Best Fluffiest Pancakes

September 11, 2021

Updated August 4, 2024

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Yes, these pancakes happen to be chocolate chip, but that doesn’t change the fact that these pancakes are so FLUFFY! Pancakes are an absolute, must-have staple in your household. With many variations and toppings, there’s no wonder why it’s America’s top choice for breakfast.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

The best pancake recipes are the ones that you learn from your grandmother or your mother. I just happened to tweak my grandmother’s recipe to my preferences so it was fluffier. Pancake recipes are always easy to follow, making it accessible for any skill level of home cook. They’re soft, fluffy, quick and filling. It’s perfect for sharing and is easily versatile. You want bacon bits in it? Throw it in! Chocolate chips? Fold it all in! Fresh fruit? Chop them up and mix it into the batter! Not only are the mix-ins versatile. but the toppings are endless as well. A classic breakfast food that’s easily affordable is a breakfast recipe for me. Pancakes are widely loved that there are even cultural variations of pancakes, such as Russian Blinis, Crepes in France, etc. There’s so much you can do with pancake batter, which is what I did for my Bacon Pancake Quiche.

Ingredients for Pancakes

Flour, Granulated Sugar, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Salt: The dry ingredients necessary for the pancakes. You can choose to add less or no sugar at all. It’ll taste great either way. The combination of baking powder and baking soda puts the batter to work when it’s mixed and cooked, helping it rise and have a fluffier texture. It also gives the pancakes a more appealing brown color when cooked.
Milk, Vanilla Extract, Egg, Neutral Oil: The wet ingredients necessary for the pancakes. You can omit the milk and use buttermilk instead, or even a dairy-free milk such as almond or oat milk. A neutral oil, such as vegetable or canola, helps the moisture and tenderness in a pancake while also giving flavor. It also helps reduce the likelihood of the pancakes sticking to the pan!
Butter: Used to cook the pancakes. You can use a neutral oil if you desire. I personally like butter because butter is flavor!

Tips & FAQs

Storage: Allow to cool completely, then store stacked with parchment (to prevent them from sticking together) in an airtight container in the fridge up to 5 days.
- Freeze: I love freezing pancakes when there’s a lot left over! Store them the same as if you were to put them in the fridge, but use a ziploc bag instead. Freeze for 2-3 months.
- Reheat: You can reheat from frozen right in the microwave for 1 minute until warm. You can also reheat them in a 350F oven for about 5-10 minutes on a sheet tray covered with foil.
Common Mistakes:
- Overmixing the batter: You’ll see a few lumps in your batter, and you will tell yourself that you need to get rid of those lumps. Avoid that thought entirely! Overmixing develops the gluten, making the pancakes tough and rubbery. Mix it until the ingredients are just combined.
- Not letting the batter rest: Let it rest! The pancakes will turn out flat and less fluffy. The gluten that was activated during mixing rests and relaxes, and also, the starch molecules in the flour absorb the liquid in the batter, ultimately giving it a thicker consistency. I usually let the batter rest for about 10 minutes before I start cooking it.
- Using the Wrong Temperature: Cooking with a cold pan or one that’s too hot will result in two different, unwanted scenarios. Cooking pancakes with a cold pan lets the pancakes soak up the butter or oil, resulting in pale, flat pancakes. Cooking on a pan that’s way too hot will result in burnt pancakes that aren’t even cooked on the inside yet. Let the pan heat up over medium-low heat before adding butter; it should be melted, not burnt or smoking. If you aren’t sure how hot the pancake is, do a tiny test pancake!
- Flipping your pancakes too early/too often/too late: The biggest and most common out of the common mistakes. Making pancakes is easy, but it’s also an art. Flipping the pancakes too soon can cause a mess, flipping too often will cause the pancake to deflate, losing that wonder fluffy texture, and flipping too late can result in overcooked or burnt pancakes. Once some bubbles form on the surface and the edges start to look set, then flip only once!
- Overcrowding the pan: Adding too many pancakes at once to a pan can lower the temperature, leading to uneven cooking. Depending on how big your pan is, you should only be cooking 2-3 pancakes each time. Some griddles hold up to 4 pancakes. Leave enough space in between each pancake.
Variations:
- Add any mix-ins you want such as:
  - Chopped strawberries
  - Chocolate chips
  - Blueberries
  - Banana slices/chopped
  - Bacon Bits
  - Raspberries
  - White Chocolate Chips
  - Oats
  - Raisins
  - Oreo bits
- Top with any topping you desire! Some options include:
  - Peanut butter
  - Chocolate syrup
  - Ice cream
  - Powdered Sugar
  - Maple Syrup (a classic choice)
  - Agave syrup
  - Fruit Jam
  - Butter

Recipe

Want the recipe? Click print below! Let me know how it came out for you by tagging me on Instagram (@missravenskitchen) and using #missravenskitchen! Follow my Facebook page for updates as well! Let me know if I need to tweak anything.

Servings 12-14 pancakes

Author Dani Bayer

Prep time

5 Min

Cook time

25 Min

Additional time

5 Min

Total time

35 Min

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