mix in cake sprinkles into the pancake batter for a “funfetti” effect that’s cute for a birthday breakfast. Extra sprinkles on top are a must!
Apples – peel and thinly slice one apple. In a pan over low heat, melt 2 pats of butter and stir in apples. Add 1 Tbsp brown sugar and sprinkle with cinnamon. Continue to warm and stir, until apples are soft and sugar is caramelized. Serve with syrup and whipped topping (or a scoop of vanilla ice cream) and it’s just like warm apple pie!

Recipe for Fluffy Pancakes

Print out the recipe below, but first read these tips before preparing the fluffy pancake recipe. I’m sharing some ideas for making these fool-proof.

I use a Pyrex 4 Cup Bowl with Spout to mix my pancake batter. It’s not completely mess-proof but it does help when pouring out the batter onto the griddle. Often I’ll use a small ladle to scoop out just the right amount of batter.
In a separate small bowl, add vinegar and milk together. This is considered the “poor man’s” buttermilk! Wait about 5 minutes to let those two ingredients combine (you’ll see a little foaming action). Then to this bowl mix in melted butter, vanilla and 1 egg. Mix till combined.
Stir all of the dry ingredients together in the bowl. Create a well in the center and add in the wet ingredients. Use a whisk to combine, just until smooth. You don’t want to over mix and get tough pancakes so go easy on the whisk.
Drizzle in extra milk a little at a time (I usually add another 1/4 cup of milk), mixing in between until batter is a good pouring consistency. You don’t want it gloppy or overly thick.

Set the batter aside to rest about 10 minutes. You’ll see air bubbles start to form on the surface. Heat a Square Griddle Pan and add a pat of butter (spread it around the pan). Pour a quarter cup of batter for each pancake. The batter should be thinned enough that the pancakes form into perfect circles without needing to be spread out a lot with a spoon. But not too thin that they run out into each other!
Watch the pancake for when bubbles form and pop on the surface of the batter. Gently turn up one edge with a Spatula to see if the pancake is properly browned. Flip and cook on the other side. Serve and eat right away!

Pancake Leftovers

Leftovers! Ha, I’m funny, right? I know we never have leftovers if I make just a single batch of these pancakes. If I’m going to make pancakes, I’ll usually just double this fluffy pancake recipe and make enough for leftovers. Once the extra pancakes have cooled, layer them in a zip-close plastic bag and lay flat in the fridge or freezer.

To reheat out of the fridge, just pop a pancake into the toaster to warm it up. Use a pastry or waffle setting.
To eat the pancakes from frozen, either defrost overnight in the refrigerator or microwave on defrost.

Basic Fluffy Pancake Recipe

Yield: About 20 pancakes

The basic recipe for the best fluffy pancakes!

Ingredients

2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups milk (with extra if needed)
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg

Instructions

In a small bowl, combine milk with vinegar. Wait 5 minutes to let them combine (they will foam slightly).
Add in melted butter, vanilla and egg. Mix well until combined.
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Create a well in the middle.
Add wet ingredients to the dry. Use a whisk to combine, just until smooth. Do not overmix. Drizzle in extra milk, stirring in between until batter is the proper consistency (not gloppy or overly thick but not too thin that the pancakes will run into each other on the griddle).
Heat griddle until a drop of water "dances" across the surface. Add a pat of butter and rub it around the pan.
Pour 1/4 cup of batter onto hot griddle.
Flip pancake to the other side when bubbles form and pop (turn up the edge to see if the pancake is properly browned).