Why flip a hundred pancakes when you could make one giant one?? You are going to love this Skillet Pancake that feeds your whole crowd! All the things you love about pancakes, way less effort. The perfect breakfast for a crowd! Originally published March 7, 2014.
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So I finally broke down and got a Costco card a few days ago. I’ve avoided it for years because going to the grocery store is bad enough, and Costco is pretty much like a grocery store on steroids. All my decision-making abilities go out the window.
Do I really need 4 pounds of Nutella? Why yes, yes, I think I do. 4 pounds of grapes. 2 pounds of hummus. I got home, and my husband just holds up the hummus and says, really? 2 pounds?
Yes, I need ALL THE FOOD.
Costco turns me into a crazy person. “We’ll eat it eventually!” becomes my mantra, as I shove 6 pounds of spinach into my overflowing cart. Really Karen? You could not even be paid to eat that much spinach. Good thing we have a huge freezer. Oh wait…
You know how they check your receipt when you walk out of the store? The guy glances at my receipt, eyes my cart, and says, “Two times on the butta?” (I swear he said butta)
Wait, what? Are you really questioning my decision to buy 8 POUNDS OF BUTTER? This is TOTALLY NORMAL COSTCO BEHAVIOR STOP JUDGING ME. Then I realized he was just checking to make sure I hadn’t accidentally been charged twice. What a guy. Thanks, dude. Yeah, I’ll take all 8 pounds, please.
And what is it with people waiting for parking spots? My spot was not even that close to the store, but I had two different people try to wait. I’m muscling 5 pounds of shredded mozzarella into my trunk with two kids that I still have to put in their carseats…are they seriously honking at me to hurry up??
Oh, no, they’re just trying to alert me that my children are hurtling down the center of the parking lot, helplessly strapped in the cart. Charlotte and Truman look at me with fear and abandonment in their eyes as I chase after them, unsuccessfully trying not to laugh. Would you believe both cars had to honk, because I let my kids roll away in a cart two times in as many minutes? I’m telling you, Costco brings out the crazy in me. Or maybe just the neglectful mother.
This buttermilk skillet pancake is perfect for feeding a crowd
There is this one Calvin and Hobbes strip where Calvin wants pancakes but doesn’t want to go to the effort of making them. So he pours all the batter in one pan so that he and Hobbes can split a giant pancake in half. This kid was ON to something. Deep dish pancakes! It’s genius! I mean, we stack them anyway, right? Why not just skip the monotonous flipping part?
This skillet pancake is so thick–almost cake-like. Cake for dessert? Have you met me? Yes, please! But next time, I think I’m going to 1 1/2 the recipe to make it even thicker. The more batter you use, the more pancakes in your “stack.” And I want a lot of “stack”.
Featured Comment
“Oh my word – this is definitely a must make. We’re a pancake for life family, and I can’t even tell you how much I love this version.”
– Kathi
Key ingredients
This pancake is really rich and moist. The fruit in the pancake helps keep it from drying out in the oven. But there are a few ways to make it even better:
- I like to eat it with this Fresh Strawberry Topping, you could use any fruit compote you want.
- You would not believe how fast this cake comes together, and that’s even making it from scratch. But a box mix, like Bisquick or Krusteaz, will make it even faster.
- Don´t forget to finish with some whipped cream!!
How to make skillet pancakes for a crowd
Ok, let’s do this.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. In another bowl, beat the buttermilk and eggs until nice and smooth. Make a little well in the center of your dry ingredients (like a flour volcano) and pour in the milk mixture along with the melted butter. Stir it all together until just combined.
Grease up a 10- or 11-inch cast-iron skillet. Pour the batter right in and spread it out evenly.
Now grab your strawberry topping and spoon about 1 cup over the batter. Use a spoon or knife to gently swirl it in.
Bake for 25–30 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean and your kitchen smells amazing.
Serve it warm (non-negotiable!) with the rest of that strawberry topping, plus butter, syrup, and whipped cream if you’re feeling a little extra. Which you should be.
How to feed a crowd with this skillet pancake
This pancake is GREAT if you have to feed a crowd. This recipe alone feeds six people, and you can always double it. It´s perfect for a holiday morning, Easter brunch, a baby shower, Mother´s Day…really anytime you need to feed a group. Round out the meal with a few breakfast sides, and you´ll have a picture-perfect brunch.
- There´s fruit salad, and then there´s THIS fruit salad, AKA the very best fruit salad I´ve ever had.
- Is it even a brunch without cinnamon rolls? These only take about an hour, too.
- I feel like asparagus is a brunch side, don´t you? Try it with Lemon Asparagus with Pistachio for a healthy touch.
- Don´t forget the bacon!
How to store leftovers
If you have leftover pancake, you can cover the skillet tightly or transfer slices to an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Can I freeze this??
Yes! To freeze, let the cake cool completely, then slice and wrap individual portions tightly in plastic wrap. Toss them in a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 2 months. This is one of those “future you will be so grateful” situations.
How do I reheat leftovers?
When you’re ready to reheat, you’ve got two options. Microwave individual slices for about 30–45 seconds until warm. Or you can pop it in a 300-degree F oven for 10–15 minutes.
More pancake recipes
Sweet Breakfast
Dutch Pancake recipe
Breads, Muffins & Rolls
How to make Pancake Muffins
Sweet Breakfast
Homemade Oatmeal Pancakes
Mother's Day Recipes
Banana Macadamia Pancakes
Skillet Pancake For a Crowd
Ingredients
- 1 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 3 & 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 & 1/4 cups buttermilk
- 1 egg
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 recipe Fresh Strawberry Topping
- butter, syrup, whipped cream, to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. In a separate bowl beat the buttermilk and the eggs until smooth. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk mixture and melted butter; mix until combined.
