Pancakes, the most loved American breakfast. Most people cook the breakfast we all love on stove tops and skillets, but I think the best pancakes are made on a griddle. My mom used to make it for my brother and me when we were younger (she still does when we go to visit, love you mom. I know you read these.) and I still make them on her exact same recipe; the one difference is that I make them on a griddle instead of a skillet.
Why Griddle Pancakes Are the Best:
The upside of using a griddle to make pancakes is immense. There are no upward edges on a griddle that get in the way when you’re trying to flip, you can cook them in batches, the heat is evenly distributed around the surface resulting in a more even cook. IHOP, Cracker Barrel, and Denny’s, the biggest breakfast chains in America, all use griddles for pancakes. There’s a reason for that.
Recently, pancakes have become one of my favorite things to cook on a griddle. They are hard to mess up, and they are inexpensive to make. And I’m going to share my simple everyday pancake recipe that I’ve perfected with a lot of practice.
If you’ve got a Blackstone griddle like mine, that’s even better — its flat, even-heating surface is practically made for pancake perfection. But any griddle will do just fine. I’ve made this pancake recipe more times than I can count. And for a beginner it is a great way to learn the hot spots of your griddle.
Simple Ingredients for Perfectly Fluffy Pancakes:
Let’s talk about the ingredients:
There are no fancy ingredients in this pancake recipe, just simple light, fluffy goodness. Most of these ingredients you will already have in your kitchen.
Wet ingredients:
- Eggs
- Vegetables oil (Adds moisture and keeps your pancakes from drying out. You can also swap it for melted butter)
- Whole milk (whole milk provides the richest flavor)
- Apple cider vinegar (reacts with the baking soda for that perfect fluff)
- Sour cream (adds tang and tenderness)
- Vanilla extract
Dry ingredients:
- Flour (All-purpose flour is perfect for light, fluffy pancakes)
- Sugar
- Baking soda (check the expiration date on both your baking powder and baking soda)
- Baking powder (if you can get aluminum free baking powder than that’s better, but no need to go out of your way to get it)
- Salt (sharpens the flavour and balances the sweetness)
I’ve listed the wet and dry ingredients separately because you must mix them in separate bowls and then combine them together. Thoroughly mix the wet ingredients together and in a slightly larger bowl mix all the dry ingredients and then add the wet batter into the dry batter.
Make sure not to over mix the wet and dry batter (yes over mixing is a thing and yes you can ruin your batter by doing it). Just gently fold your ingredients together.
The "Better Than Buttermilk" Secret:
You’ll notice there’s no buttermilk in this recipe. While I love the tang of buttermilk, I hardly ever have it in the fridge when the pancake craving hits.
Instead, I use a combination of Apple Cider Vinegar and Sour Cream.
When the vinegar hits the milk and the baking soda, it creates a chemical reaction that makes the batter lift and get airy. The sour cream adds the fat and “tang” that you’d usually get from buttermilk, but it makes the pancakes even more tender and “melt-in-your-mouth” than the standard stuff. Essentially, we’re making a higher-quality DIY buttermilk right in the bowl. If you’ve ever wondered why diner pancakes are so much better than the boxed mix, this little chemistry hack is the answer.
(Optional: Just sift your dry ingredients if you think your batter will be a little clumpy.)
But remember, resist the urge to over-mix the ingredients even if they are a little lumpy.
Let the batter rest for about 10 minutes, just until your griddle gets to temp for the baking powder to do it’s thing and the leavening effect to take place.
You want your mixture nice and airy. By over-mixing the ingredients you release all the air pockets in the batter. Those air bubbles are what make the pancakes fluffy.
How to Cook Pancakes on a Griddle:
Cooking technique:
Now all you need is a good spatula and you’re ready to start cooking. Some people use a pancake batter dispenser but believe me a spoon is way easier to clean than a batter dispenser. Just take note of a few things.
Temperature:
375 F is the ideal temperature for pancakes. I’ve tried lower cooking temperatures (325–350-degree F) but the low temperature always turns a thinner, less fluffy pancake. And the inside feels mushy like it was steamed. The time needed to properly brown the pancakes on a low temp can cause the batter to spread out more resulting in a thinner pale pancake.
And cooking at a higher temperature will burn the outside of the pancake while the inside is still raw. So, 375 is the perfect temperature to make pancakes. You should turn your knob to a low-medium setting and wait 10-15 minutes for the surface of your griddle to reach 375 F.
What's the Right Amount of Butter?
