Simple, Fluffy Pancakes
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.
Servings: 13 pancakes
Calories: 108cal
Ingredients
- 2 cups plain / all purpose flour (Note 1)
- 4 tsp baking powder NOT baking soda / bi-carb (Note 1)
- 1/4 cup white sugar (caster / super fine is best but not essential)
- Pinch of salt
- 1 large egg (~50g / 2oz in shell)
- 1 3/4 cups cups milk (any type, any fat %)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or essence
- 4 tsp butter , for cooking
Instructions
- Whisk dry - Place flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a bowl, whisk to combine.
- Add wet ingredients - Add egg, milk and vanilla. Whisk until lump free - no longer than 30 seconds.
- Melt then wipe off most butter - Heat a non-stick pan - 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).
- Cook - 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.
- Keep warm and repeat - Remove the pancake 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!
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
Serving: 62g | Calories: 108cal