One Bowl Greek Yogurt Pancakes

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Extra tall and fluffy, Greek Yogurt Pancakes are easy enough to make on a weekday and come together all in one bowl. So simple and delicious, you'll ditch store-bought pancake mix forever!

A plate of greek yogurt pancakes with fruit and syrup.

Do you want fluffy buttermilk pancakes, but don't want to buy buttermilk? I got your back! Possibly the fluffiest solution ever is for my One Bowl Fluffy Greek Yogurt Pancakes. And yes, I'm aware that the name of this recipe is a mouthful, in more ways than one 😜

The idea for this recipe came up because whenever I post a recipe containing buttermilk on my blog or on social media, someone will ask what they can use if they don't have buttermilk. The interweb will mostly tell you to just use milk, or to add some vinegar to milk to thicken it up, but that's not going to bring your batter to the consistency you need for truly fluffy pancakes.

You could also go the whipped egg whites route, but honestly, who has the time to separate eggs and whip them to stiff peaks and fold them into a batter? I can't be doing all that at 7 am when I still have to take a shower.

Pancakes are my youngest daughter's favorite breakfast dish, and according to a very unscientific poll I just conducted on Instagram, The Great Pancakes vs Waffles Debate, pancakes are a slim overall favorite in America with a 56 to 44 split. So they better be fluffy and this one is!

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❤️ What you'll love about this recipe
Ingredients
Substitutions
Variations
Thin batter vs thick batter
Equipment
Instructions
Recipe FAQ's
More pancake and waffle recipes
One Bowl Greek Yogurt Pancakes

❤️ What you'll love about this recipe

Simple - The batter comes together in minutes, all in one bowl.
Convenient - Uses common pantry ingredients. No last minute store runs!
Tall & Fluffy - Using Greek yogurt makes a thicker batter, without extra flour, cooking up tall and fluffy without being dense.
Versatile - You can add an infinite variety of mix-ins from chocolate chips, fruit, or syrups and extracts to flavor your pancakes.
Flexible - I prefer a nice big pancake that practically fills my plate, but you can make them any size you like. Silver dollar, saucer, or dinner plate sized. All are welcome!
Time-saving - These pancakes freeze wonderfully, making pancakes in minutes your new reality!

Ingredients

Everything needed to make these Fluffy Greek Yogurt Pancakes is easy to find or in your pantry right now... unlike this picture, into which I pasted an internet image of butter because I forgot to include it at photo time. My oops.

See recipe card below for quantities.

Substitutions

It's my mission to get fluffy pancakes into everyone's bellies. Here are a few easy substitutions that can make sure that happens:

Greek Yogurt - If you don't have Greek yogurt, you can use regular yogurt. Since it is more liquidy than Greek yogurt, start with ½ cup and add up to ¼ cup more, until you get the consistency you like.
Butter - In place of butter you can use an equal amount of vegetable oil, coconut oil, or any other liquid fat.
Gluten-free - I have used King Arthur Baking company's gluten free flour to make my buttermilk pancakes, so I'm sure it would work here as well.

Variations

There are infinite twists you make with your pancakes. We are a traditional pancake kind of family and really just adjust the add-ins and toppings. Here are a few of our favorites:

Fruity - Drop your favorite fruit directly onto the pancake as soon as you drop your batter onto the pan. Raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries are particular favorites of ours. Flip and the fruity surprise is sealed inside.
Flavored yogurt - Feel free to use a flavored yogurt to change things up. Imagine fluffy pancakes made with peach yogurt with bits of fruit. That's going on my shopping list right now!
Chocolate chip - You can never add enough chocolate chips to my mother-in-law's pancakes. Believe me, I've tried.
Chocolate swirl - When I was a kid, my Dad used to swirl Hershey's syrup onto the pancakes after he dropped the batter. It would sink into the pancake and when he flipped them, the syrup would be sealed in. So good!
Maple - Add maple syrup in place of the sugar in this recipe. For even more maple flavor, substitute maple extract for the vanilla.