This is a small detail that makes a lot of a difference in your pancakes. Adding butter to the griddle lubricates the surface and when batter is poured on it the butter makes it spread out more resulting in thinner less fluffy pancakes.
After a lot of testing I’ve settled on taking the stick of butter and just swiping it across once where I’m going to place my batter. Doing it this way will not make the batter spread out as much resulting in thick fluffy pancake goodness.
Add-Ins and Toppings:
I love chocolates chips, blueberries or banana slices (banana slices are really underrated pancake toping in my point of view) in my pancakes, and you can add your favorite add ins too but don’t add them directly into the batter. Instead place the batter on the griddle and wait a few seconds for crust to form on the bottom then sprinkle your add ins. Otherwise your chocolate chips or blueberries will burn if they touch the bottom of the griddle.
And of course, nothing completes a pancake stack like warm maple syrup slowly dripping down the sides.
Step-by-Step Cooking Process:
Now let’s talk about the actual cooking process. It’s incredibly simple. One of the simplest things you’ll cook. Just dab a stick of butter on the griddle-the less the better for fluffy pancakes (you can use a paper towel to remove the extra butter), but if you want crispy exterior to your pancakes you can add more butter (this will make the batter fry in the butter and provide a crispier exterior).
Now place your batter on the griddle, I use a spoon about double the size of a regular spoon (think ¼ cup of batter). I don’t like my pancakes to be large; this will provide you with medium sized pancakes (about 5 inches in diameter).
Wait 4-5 minutes before flipping, you’ll know once bubbles start to form and pop on the top of the pancake. Then it’s time to flip. And let the other side cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. And voila, your pancake is done. Just repeat this process until your batter is finished.
Storing and Reheating Tips:
You can keep pancakes in the fridge for up to 3 days and you can also freeze them in a plastic bag for up to 3 months. They make for an excellent quick breakfast when you don’t have the time or energy to make them from scratch. Reheating them is simple too. Just microwave them for 30 seconds and heat them in a pan on low-medium heat until nice and warm. Or you can put them in the toaster after microwaving for 30 seconds, if you’re really in a hurry.
Final Thoughts:
Once you get this recipe down, I doubt that it will take more than 30 minutes to get these pancakes ready from start to finish. If you decide to make them do let me know in the comments below how this recipe turned out for you.
Pancakes on the Griddle
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients:
- 2 eggs – Add structure and richness.
- ¼ cup vegetable oil – Keeps pancakes moist and tender
- 1½ cups whole milk – Gives that classic creamy flavor and soft crumb.
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar – Reacts with baking soda for lift and fluffiness.
- ¼ cup sour cream – Adds tang and a soft melt-in-the-mouth texture.
- 1 tsp vanilla extract – Brings a warm sweet aroma to the batter.
Dry Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour – The perfect base for light fluffy pancakes.
- ¼ cup sugar – Balances the tang and adds a golden color when cooking.
- 1 tsp baking soda – Works with vinegar to make pancakes airy.
- 2 tsp baking powder – Helps pancakes rise beautifully on the griddle.
- ½ tsp salt – Sharpens flavor and balances sweetness.
Optional Add-Ins:
- Chocolate chips blueberries, or banana slices — add these on top of the batter after pouring it on the griddle to prevent burning.
Instructions
Preheat your griddle:
- Heat to 375°F (medium-low setting). This temperature gives you a fluffy inside and perfectly golden edges.
Mix the dry ingredients:
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Mix the wet ingredients:
- In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, oil, vinegar, sour cream, and vanilla until smooth.
Combine the two:
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and gently fold until combined. Do not overmix — lumps are fine.
Rest the batter:
- Let it sit for 10 minutes while your griddle reaches temperature. This allows the baking powder to activate and create a fluffy texture.
Lightly butter the griddle:
- Swipe a stick of butter once across where you’ll pour the batter — not too much, or the pancakes will spread and lose fluff.
Cook the pancakes:
- Spoon about ¼ cup of batter per pancake onto the griddle.
- Cook for 4–5 minutes until bubbles form and the edges look set, then flip and cook another 2–3 minutes until golden brown.
Serve warm:
- Stack your pancakes high and top with warm maple syrup dripping down the sides. Add butter, fruit, or your favorite toppings.
Notes
- Check expiration dates on your baking powder and soda — fresh leavening makes a big difference.
- For extra-fluffy pancakes, avoid overmixing the batter.
- Don’t over-butter the surface; too much will cause the batter to spread.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat in a toaster or skillet for best results.
