13 Perfect Pancakes for Any Occasion
Once you’ve graduated from boxed pancake mix, there’s a great big wonderful world of pancakes waiting for you.
When you were little, the best pancakes were shaped like a famous cartoon mouse or had a smiley-face drawn on them in chocolate chips. But everyone has to grow up someday!
Luckily, pancakes grow up with you. First stop: step away from the mix. It's just too easy to make your own: a basic recipe is nothing more than all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. After that, there’s an international world of pancakes out there — plus ones to suit whatever diet you might follow — without any Bisquick in sight. Here are 13 of the best pancake recipes we’ve found.
Old-Fashioned Pancakes
There’s something old-fashioned about homemade pancakes to begin with. Here, Martha Stewart provides a classic base pancake recipe from which you can diverge. (But why would you want to?) Although slightly thicker than you may be used to, the batter still manages to create fluffy pancakes which hold up to as much maple syrup as you can pour over the top. “These pancakes take longer than thinner pancakes on the skillet,” says one reviewer, “but it was worth the wait!”
Best Buttermilk Pancakes
I do love almost everything that Smitten Kitchen does, and these buttermilk pancakes are no exception. (And they're a riff on one of Martha Stewart’s recipes, to boot). If you read the whole blog post that accompanies the recipe, you’ll have finished a veritable mini-seminar on all things pancake — and will be well-rewarded for it. Writes one Yummly reviewer, “I will never go back to pancake mix, unless I'm desperate.” While the blueberries are optional, they only make the pancake experience better!
Japanese Style Pancakes
I saw a video about Japanese pancakes on Facebook and I haven’t been the same since. These towering golden-brown cakes by Authentic Suburban Gourmet have a texture somewhere between a crumpet and a souffle. The secret to the fluffiest Japanese pancakes is to really whip the egg whites; you'll also need some ring molds to create that perfect shape.
German Pancakes
"A pancake by any other name is just as yummy" ... that’s the saying, right? Here, The Idea Room gives us oven-baked German pancakes — a.k.a. a Dutch Baby, a German popover pancake, or German puff pancake. Whatever you call them, they’re fast and easy — just five minutes of active mixing and 20 minutes in the oven and you’re done! Melted butter in the pan helps your pancakes puff up properly; you can also use whole wheat flour for a healthier update, but you'll sacrifice some of the height in the process.
P.S. They’re delicious.
African Pancakes
African pancakes are somewhere between a crepe and a pancake — a pretty delicious place to be, if you ask me. This easy recipe, from Imma of Immaculate Bites, was inspired by her childhood in Cameroon, West Africa. Since you have to let the pancake batter rest overnight, this is a good recipe for busy weekday mornings. Just heat up a nonstick skillet while your coffee is brewing, ladle the premade batter into the pan, and let the pancakes sizzle until bubbles form: Your coffee and breakfast will be ready at the same time.
Hawaiian Pancakes
Jeanie and Lulu's Kitchen brings your next brunch to the tropics with this tasty breakfast recipe: Hawaiian Pancakes. Inspired by the Kona Cafe at Walt Disney World, this version has crushed pineapple, macadamia nuts, and coconut to make it feel like the islands, while whipped egg whites give the cakes themselves an impossibly fluffy texture.
Oatmeal Pancakes
If you can’t decide between oatmeal and pancakes for breakfast, looky here: you don’t have to! Some cooked oats and DIY oat flour transform regular pancakes into something a bit more toothsome and healthier-feeling. They also reheat well for filling breakfasts all week long. Toss in some pecans or other nuts for even more texture. Thank you, Smitten Kitchen!
Vegan Pancake
“Vegan breakfast is HARD ya’ll!” says The Edgy Veg. With no eggs, no milk, and no butter, it’s true that traditional recipes can be a challenge. But this vegan pancake recipe is a revelation. Soy or almond milk and coconut oil to the rescue!
Keto Pancakes
Similarly, if you’re keto, pancakes aren’t necessarily the first thing you’d pick on a breakfast menu. But with this new recipe by That’s Low Carb in your arsenal, you can have the pancakes you love with just 1 net carb per serving, thanks to almond flour.
Paleo Pancakes
This Paleo Pancakes recipe from Food52 eschews flour altogether. Bananas, a couple of large eggs, cinnamon, chia seeds, and chopped almonds come together for a gluten-free batter that cooks up quick on a griddle or cast-iron skillet.
Red Velvet Pancakes
Just one look and you know these aren't your basic pancakes. While the red velvet pancakes from Food Republic are a win for the color alone, adding cocoa powder to the dry ingredients really takes the dish over the top.
Matcha Pancakes
Diane, A Broad gives us green pancakes with that unmistakable “floral bitterness” of matcha powder. It's balanced out with a hint of vanilla extract for a pancake that's anything but ordinary.
Apple Pancakes
Last one from Smitten Kitchen, I promise. (Although I did tell you I was obsessed.) But shredded apples in your pancakes, you might ask? Well, 17,000 Yums can’t be wrong. These pancakes are thick and dense — more like apple latkes than your typical fluffy breakfast stack — but that’s the point.
Want more?
There’s a diverse world of pancakes out there, just waiting for you to discover. Check out these related searches on Yummly for even more pancake ideas: