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Basic Pancakes

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Nothing says "weekend" like pancakes for breakfast. When you see how simple it is to whip them up from scratch, you'll wonder why you never did it before.
Everyday Food, September 2006
  • Prep Time 25 Minutes
  • Total Time 20 minutes
  • Yield Serves 4
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Ingredients

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, or vegetable oil
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • Assorted toppings, such as butter, maple syrup, confectioners' sugar, honey, jams, preserves, sweetened whipped cream, or chocolate syrup

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees; have a baking sheet or heatproof platter ready to keep cooked pancakes warm in the oven. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, butter (or oil), and egg. Add dry ingredients to milk mixture; whisk until just moistened (do not overmix; a few small lumps are fine).
  3. Heat a large skillet (nonstick or cast-iron) or griddle over medium. Fold a sheet of paper towel in half, and moisten with oil; carefully rub skillet with oiled paper towel.
  4. For each pancake, spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of batter onto skillet, using the back of the spoon to spread batter into a round (you should be able to fit 2 to 3 in a large skillet).
  5. Cook until surface of pancakes have some bubbles and a few have burst, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip carefully with a thin spatula, and cook until browned on the underside, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer to a baking sheet or platter; cover loosely with aluminum foil, and keep warm in oven. Continue with more oil and remaining batter. (You'll have 12 to 15 pancakes.) Serve warm, with desired toppings.

Recipe Reviews

  • jms7
    6 Jan, 2012

    Great recipe!Easy and loved by all....I even added chocolate chips which added a very nice touch to this amazing recipe!

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  • Zazzou
    9 Dec, 2011

    Great recipe! Had a brunch with friends and made these. I added cinnamon to the batter to give it that little extra spunk. Also, I find that cooking pancakes with butter in stead of oil adds a nice flavor.

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  • sherry101483
    4 Dec, 2011

    made these for my son this morning.. they were a little watery and thin, but I take responsibility for that, as i tend to over mix... he really liked them tho! and i will totally give them another shot, mixing less!!! I never knew these were so easy!!! I always thought a box of bisquick was the ONLY way to make pancakes... till this morning when we were all out of the stuff!

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  • KDifran
    1 Oct, 2011

    What a great pancake recipe! So simple to make and a single batch is great for two people. Thanks for the tip to add a splash of vanilla to the wet mixture. I added a 1/2 tsp and that did the job. I also used cooking spray in between batches instead of oil. I definitely recommend this pancake recipe!

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  • motheroftwo
    31 Oct, 2010

    These pancakes are so easy to make. My kids love them. I also use this recipe when I make pancakes with shape molds. Did Star Wars last time. Fun!

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  • oneandtripmom
    23 Oct, 2010

    My 1 yr triplets and 3 yr old LOVED these pancakes! I was looking for a good substitute for my old standby Bisquik pancakes. I found them. They are easy to make and have great taste even with whole wheat flour. Yum!

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  • Perfectionist101
    20 Sep, 2010

    I made it and they are delicious...bt I just added 1tsp of vanilla essence to give it more flavour because I found it was a lilttle tasteless the first time I made them but the texture is great!!

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  • Natasha1986
    15 Sep, 2010

    I just made these pancakes for my children before school and i would have to disagree with Cheftb, they were thick and delicious. I would rate it a full 10/10. Perhaps, if you OVER BEAT the batter it might come out watery, but do as the recipe says and just whisk until moistened. Great Recipe. Thanks!

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  • cheftb
    6 Sep, 2010

    Good but batter is a bit watery. Tends to be the case for all of her pancake batters.

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  • ghawkins522
    19 Jul, 2010

    Well hopefully they work as waffles because that's what I'm doing for today.

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  • britnym
    13 Jul, 2010

    My family loves these! I use half whole wheat flour and half all purpose flour and they turn out great.

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  • rotsol
    21 Jun, 2010

    Self raising flour has baking powder already added.
    To make extra fluffy pancakes, separate the egg, beat the white and fold into batter.

