Who doesn’t love a stack of fluffy, golden pancakes dripping with syrup? These pancakes taste like Saturday morning cartoons and pillow forts. Ok, they actually taste like buttery, subtly sweet goodness that melts in your mouth. Either way, you’re going to want to try the best old-fashioned pancake recipe you’ve ever had. Originally published February 15, 2013.
Recently at an extended family get together, we were making breakfast, and I got distracted while flipping pancakes. My sister-in-law Sandi arrived at the house just then, and her son immediately called over to her, “Mom, you are going to be SO happy. Karen burned the pancakes.”
I think people think everything I make in the kitchen is perfect sometimes. No freaking way. 😂
Hope you all had a great Mother’s Day last week! There are lots of ways to show love to people, but 9 times out of 10 I choose to show that love through food. That way I get some lovin’ too. Call me selfish. Pancakes on minor holidays is one of life’s greatest treasures, I think!
I can’t handle boxed pancakes these days. I know how easy it is to put real ones together. My life was changed forever when I discovered The Best Fluffy Pancakes, I love them with my whole heart!!
But guess what. I make this recipe for Good Old Fashioned pancakes more often, because they are even faster than the other ones. They are perfect for when I want to make something fun for my kids on a weekday morning. (For a Friday hurrah, usually!) They are really hard to mess up, even when I am still bleary eyed, trying to put lunches and sandwiches together.
Pancakes, the old fashioned way
These are some good, fluffy, buttery, old-fashioned pancakes, just like your grandma made. If you have never tried my Best Fluffy Pancake Recipe, you need to head over there, stat. They are insane. They are just slightly better than today’s recipe, in my opinion.
But like I said, there is a recipe for every occasion, and sometimes “fast and easy” beats out “the best of the best.”
Today’s Good Old Fashioned recipe is kind of like a dumbed down version of the Fluffy pancakes. They have simpler ingredients (milk is more common in my fridge than buttermilk, we are only using one rising agent instead of two). They are even faster to put together, but they still get you a super light, fluffy texture. Just with a few less minutes and dirty dishes.
These pancakes are almost as fast as a box mix
This recipe comes together in about five minutes. You probably already have most of the ingredients in your pantry! All you need to do is combine the dry ingredients, then mix in the butter, milk, eggs (separated 🥹, if you have time) and stir it all together. THAT’S IT.
I promise, it’s just a couple more minutes than a boxed pancake mix, but SOO much tastier.
If you can swing it, separate the egg whites and add them last. That’s the trick for getting your pancakes light and fluffy! Don’t over mix it! But if you don’t have time, you can always just plop your eggs in whole. Sometimes you just gotta git er done, especially when it’s before school!
I am the world’s worst pancake-flipper. I always manage to destroy them. And forget about making them into a perfect circle. They always end up looking like boomerangs, and then when I flip them I get batter all over the cooked side. But not THESE pancakes. They are perfectly flippable, even for inept people like myself. They are moist and flavorful, and they puff up a ton, which I love.
Ingredients
Chances are you already have most of the ingredients at home to make these right now. But I want to talk about a few of the ingredients that make this super simple recipe amazing!
- Butter. This recipe calls for a WHOLE STICK of butter, and that’s not an apology. It adds so much flavor and richness to these flapjacks. YOLO, people.
- Baking powder is a double-acting leavening agent. That’s just a fancy way of saying it will cause rise once it gets wet, and then again once it gets hot. That’s why these pancakes turn out so light and fluffy! You cannot sub baking soda, it works in a totally different way and you will have to throw your batter in the trash if you do!
- Bacon grease for frying the pancakes in, if you know what’s good for you. If you don’t have any bacon grease lying around, you can definitely use butter instead!
How to make good old-fashioned pancakes
Here’s everything you need! If you have buttermilk on hand, swap it in for the milk. Adds the perfect tang! But milk is great too.
Put your dry ingredients together in a bowl. For this recipe, we are using only baking powder, and it seems like a lot! 7 teaspoons. That’s not a typo! Lots of baking powder gives these pancakes LOTS of rising power, making them fluffy and airy.
Here is the other secret to getting the BEST texture for your pancakes: separate the egg yolks from the egg whites.
Whisk the white up just a little bit, and add it last after the whole batter is combined. THIS is the easiest thing to do and makes such a HUGE difference. You know when pancakes get gummy and flat on you? Never will this happen if you separate the eggs and add the whites in last!
In another bowl, add in all the wet ingredients with just the egg yolks for now.
Then add in the dry ingredients. Don’t over stir!!
Once it’s combined, add in those whisked egg whites.
Ready for griddling! Is that a word??
Okay, here’s the OTHER secret to this recipe. BACON GREASE. I love having a jar of this tucked in the back of my fridge. Just remove your bacon when it’s done, tilt your pan of grease into a jar, slap a lid on it and voila! The secret for super flavorful pancakes.
