Fluffy Homemade Pancakes in 15 Minutes

Homemade pancakes are literally the best thing to wake up to on a lazy weekend morning, and I’m gonna let you in on a secret—they take like 15 minutes total from start to finish. I know, right? Way easier than most people think.​

For the longest time, I was that person who thought making homemade pancakes from scratch was some complicated weekend project. Then one Saturday morning I ran out of pancake mix and discovered that throwing together pancakes from basic ingredients is actually faster than going to the store. Game changer.

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Why I Make Homemade Pancakes Now :

Look, I used to swear by boxed mixes. They’re convenient, sure. But once you realize that homemade pancakes literally just need flour, baking powder, milk, eggs, and butter—all stuff you probably already have—there’s no going back.​

Plus, these homemade pancakes are SO much fluffier than the boxed stuff. Like, restaurant-quality fluffy. My neighbor Sarah tried them last month and immediately texted me for the recipe, which is how I know they’re good.​

The whole thing takes maybe 5 minutes to mix and 10 minutes to cook. That’s it. Faster than waiting in line at IHOP on a Sunday.​

What Makes These Homemade Pancakes So Fluffy :

The secret is—oh wait, I should mention this first—the baking powder. You need a decent amount of it (like 2½ to 3½ teaspoons depending on how much batter you’re making) to get that thick, fluffy texture.​

And another thing… don’t overmix the batter. This drove me crazy for years because I’d mix until it was perfectly smooth, and my pancakes would turn out dense and kinda chewy. Turns out, lumpy batter is actually what you WANT. Weird, but it works.​

Ingredients for Easy Homemade Pancakes :

Here’s everything you need :​

All-Purpose Flour – 1½ cups. I use whatever brand is on sale, usually King Arthur or Gold Medal.​

Baking Powder – 2½ to 3½ teaspoons. This is essential for fluffy pancakes, don’t skip it. Make sure yours isn’t expired or you’ll get flat sad pancakes (learned that the hard way).​

Sugar – 1-2 tablespoons. Just enough to balance the flavors. Some recipes use more, but I prefer to get sweetness from syrup instead.​

Salt – ½ teaspoon. Brings out all the other flavors. Sea salt if you’re fancy, regular table salt if you’re normal like me.​

Milk – 1¼ cups. Whole milk makes the richest pancakes, but I’ve used 2% tons of times and they’re still great. If your milk is cold straight from the fridge, warm it slightly in the microwave for like 20 seconds.​

Egg – 1 large egg at room temperature. Room temp is important because cold eggs don’t mix as smoothly into the batter.​

Melted Butter – 3 tablespoons, melted and cooled a bit. Don’t use it piping hot or it’ll scramble your egg. I learned this the disgusting way.​

Vanilla Extract – 1 teaspoon, optional but recommended. Makes them smell amazing while they’re cooking.​

How to Make Fluffy Homemade Pancakes :

This is almost ridiculously easy.​

Step 1: Grab a large mixing bowl and sift (or just whisk really well) your dry ingredients together—flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Make a well in the center, which is just a fancy way of saying push the flour to the sides to make a little hole.​

Step 2: In another bowl or a large measuring cup (less dishes that way), whisk together your milk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla. Break up the egg with a fork first so you don’t get weird egg chunks in your batter.​

Step 3: Pour the wet stuff into the dry stuff and mix GENTLY. I use a spoon or spatula, not a whisk for this part. Stir just until you can’t see dry flour anymore. It’ll be lumpy. That’s totally normal and actually good.​

Step 4: Let the batter rest for like 10-15 minutes if you have time. This is optional, but it makes the pancakes even fluffier because the baking powder has time to work its magic. I skip this step half the time when I’m impatient and they’re still delicious.​

Step 5: Heat your griddle or non-stick pan over medium heat. Don’t crank it to high or the outside will burn before the inside cooks. Medium or medium-high is perfect.​

Step 6: Grease the pan with a little butter. Just enough to coat it—too much butter and they’ll get greasy and the butter burns.​

Step 7: Pour about ¼ cup of batter onto the hot griddle for each pancake. I usually do 2-3 at a time depending on pan size.​

Step 8: Cook for about 2-3 minutes until you see bubbles forming on the surface and popping. The edges should look a bit dry and set. This is your signal to flip.​

Step 9: Flip the pancake with a spatula and cook for another 1-2 minutes on the other side until golden brown. Don’t press down on them! I used to do this thinking it would cook them faster, but it just squishes out all the air and makes them flat.​

Step 10: Transfer to a plate and repeat with the rest of the batter. Keep finished pancakes warm in a 200°F oven if you’re making a big batch.​

Total time from starting to eating? About 15 minutes. Not kidding.​

My Real Tips for Perfect Homemade Pancakes :

Don’t Overmix

Cannot stress this enough. Lumpy batter = fluffy pancakes. Smooth batter = dense hockey pucks. Just stir until the flour is incorporated and call it done.​

Room Temperature Ingredients

This actually matters. Cold eggs and cold milk don’t mix as well and can cause the melted butter to solidify into little chunks. Let them sit out for like 15 minutes before you start, or warm the milk slightly in the microwave.​

Test Your First Pancake

The first pancake is always a throwaway test pancake. Use it to check if your pan is the right temperature. Too hot and it’ll burn on the outside but be raw inside. Too cool and it’ll be pale and sad.​

Check Your Baking Powder

If your baking powder is old (like, been in your pantry for over a year), it might not work anymore. Test it by dropping a bit in hot water—if it fizzes, you’re good. If nothing happens, get new baking powder or your pancakes will be flat.​

The Bubble Test

Wait for the bubbles to form AND pop before flipping. I used to flip way too early and end up with gooey centers. Now I wait for those bubbles and my pancakes are perfect every time.​

Serving These Fluffy Homemade Pancakes :

Classic butter and maple syrup is obviously the way to go. But you can also add:​

• Fresh berries (strawberries, blueberries, whatever)
• Whipped cream (my kids’ favorite)
• Chocolate chips mixed right into the batter​
• Banana slices and Nutella
• Peanut butter and honey
• Just plain with butter if you’re a minimalist

My 8-year-old insists on drowning his in syrup until they’re basically swimming. I don’t fight it anymore.​

Why This Recipe Changed My Breakfast Game :

I think… no, I know these homemade pancakes are better than anything you can buy pre-made. The texture is lighter, the flavor is richer, and they just feel more special even though they’re stupid easy to make.​

And the 15-minute thing isn’t an exaggeration. 5 minutes to mix, 10 minutes to cook. That’s literally faster than getting dressed and driving to a breakfast place.​

Last Sunday I made these for my in-laws and they asked where I ordered them from. When I said I made them from scratch they didn’t believe me until I showed them how simple it was. That was a good day.​

Make-Ahead and Storage :

You can totally make these ahead and freeze them. Just let them cool completely, stack them with parchment paper between each one, and freeze in a ziplock bag for up to 3 months. Reheat in the toaster or microwave for quick weekday breakfasts.​

Leftover pancakes (if that’s even a thing in your house) keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. I usually end up eating them cold straight from the fridge as a snack, which is either genius or weird, haven’t decided yet.​

If you try these fluffy homemade pancakes, let me know how they turn out! Seriously, I want to hear if you love them as much as I do. And if you have any tricks for making them even better, drop a comment because I’m always looking to up my pancake game 🙂

Happy cooking! (and may all your pancakes flip perfectly on the first try) 🥞