Homemade McGriddles (Better Than McDonald's Copycat)

Ever find yourself with a huge craving for a McDonald's breakfast? These better than copycat Homemade McGriddles can be made in a flash, or even made ahead and frozen, for instant satisfaction of morning, or late night, cravings!

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These Homemade McGriddles are actually the perfect mashup of my favorite fast-food breakfast and a classic East Coast bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich. Two amazingly fluffy pancakes hugging crisp bacon and a jammy over medium egg, with classic American cheese acting as the most flavorful glue ever... just bury me now, because I'm dead.

Ingredients

These are the simple and easy to find ingredients to make the most cravy-worthy McGriddles of your life.

• Pancake mix - I use my own homemade pancake mix to make the pancake buns, but you can use favorite pancake mix, or try any one of my many pancake recipes. You can even use frozen pancakes if you are trying to meal prep and get it done easily.
• Stuff to make pancake batter - Whether you use my mix or a store-bought, you can add the same ingredients to make the batter; one egg, some milk, vanilla, melted butter or oil, and a bit of maple syrup for that authentic McGriddle flavor to the pancake.
• Cheese - I prefer a nice, easy melting slice of american cheese from my deli department, but use whatever cheese you can find and afford.
• Bacon - For these sandwiches I like to use a regular, not thick, sliced bacon. It folds to fit on the sandwich better and isn't too chewy, which would mess up the perfect bite, you know what I mean. Sometimes I use microwave bacon. don't come for me. It's delicious.

See recipe card below for exact quantities.

Substitutions & Variations

OG McDonald's McGriddles was made with bacon, a folded scrambled egg, and cheese. You can definitely make this homemade version of a fast-food favorite your own. Here are a few ways:

• Bacon - If you aren't a bacon person, I don't know you. JUST KIDDING. You can make homemade sausage mcgriddles with vegan sausage, you can use a sausage patty or even split sausage links. Any protein will do. Oooh, corned beef would be amazing!
• Milk - I prefer to use whole milk, but you can use any milk alternative you like. I even made pancakes with my mix using vanilla coffee creamer, so go off my friend.
• Pancakes - I have some amazing pancake recipes on the blog, and any of them will do. My favorite are my easy pancakes made with milk. You could even use store bought frozen pancakes if you have them.
• Cheese - Choose your cheese to suit your mood and the cheese drawer in your fridge. Got italian sausage links? Pair them with some provolone or melty mozzarella.
• Eggs - My method for cooked eggs, described below, gives you a perfectly round egg that matches the size and shape of the pancake, but I have a lot of egg recipes to choose from and you can do whatever the heck you want cuz it's your sandwich!

Equipment: Ring molds

To make the pancakes and eggs the same size for my McGriddles I use a 3 ½ inch ring cutter, but you can also use english muffins rings, large round cookie cutters, or even the outer ring of a large mason jar lid with the wide end on the pan.

Alternatively, you can freestyle the shape of your eggs and use a medium cookie scoop or a ¼ cup measuring cup to make sure that your pancakes are a similar size. But listen, exact size and shape is not a deal breaker for making delicious and adorable homemade McGriddles. They're cuter, but not deliciouser 😜

Instructions

Make the bacon, make the pancakes, make the eggs, then build your McGriddles. It doesn't get much easier than that.

As always, ask you to read all of the instructions first, then look at my pretty pictures, and say ooh, and aah, and then gather your ingredients and get started.

Step 1: Cook bacon by your desired method. I like to make my crispy oven bacon, which is ready in 20 minutes without you having to do a thing.

Step 2: While the bacon is cooking, whisk together one egg with ½ cup of milk. Add ½ teaspoon of vanilla, and 1 tablespoon of maple syrup if desired. Add 1 cup (125 grams) of pancake mix and mix while drizzling in 2 tablespoons of melted and cooled unsalted butter.

Step 3: Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat. Add ½ teaspoon of butter or vegetable oil if desired. To make perfectly round pancakes spray a ring cutter or mason jar lid with nonstick cooking spray and scoop ¼ cup of batter into the ring.

Step 4: Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown, then remove the ring or jar lid and flip the pancake. Cook for another minute. Repeat with the rest of the batter. You should get 8 pancakes.

Step 5: In the same pan, over medium heat, using the same nonstick sprayed ring mold or jar lid, crack an egg into the center and poke the yolk with a skewer or toothpick.

Cover the pan and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until whites are mostly set. Remove the ring and flip. Cook another 2 minutes, or until the yolk is mostly cooked.

Step 6: Place a slice of cheese on one pancake and add the hot egg on top to melt the cheese. Layer with as much crispy bacon as your heart desires. Drizzle with more maple syrup and add another pancake on top. Repeat for the rest of the sandwiches.

Add more maple flavor by drizzling with a little syrup or just give them a sprinkle of powdered sugar. Try to eat just one. Or don't try.

Recipe FAQs

More fun with eggs