- Grease a 10 or 11 inch cast iron skillet. Pour the batter into the skillet.
- Spoon 1 cup of the strawberry topping evenly over the batter, than swirl it together with the spoon.
- Bake in the preheated oven 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Serve hot with the remaining Strawberry Topping, butter, syrup, and whipped cream, if you want.
Why is it that everything tastes better out of a skillet??? Love this idea instead of standing at the stove flipping pancakes!
It’s true Erin. Make it in a square pan? Ho hum yada yada. Make it in a skillet? It’s like oOoOoOoh gettin all gourmet! :)
The buttermilk to the pancakes makes these so light. But the strawberry topping. Over the top. Love the pic with the syrup pouring.
Hahahaha 8 pounds of butter and rolling away children. Karen, your stories are seriously the best. And deep dish pancake? Heck yes! I never even knew that was a thing before right this very second. And boy does it look amazing. Love it! Hope you’re having a great weekend! <3
Thanks Erin! I’m glad they make you laugh. Sometimes I literally crack myself up writing them, Eric just looks over and is like, what’s so funny, and I’m like, ME, duh. But then I have to wonder if it’s just funny because a) they’re my kids and b) I was there. you know? So thank you for affirming that I really am as hilarious as I think I am. (I hope you know I’m teasing. Sometimes it’s hard to have internet friendships because you can’t be sarcastic without clarifying. haha!) about to go check out your sweet potato cookies!
I’m pretty much a fan of anything cooked in a cast iron skillet and I love pancakes so this is a double win.
I’m on the south side of Indy, so I visit Sam’s Club instead of Costco and my downfall there is always the cheese section. I once bought a two pound block of feta cheese and I swear I heard a choir of angels singing as I paid for that puppy.
Also, if you make your own Greek yogurt, you can totally use the leftover whey in place of buttermilk. Not to mention, it has a lot of protein. Plus, you know you want to make your own yogurt.
This is so funny. My husband and I refer to Costco as the “hundred dollar store” cause once your there, you’ll be hooked in no time to spend at least that much. And the parking lot?? We often have joked about making t-shirts that say “I survived the Costco Parking Lot”. That being said, I love Costco! And this recipe looks amazing. My kind of weekend breakfast.
It’s SO TRUE Crystal!! It is the hundred dollar store. Oh and make that t-shirt, I will buy one from you.
Karen, These deep dish pancakes look super delicious.. I have never tried such a thing… I am going to pin it – Thanks for the recipe!!
BTW – Thanks for visiting my blog and leaving a comment. So glad to find your beautiful blog!
I LOVE this! Must try!
I guess it’s a good thing I don’t have any Costcos near me. Buying food in bulk and having a well-stocked pantry is so addictive. 8 pounds of butter is not that much butter when you love to cook/bake! I always buy tons of butter when it goes on sale. :) And I expect to see a recipe for creamed spinach (or something like that) on your blog soon, haha.
haha Costco is legitimately one of the scariest places to go, especially if you go on an empty stomach. That said, it’s also one of the best places to go to stock up on things like butter, chocolate chips, cheese, etc.
These pancakes look heavenly – and you’re right, it’s totally genius to do a deep dish version..saves so much time! Thanks for sharing! :)
Cosco is like a food bloggers dream and worst nightmare. I buy almost all of my baking stuff there and love it. I love the samples, I love the food court (hello, cheese pizza) but I hate the crowds and those checkout lines. But they are so worth the membership.
Holy DEEELISH, this looks so good.
I can’t do CostCo. I just can’t! I’ve paid for a couple years’ worth of memberships and got no use out of it… I want a bunch of varied things, not a ton of 2-3 massive quantities of something.
I have a major Costco problem. I got once a week. For real. And we’re only a little family of 2. But they’ve got some great deals on things. I just cashed our rewards check this week for $188, ha! I was laughing at the thought of Truman and Charlotte rolling away in the cart. Bet that was fun for them! Like a little carnival ride in the parking lot.
And ermergersh does this deep dish pancake sound deeeee-lish! It puts the “cake” in pancake. Get it? *wink*
So, you are back! I wanted to make some bread for you to try. You weren’t around, so I took some to Sandi. Expect some bread soon. Probably next week. I can’t get too excited about your posts because I gain weight just looking at this stuff. I used to eat without fear, but I can’t do that now. I’m looking forward to fruit and greek yogurt this summer. I hate the heat, but love the fruit. That’s all for now.
I like I like! This is PERFECT for me, because Kevin always want pancakes, and you know what sometimes I don’t feel like flipping 25 pancakes, 4 at a time. And I think costco brings out the crazy in EVERYONE.
I would still rather flip 25 pancakes than make waffles, because with waffles I always end up with the one last waffle that I forget about and burn to an unholy crisp. haha. So yes, skillet is best!! No flipping or forgetting :)
I love Costco and go at least once a week, strange eh. Anyway I chuckled my way through this post, great writing. The pancake is a great idea, perfect when having guests for sure.
once a week, do you need me to contribute to your grocery fund?? I would be so broke Cheri. Haha!! Thank you for the compliments, and thanks for stopping by!
Kind of related but not really…. At my normal grocery store there is a checkout that comments on everything I buy. Like 3 things of butter that is a lot butter… is butter on sale? Uncooked tortillas that doesn’t seem safe. I’m not sure I would eat those. At first it was kind of humorous but now I try to decipher her line… and avoid it… even if I have to wait longer. Please don’t judge me for my POUNDS OF BUTTER!!!! Love the idea of a pan of pancakes :)
uncooked tortillas, that doesn’t seem safe?? wth? I would avoid her line too! I always am expecting checkout people to comment on my purchases more than they do, but I guess I’m not the weirdest shopper out there. At least I’m not buying booze and TV dinners, haha!