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  • prod_test1003
    30 Apr, 2010

    Loved it!!

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  • amilla
    19 Apr, 2010

    I would imagine that all-purpose flour would probably be the same as plain flour

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  • gull57
    10 Apr, 2010

    What is all purpose flour in Australia we have Self Raising Flour and Plain Flour ?

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  • gull57
    10 Apr, 2010

    What is all purpose flour in Australia we have Self Raising Flour and Plain Flour ?

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  • blazard
    20 Feb, 2010

    Has anyone used whole wheat flour to sub. the all-purpose flour?

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  • karler
    3 Nov, 2009

    Amazing! I have been searching for the perfect American Pancake and I have found it here. Light, Fluffy and Oh So Good!

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  • moderngirlstyle_11398015_236
    1 Oct, 2009

    To DIE FOR GOOD!!! Shame on me for having ever allowing my hubby to have bought a jumbo bag of pancake mix from Costco. There is NO comparison to the REAL DEAL!! Pre-mix will never taste as good as homemade, ever! Okay..did I mention that these were totally awesome!!! YUM!!!!

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  • CRISTINAB
    9 Jun, 2009

    These are soooo good. These are the first oopancakes I have ever made handmade and they are so good! They taste just like any ordiinary pancake. Plus, it saves me money from buying the pancake mix all the time from the store, and now, i can just make them handmade.

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  • mrtourne
    15 Feb, 2009

    So good and so easy - I add a bit of orange extract to the batter and they come out delicious

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  • MerceCordero
    20 Jan, 2009

    I made these over the weekend, and we loved them! Very cakey and delicious. Will never make store-bought pancakes again. These were too good.

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  • tamayome
    30 Dec, 2008

    I love this recipe! I've been making them since 2006. This Christmas I made a premix batch in a glass container, attached the recipe on a tag, and worte a personal note and ended with "I's a good thing." My sister loved it and her kids too.

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  • krisx2
    22 Nov, 2008

    I was terrible at making pancakes .... until I made these! Seriously, they were so good, and so easy. I made little ones for my kids using a tablespoon measure. I served them with homemade cranberry sauce and we had an excellent "breakfast for dinner!"

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  • jiyeon83
    8 Nov, 2008

    I just made these pancakes this morning and they were a hit! It was also my first time making pancakes! Thank you Martha Stewart.com and everyone who's commented on this recipe. The use of the oven is an awesome tip! I also used what I learned from the "Pancakes 101" instructions to put the extra ingredients (blueberries) in after pouring the batter on the skillet.

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  • taxgirlee
    13 Oct, 2008

    I have been making this recipe every Saturday morning for about 6 months! It is really great, just a few tweaks and we have the best pancakes in the world!! I do NOT add the butter, just the 1 tblsp of vegetable oil. I double the recipe, then have extras and freeze them for quick breakfasts during the week. Also, and here is the secret to the fluffiest pancakes ever...after you mix all of the ingredients together, let it sit for 15 minutes.

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  • NicoleCh
    2 Oct, 2008

    I've been making these for several years now and they are my favorites. I've never really cared for pancakes until trying this recipe. These are so good and have a nice buttery flavor. I usually make the larger recipe and then just measure out what I need each time I make them. They're so much better than a boxed mix.

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  • venusmirrors
    23 Aug, 2008

    these were sooo great and fluffy! for the topping i added a few peaches i canned about a month ago, i warmed them up and added a little cinnamon on top! w/ some butter mmmmm.

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  • KayDaisy
    28 Jul, 2008

    I can't imagine why anyone wouldn't make pancakes from scratch after trying this recipe. So simple and really, really light, fluffy and delicious. I normally don't do well with pancakes because they are so heavy, but these are perfect.

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  • Tamuiria
    6 Jul, 2008

    This is a GREAT recipe!!! Super easy and super fast! These are the BEST pancakes I've ever made! I've already committed this recipe to memory!

