Looking for a tasty and simple breakfast recipe? Start your day off with these mouth-watering Bacon Pancakes with crispy bacon cooked in a sweet and delicious pancake batter. Easy to make and full of flavor, these pancakes will become a breakfast favorite in no time.
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When my husband and I first moved back to New Jersey (he grew up here) we would take the kids to Perkins Restaurant for their character breakfast and, for me anyway, their Pancake Dippers, which are the greatest Bacon Pancakes in the world (IMO).
While the character breakfast was scaring the heck out of my youngest daughter (Elmo should NOT be that big) I was enjoying a big plate of these bacon pancakes. They cooked savory bacon right in their buttermilk pancakes, and it was 100% the perfect combination that I had to recreate.
My bacon pancakes are made using a simple pancakes recipe with milk, but you can use any of my pancake recipes, even the buttermilk pancakes. Just thin the batter with a little bit more milk or buttermilk so it pours easily over over the crispy bacon. They are super quick to make for busy weekday mornings, and are amazing for a lazy snacking brunch on a weekend.
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Ingredients & Substitutions
Below you'll see the picture of the ingredients you need to make this delicious bacon pancakes recipe for breakfast or brunch. Let's go over a few of the major players to see what to do if you need to make any changes:
- All-purpose flour - In this recipe I use every day all-purpose flour. If you would like to use self rising flour that you have leftover from making my two ingredient biscuits, easy bagels, or English muffins, just leave out the baking powder and salt from the recipe.
- Butter - If you prefer, you can use a neutral oil in its place like vegetable oil or sunflower oil. I always use unsalted butter because there is no standard amount of salt between brands. If you only have salted butter, I would add another teaspoon of sugar to balance the salt, or leave out the added salt from the recipe.
- Milk - I prefer to use whole fat dairy milk, but you can use skim milk, or even nonfat milk if you want. You could even use your favorite plant-based milk. Since we are adding butter or oil, the fat content of the milk doesn't really make that much difference to the flavor or texture.
- Bacon - You can use any bacon that you prefer; low sodium, vegan, microwave bacon, really anything except turkey bacon. Just kidding... kind of. I recently did a taste test of 7 brands and didn't find a single one that didn't chew like shoe leather. But if you have one you love, by all means go ahead and use it!
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Quick Recipe Video
Step-by-Step Instructions
As always, I recommend that you read all of the instructions, look at the provided pictures for reference, and then gather your ingredients. We're about to have the most delicious bacon pancakes of all time!
- Cook your crispy bacon by your preferred method. Personally, I like to cook mine in the oven for minimum mess and easy clean-up. Sometimes I use microwave bacon because I think it's quick and delicious.
- Next, melt your butter and set it aside to cool.
Step 1: In a large bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
Step 2: In a measuring cup whisk together room temperature milk, and a room temperature egg.
Step 3: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and begin mixing.
Step 4: Finish mixing while drizzling in melted butter. Stop when just combined. Let batter rest for 15 minutes. Heat a nonstick pan, or well seasoned cast iron pan, over medium heat.
Step 5: Add a teaspoon of butter or oil if desired, and then add a slice of precooked crispy bacon. Portion about ¼ cup of batter over the length of the bacon slice.
Step 6: Let the pancake cook until bubbles form on the surface and the edges start to look set (about 2 to 3 minutes) Flip and cook the other side until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes more.
Step 7: Repeat with the remaining batter, wiping out the pan between batches and adding a small amount of oil or butter, if desired. Serve your bacon pancake with maple syrup for dipping!
Expert tips
These bacon pancake dippers are a fun, delicious twist on classic pancakes. Here are some expert tips to make them perfect:
- Choosing your bacon - I prefer thin bacon in these bacon pancakes because thick bacon may be too chewy, ruining the overall soft and fluffy pancake experience.
- Blotting - Blot excess bacon grease from the bacon with a paper towel to keep the pancakes from being too greasy.
- Portioning - Use an ice cream scoop, squeeze bottle, or piping bag to portion the batter onto the bacon strip. This helps you create a long, even strip of batter that fully encases the bacon.
- Temperature - Keep the heat at medium-low to prevent the pancakes from cooking too quickly on the outside while the inside remains raw.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, pre-cooking the bacon until it’s crispy but still flexible is recommended. This ensures the bacon is fully cooked and prevents it from being chewy inside the pancake.
After placing the bacon strip in the pan, place your finger on the far end as you start to pour the batter starting at the opposite end. Once the batter is covering part of the bacon and touching the pan, it won't move anymore.
Yes! Cook them fully, let them cool, and store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a toaster oven, skillet, or air fryer for the best texture.
Absolutely! Lay them in a single layer on a baking sheet, freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. Reheat in a 350°F (175°C) oven or air fryer until the pancake is warm and and the ends of the bacon are crispy.
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I appreciate you!
-Cynthia
📖 Recipe
Easy Bacon Pancakes (Pancake Dippers)
Equipment
- Nonstick pan or ⤵️
- Cast iron pan well-seasoned
Ingredients
- 10 slices crispy bacon
- 1 ¼ cups (150 g) all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon (12 g) granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup (240 g) milk room temperature
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 3 tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter melted and allowed to cool
Instructions
- Cook your crispy bacon by your preferred method. Personally, I like to cook mine in the oven for minimum mess and easy clean-up.
- Start by melting your butter and setting it aside to cool.
- In a large bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
- In a measuring cup whisk together room temperature milk, and a room temperature egg.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and begin mixing while drizzling in melted and cooled butter. Stop mixing when just combined. Let batter rest for 15 minutes.
- Heat a nonstick pan, or well seasoned cast iron pan, over medium heat. Add a teaspoon of butter or oil if desired, and then add a slice of precooked crispy bacon. Portion ¼ cup of batter over the length of the bacon slice.
- Let the pancake cook until bubbles form on the surface and the edges start to look set (about 2 to 3 minutes).
- Use a spatula to flip the pancake carefully. Cook the other side until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes more.
- Repeat with the remaining batter, wiping out the pan between batches and adding a small amount of oil or butter, if desired.
- Serve with maple syrup for dipping!
Save This Recipe! 💌
I'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later, plus you'll get great new recipes from me every week!
Lauren says
Hi. Sorry but. I don't see baking powder listed in your ingredients list. ? Can u please update bcos I would like to try this recipe. Thank you so much.
Cynthia Christensen says
Thank you for pointing that out! I also forgot to add in the salt!🤦🏻♀️ I am fixing that immediately! It is one and a half teaspoons of baking powder and a quarter teaspoon of kosher salt. If you have table salt it’s just a pinch. So grateful for my eagle eyed readers!