Thin batter vs thick batter

Some people like a thin, pourable pancake batter. This will give you pancakes that spread out in the pan and rely just on baking powder and/or baking soda to give them lift while cooking. They can still be delicious, but they are just not my jam. I am not a thin batter person. Thin batter is just not going to give you fluffy pancakes. In my opinion, for fluffiness to exist, there must be thickness to the batter.

A thicker pancake batter tells you right away that you're getting tall, fluffy pancakes. Some people believe that having a thick batter will lead to dense, heavy pancake. If the batter's thickness was due to additional flour, or less liquid, that might be the case, but using a thick buttermilk or yogurt, along with baking powder and baking soda, will lead you to a fluffy batter that bakes up tall, light, and airy without being heavy or dense.

Hint: Due to the thickness of this pancake batter, I use a large scoop, like an ice cream scoop, to portion my batter onto the pan or griddle. If you still prefer a thinner batter, you can add a couple more tablespoons of milk, up to ¼ cup, until you get the consistency you prefer. But try it my way. Tall and fluffy is a lifestyle.

Equipment

When making pancakes getting the temperature of the pan just right is the real challenge. It ensures that the outside of the pancake is done to perfection at the same time that the inside is fully cooked and fluffy. Although I have successfully used a nonstick pan for pancakes for years, I am a recent convert to the electric griddle world of pancakery.

Greek yogurt pancakes on a pancake griddle.

Most griddles have a temperature dial that allows you to select an exact temp, some have a low-medium-high scale, while still others have a 0 to 10 scale. With my Black and Decker electric griddle, 300°F gets me perfect pancakes every time. You'll need to find the temperature sweet spot for your individual griddle, but once you do, you may never look back!

Instructions

Fluffy Greek Yogurt Pancakes are so easy, you should make them all the time. And trust me, you will after you taste these!

Start by melting your butter and setting it aside to cool while start mixing.

Adding milk to yogurt pancake wet ingredients.

Step 1: In a large bowl, combine yogurt, eggs, milk, and vanilla.

Whisking wet ingredients for yogurt pancakes.

Step 2: Whisk until everything is fully mixed.

Sprinkling flour over yogurt pancake wet ingredients.

Step 3: Sprinkle the flour evenly over the surface of the wet ingredients. Follow with the sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt.

Using a silicone spatula to lightly mix dry ingredients on top of the wet ingredients.

Step 4: Using a silicone spatula, or spoon, lightly mix the dry ingredients on top. Next fully mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients below.

Adding melted butter to yogurt pancake batter.

Step 5: While there are still streaks of dry flour visible, add the melted and cooled butter and stir until just combined.

Step 6: Set the batter aside to rest for 10 minutes to allow the flour to fully hydrate. Heat a nonstick pan or electric griddle to medium-low heat.

Step 7: Drop ⅓ to ½ cup of pancake batter onto the surface. After 2-3 minutes, bubbles will start to form on the edges and surface of the pancake.

Step 8: When the bubbles on the edges look dry, and and the bubbles begin to pop, flip the pancake and cook on the other side for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the bottom of the pancake is golden brown.

Place cooked pancakes in a pancake or tortilla warmer, or on a plate with a large bowl turned upside down over the top, to keep them warm.

Serve with butter, warm maple syrup, fresh fruit, or your favorite toppings.

Recipe FAQ's

How do I store leftover pancakes?

Let pancakes completely cool before wrapping in plastic wrap or placing in an airtight container, to store for up to 5 days. For longer storage, place parchment paper between pancakes and place in a zip top bag, removing as much air as possible. Store for up to 3 months in the freezer.

How should I reheat my pancakes?

The best way, in my humble opinion, to reheat pancakes is in your toaster! Every toaster is different, but it shouldn't take longer than 60 to 90 seconds to reheat a pancake. If using frozen pancakes, allow to thaw first or add an additional 30 to 60 seconds to the toaster time.

Can I reheat pancakes with add-ins with my toaster?

If you added fruit or chocolate chips, or anything that might come out of, get juicy, or melt, I would not use the toaster to heat my pancakes. In that case, microwave the pancakes for about 60 to 90 seconds, or until warm. Microwaving may make your pancakes simultaneously soggy and rubbery, but that's better than a toaster fire, right?