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  • welove2cook
    10 Jun, 2008

    After working in the garden all day, my husband suggested we make "breakfast" for dinner. I remembered this recipe from an Everyday Food blog last week and decided to try it. The pancakes were wonderful...light in texture, yet very satisfying. I decided to add blueberries to some of the pancakes by dropping a few berries on the batter after spooning it into the skillet. That was wonderful, too. We will definately add this to our list of favorites.

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  • michellelee
    27 May, 2008

    Easy peasy! I used confectioner's sugar and increased the amount (i love my pancakes sweet). Delicious!

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  • shelshok
    13 Apr, 2008

    Wonderful! I am not a cook at all and I made these in 5 minutes and they are delicious. The only adjustment I made was splitting the flour half whole wheat and half all-purpose. I highly recommend!

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  • Suhaida
    12 Apr, 2008

    my family loves it! i use blender to mix the ingredients, keep in the frigde overnight and make them in the morning for breakfast. save time for busy working mum but need to prepare good food for family. try it!

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  • fainty_girl
    23 Feb, 2008

    These pancakes are lovely! They have a really light and fluffy texture and a buttery flavour.

    I doubled the mixture and used 3 tablespoons of sugar instead of 4.

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  • mauigleaux
    22 Feb, 2008

    This recipe is all we use now. In the associated article 'Pancakes with Allie" are the variations for Buttermilk, Whole Wheat and more. We use the WW with Buttermilk(instead of yogurt). If you don't have buttermilk, try substituting with milk and a tsp of vinegar or lemon juice. They are exceptional.. Spiced with some cinnamon, splash of vanilla, and you can't go wrong. The mix stores very well.

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  • lth1031
    21 Feb, 2008

    These are amazing!! I scaled back on the sugar by half, threw in bananas with blueberries or strawberries, and added a little bit of ground cinnamon for flavor to make up for the halved sugar. Result: Tasty and healthy!!

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  • skhunt13
    20 Feb, 2008

    My kids used to refuse pancakes because they were so heavy. Now I have to double the recipe and keep the mix on hand. My husband loves them, too!

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  • josephinebat10
    14 Feb, 2008

    I'd like to add that our 4 and 6 yr old grand-daughters love to make this for Nanna and Pappa for breakfast when they come over for a sleep-over. They like them especially with raspberry jam and cream or maple syrup and cream.

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  • josephinebat10
    14 Feb, 2008

    I make my pancakes with buttermilk as it makes them lighter. Besides the topping already suggested we top ours with a sprinkling of sugar then a good squeeze of fresh lemon juice. YUM.

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  • kmldavis
    10 Feb, 2008

    These pancakes are great. I doubled the recipe, added 1 tsp of vanilla and substituted soy milk for milk. I made 15 pancakes. Keeping them warm in the oven made serving them easier.

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  • RozieG
    6 Feb, 2008

    I usually make my pancakes with a buttermilk biscuit mix, I was at my son's and they wanted pancakes, but now buttermilk mix, so I got online remembering a segment on pancakes years ago on Martha Stewart, and there was this recipe. These are wonderful. I will never make my pancakes any other way again! Perfect flavor, light and delicious! Thanks Martha!

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  • JennyBop
    27 Jan, 2008

    Very easy and kids loved them. You need to double the recipe.

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  • theatherly
    10 Jan, 2008

    I made breakfast for dinner tonight. My kids LOVED these pancakes. And yes, these are SO SIMPLE!!!

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  • sparilis
    16 Dec, 2007

    I love this recipe because its so simple. I've made it several times in the last few months and it's always been a hit. Now, if I could just commit it to memory, I'd be all set. :-) Also -- the whole wheat pancake recipe on this web site is a little more complicated, so I just modified this one. I substitute the all-purpose flour with White Whole Wheat and increase the milk to 1 1/4 Cups and be sure to let the batter rest for at least 10 minutes.

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  • rysmom
    25 Nov, 2007

    I have never liked pancakes and refused to make them or eat them. I saw this recipe and decided to try it for my husband and son. I loved these pancakes! Now that I have a great and simple recipe I serve up pancakes that are not frozen and my husband and son are extremely happy.

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