Butter works just fine too, don’t worry. Let these babies cook until you see the bubbles start to pop…
Then flip! I messed this one up, it got folded on the far edge, oops. See, I told you, I’m a terrible flipper!
Look at this golden goodness. YUM. This can be you in 20 minutes flat.
What to serve with pancakes
Sometimes we eat just pancakes with maple syrup when I’m feeling lazy. But I LOVE making a full breakfast with pancakes, bacon and eggs. It just never gets old! These are my favorites to serve with these pancakes.
- Buttermilk Syrup >> it’s so smooth and creamy, and one of the best things about eating pancakes. You could also make this Homemade Maple Syrup if that’s more your jam… err, syrup
- How to Bake Bacon >> easiest way to make crispy bacon, hands down
- Creamy Scrambled Eggs for a Crowd >> these eggs are perfect because you make them first and they stay warm in the crockpot while you work on the pancakes!
Storing and reheating
If I were you, I’d make a double batch of this recipe and freeze the leftovers for those mornings (or nights!) when you want pancakes but you don’t want to make them. To store these, make sure they are completely cool, then stack the cooled pancakes with parchment paper between each one and place them in an airtight container in the refrigerator, where they will keep for up to 3-4 days. This will keep them from getting soggy.
You could also freeze the cooled pancakes individually on a baking sheet for about an hour, then stack them with parchment paper between each one and place them in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 2 months. When the pancake cravings hit, you can reheat the pancakes in the microwave, oven, or toaster.
In the microwave, cover a pancake with a damp paper towel and heat for 20-30 seconds for refrigerated pancakes or 60-90 seconds for frozen ones.
In the oven, place pancakes on a baking sheet, cover with foil, and heat at 350°F for 10 minutes for refrigerated or 15-20 minutes for frozen.
Or the quickest way, toast the frozen pancakes on a medium setting until heated through.
More pancakes!
You can never go wrong with pancakes on a weekend or holiday morning. Here are some other pancake recipes to try!
Sweet Breakfast
Best Pancake Recipe EVER
Mother's Day Recipes
Banana Macadamia Pancakes
Breakfast
Deep Dish Buttermilk Pancake
Sweet Breakfast
Homemade Oatmeal Pancakes
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Good Old Fashioned Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 2 and 1/2 cups whole milk
- 2 large egg yolks
- 2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 7 teaspoons baking powder, yes, 7!
- 2 large egg whites, stirred until frothy
- more butter for frying, or bacon grease
Instructions
- In a large bowl, melt 1/2 tablespoons butter in the microwave. Let cool slightly.
- Stir in 2 and 1/2 cups whole milk.
- In a separate small bowl, add 2 egg whites and set aside.
- Add 2 egg yolks to the large bowl with the milk and butter. Whisk thoroughly.
- In another medium bowl, whisk together 2 and 1/2 cups flour, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 7 teaspoons baking powder. (Yes, 7 teaspoons!)
- Whisk together the dry ingredients, then add it to the wet ingredients. Stir with a rubber spatula until barely combined.
- In the separate small bowl, beat 2 egg whites with a fork for about 30 seconds, until they are nice and frothy. Fold into the batter. Don't over mix! But do make sure it's combined.
- Cook the pancakes. Heat a griddle or frying pan over medium heat. Spread 1 or 2 teaspoons bacon grease all over the surface. The best flavor! (using butter totally works too)
- Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/3 cup for each pancake. Flip when the bubbles on the top start to pop, about 2 minutes. Cook on the second side for another 2 minutes until golden.
- Serve hot, with Easy Homemade Maple Syrup! Or try this Buttermilk Syrup! So good.
- Storage: Layer parchment paper between the cooled pancakes and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Freezing: Layer the pancakes with parchment and add to a freezer ziplock bag. They will last 2-3 months in the freezer!
So good- fluffy & crispy!
Love it
There is no other words to describe it
This recipe makes no sense. It is poorly written. I don’t mean to offend anyone. Thought this will be helpful for the next you write a recipe.
Hey Jess! What are you confused about? Seems pretty straightforward to me! If you’ve never made pancakes before, this post has a few more details that might be helpful: https://thefoodcharlatan.com/the-best-pancakes-ive-ever-made/
Can you substitue buttermilk for the regular milk?
I love all things buttermilk.
Ooh I love it too! I actually have no idea how it would affect it. Probably not much. Try it out! Let me know!
I mean, no offense to you or Eric, but I think Karen you may be one of the only people who would want to pay money to see Eric shake his nakie bootie. ;)
You failed to mention that the reason it came up was because you said you felt like a dog shaking your leg when you get out of the shower.
Haha. Touche.