No buttermilk? No problem! Start your morning off right with these Easy Homemade Pancakes made with milk. Whether you're whipping up breakfast for the family or treating yourself to a cozy weekend brunch, these pancakes are quick, delicious, and perfect every time!
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!
One of the most frequent questions that I get about pancakes on my blog, and on social media is, what do I do if I can't find buttermilk? These Easy Homemade Pancakes made with milk answer that question deliciously! You can still get fluffy and tasty pancakes using whatever milk you have on hand. Problem solved!
You all know I'm crazy about recipes with buttermilk. From my flaky buttermilk biscuits, to my popular buttermilk muffins, to my grandma's old-fashioned buttermilk pancakes, I'm all in with buttermilk. But I always wanna make sure that my recipes are accessible to as many people as they can be, so I developed this recipe just for you guys!
Jump to:
Ingredients & Substitutions
To keep this ingredient list as short as possible, I'm utilizing self rising flour. If you don't have it, don't worry. Let's check out the ingredients and how you can make substitutions if you need to:
- Self-rising flour - This is essentially all-purpose flour that already has the baking powder and salt added to it. It can be found at your local grocery store, but if you don't have it, just add 1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder and ¼ teaspoon of salt to each cup of flour in the recipe. Since this recipe uses 1 ½ cups of self rising flour, you would substitute with 1 ½ cups of all purpose flour plus 2 ¼ teaspoons of baking powder and a rounded ½ teaspoon of salt.
- Butter - 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. If you prefer, you can use a neutral oil in its place like vegetable oil or sunflower oil.
- 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 matter that much.
- Egg - Check out my post on making eggless pancakes and find the egg substitute that works for you! My personal favorite is applesauce. Just ¼ cup replaces 1 egg.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Keep it simple If you love easy recipes with simple ingredients, be sure to try my classic homemade waffles recipe. It uses all-purpose flour, eggs, and milk to make the fluffiest crispy waffles!
Quick Recipe Video
Instructions
Most of have made from scratch pancakes before. If you haven't, my number one tip is… Don't fear the pancake. I think the biggest mistake we make is hesitating when we go to flip the pancake. Then it goes all floppy the pan, or it doesn't flip all the way over, or some other tragedy occurs. Just scoop and flip. That's it. Don't fear the pancake. Now let's make some pancakes and show them who's the boss.
- Start by melting your butter and setting it aside to cool.
Step 1: Place self rising flour and sugar in a large bowl. If using all-purpose flour, add 2 ¼ teaspoons of baking powder and a rounded ½ teaspoon of salt. Whisk well.
Step 2: In a measuring cup whisk together room, temperature, milk, and a room temperature egg. Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract if you like.
Step 3: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and begin mixing while drizzling in melted butter. Stop mixing when just combined. Let batter rest for 15 minutes.
Step 4: Heat a nonstick pan, or well seasoned cast iron pan, over medium heat. Add a teaspoon of butter or oil if desired, and then portion ⅓ cup (or your preferred amount) of batter into the pan.
Step 5: Let the pancake cook until bubbles form on the surface and the edges start to look set (about 2 to 3 minutes).
Step 6: Use a spatula to flip the pancake carefully. Cook the other side until golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes more.
Repeat with the remaining batter, wiping out the pan between batches and adding a small amount of oil or butter, if desired.
Place cooked pancakes in a covered pancake warmer, or on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil in a 200°F oven to keep them warm while you finish the rest. Stack them up, add your favorite toppings (e.g., maple syrup, butter, fruit), and enjoy!
Make extra batter If you love pancakes and you love bacon, why not combine them in my Bacon Pancake Dippers? Crispy bacon cooked into sweet pancake batter is perfect for dipping into maple syrup. Give it a try!
Tips for the best pancakes
Forget about the rookie "first pancake curse". Here are my best tips for making sure your first pancake is as fluffy and delicious as your last:
- Use fresh ingredients: Since it contains baking powder, make sure your self-rising flour is fresh to ensure light, fluffy pancakes.
- Don’t overmix the batter: Stir until just combined—lumps are okay! Overmixing can make dense pancakes.
- Rest the batter: Let it sit for 5-10 minutes to allow the flour to hydrate and the baking powder to activate.
- Properly preheat the pan: Use medium heat and let the pan heat up evenly before adding the batter.
- Butter in the pan: Pancakes cooked in butter or oil typically have golden-brown, slightly crisp edges. You might also notice some uneven browning in the center due to the milk solids in butter caramelizing.
- No butter in the pan: Pancakes cooked in a nonstick pan, or a well seasoned cast iron skillet, have an even golden-brown surface but lack the crispness of butter cooked pancakes. The appearance is smooth and uniform, with less visible texture around the edges. The choice is yours.
Happy Birthday! A few simple changes, and a whole lot of rainbow sprinkles, will turn these everyday pancakes into Birthday Cake Pancakes! It's somebody's birthday somewhere. We should celebrate!
Recipe FAQs
In a pinch, place your egg into a cup and cover with hot tap water for 5 minutes. Then microwave your milk for 45 seconds. That should bring everything to approximately room temperature.
You can make your own by mixing 1 cup of all-purpose flour with 1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder and ¼ teaspoon of salt. For this recipe it would work out to 1 ½ cups of all purpose flour plus 2 ¼ teaspoons of baking powder and a rounded ½ teaspoon of salt.
Absolutely! Mix in things like chocolate chips, blueberries, or even chopped up crispy bacon for extra flavor.
Store cooked pancakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze them for longer storage. Reheat in the toaster, oven, or microwave.
Did you try this recipe?
Leave a comment with a ⭐️ rating below to tell me all about it, and don't forget to tag me on Instagram!
I appreciate you!
-Cynthia
📖 Recipe
Easy Homemade Pancakes (Made with Milk)
Equipment
- Nonstick pan or ⤵️
- Cast iron pan well-seasoned
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (180 g) self rising flour
- 1 tablespoon (12 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (240 g) milk room temperature
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
- 4 tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter melted and allowed to cool
Instructions
- Start by melting your butter and setting it aside to cool.
- Place self rising flour and sugar in a large bowl. Whisk well.
- In a measuring cup whisk together room temperature milk, and a room temperature egg. Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract if you like.
- 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 portion ⅓ cup (or your preferred amount) of batter into the pan.
- 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 1 to 2 minutes more.
- Repeat with the remaining batter, wiping out the pan between batches and adding a small amount of oil or butter, if desired.
- Place cooked pancakes in a covered pancake warmer, or on a plate covered with aluminum foil in a 200°F oven to keep them warm while you finish the rest.
- Stack them up, add your favorite toppings (e.g., syrup, butter, fruit), and enjoy!
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!
Allie Hagerty says
Yall, these pancakes are simply the best. I made these pancakes last weekend for my daughter and she absolutely loved them!
I loved how easy they were to make, and the fact that I already had these ingredients on hand. In fact, I’m sure you do, too!
These will definitely become a part of our weekly brunch at home menu!
Cynthia Christensen says
I'm so happy your family loves them as much as my family does!