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How To Make Pancakes for One. Make two to three soft, fluffy pancakes with ingredients you have in your kitchen now. These pancakes are fluffy and soft, easy to make, and absolutely delicious. Add in chocolate chips, mashed banana or anything you love to make them even more amazing.
Enjoy with your favorite toppings: butter, syrup, fruit, and more.

If you’re craving pancakes but want just enough to serve one or two people, this small batch pancake recipe is for you. These pancakes are fluffy and soft, easy to make, and absolutely delicious.

Why This Recipe Works

  • I’ve been using this pancakes for one recipe for years. The pancakes are easy to make and they can be ready in minutes.
  • This easy recipe will give you 2 to 3 delightfully fluffy pancakes.
  • This recipe is a favorite of so many of our readers. It has been on our website for quite a number of years and has always gotten great reviews.

RELATED: Small Batch Pancake Mix Recipe

Ingredients

Ingredient shown for pancake recipe includes milk, baking powder, flour, vanilla, sugar, an egg, and salt.

Ingredient Notes

See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.

  • Flour: Use all-purpose flour.
  • Baking powder: Baking powder makes the pancakes light and fluffy.
  • Sugar: I use granulated sugar.
  • Salt: I use 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
  • Egg: One egg adds structure and helps make the pancakes fluffy.
  • Milk: Since I mostly use lowfat milk in my own home, I use this type of milk when I make pancakes. You can use whole milk, skim milk, unsweetened almond milk, or oat milk instead.
  • Vanilla: Vanilla adds sweetness and great flavor.
  • Butter: Melted salted butter makes the pancakes richer. If you use unsalted butter, you might need to add a little more salt than is called for in the recipe. You can also use vegetable oil instead.
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How To Make Pancakes

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
  2. In another bowl, beat the egg and the remaining wet ingredients.
  3. Combine the dry and wet ingredients together. Stir until you no longer see dry clumps of flour. You may still see some small lumps and that’s okay. If the batter seems too thick, add more of the milk, a little at a time.
  4. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Ladle about 3/4 cup of the batter onto the skillet to make a pancake.
  5. Cook until bubbles break the surface of the pancake, and the underside is golden brown, about 3 minutes.
  6. Flip with a spatula and cook about 1 minute more on the second side. Remove from the pan and place on a plate.
  7. Repeat until all the batter is used up.

This recipe makes a short stack of pancakes.

RELATED: 20 Single Serving Breakfast Recipes To Wake Up To

Pouring syrup over stack of pancakes on a plate topped with melting butter.

RELATED: Small Batch Buttermilk Pancakes Recipe

Expert Tips

  • Flour measurements can be a huge variable when it comes to baking. Weighing ingredients is by far the most accurate, but it isn’t done much in the U.S. If you use measuring cups to measure, use this method of measuring the flour:
    • Use a spoon to fluff the flour in the container.
    • Use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup.
    • Use a knife or other straight-edged utensil to level the flour across the measuring cup.
  • Let lumps remain in the batter. Lumpy pancake batter is absolutely okay. Stir the batter until there are no more flour streaks and still lumpy. But be careful not to overmix.
  • Check to make sure your baking powder is fresh. If it is old or expired you will end up with flat pancakes, not light and fluffy ones.
  • Flip the pancakes when the bubbles just begin to pop.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Are My Pancakes Not Fluffy?

Be sure to use fresh ingredients. Old or expired flour or baking powder can create flat pancakes. Also, make sure you do not over-mix the batter. Over-mixing can cause the pancakes to become flat.

Why Are My Pancakes Chewy?

Over-mixing the batter will create chewy pancakes. If you over-mix, the gluten will develop from the flour in your batter, making your pancakes chewy instead of fluffy.

Can I Double This Recipe To Make More Pancakes?

Absolutely! You can also freeze pancakes. To freeze them, cook the pancakes, and then lay them out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the freezer until they are completely frozen, about 30 to 45 minutes. Then, place them in a freezer bag with a piece of wax paper or parchment between each pancake (this way they won’t stick together). Place a pancake onto a plate and microwave for 20 seconds to reheat. You can also reheat pancakes in the oven. Wrap them in foil and place them in a 350F oven for about 10 minutes.

What Can I Add To Pancakes?

You might like to add in blueberries, thinly sliced apples, chocolate chips, or a mashed banana. Add any extra ingredients to the batter at the last moment before scooping the batter into the pan. If you use a small mashed banana, you might find that you need to add a bit more milk to thin the batter.

What Can I Put On Top Of Pancakes?

Maple syrup or regular syrup are wonderful choices but you might like to add jams or preserves or even whipped cream.

A piece cut out of three pancakes stacked on a plate and topped with melted butter and blueberries.

What Our Readers Are Saying

So many people have enjoyed this pancake recipe. If you’d like, come back and share your thoughts. We’d love to hear from you. Here’s what some of our readers have been saying about the recipe:

“PERFECT PANCAKES! I have tried a lot of different pancake recipes but hands down, yours is the best! Thank you! I used coconut milk rather than milk and added red raspberries. Used high quality pancake syrup. Yum. A quick fast dinner. I’ll be trying more of your recipes. Thanks again!” – Colleen

“I followed the recipe exactly and mine turned out super fluffy and delicious!” – Mia

“Great recipe – loved it! Easy and so delicious.” – Joseph

“I was intimidated about making pancakes – shaping them in the pan, making sure not to overmix. But I googled a recipe for pancake for 1 and your recipe saved the day. It was absolutely delicious – absolutely successful, so I really wanted to thank you so much!! ” – Jamie

Other Single Serving and Small Batch Breakfast Recipes

If you like these “pancakes for one” , you might also like these recipes:

RELATED: 15 Easy Single Serving Dessert Recipes

For more information on the cooking and baking dishes I use in our “recipes for one”, please visit our FAQ page.

For examples of the dishes used at One Dish Kitchen, please visit our Store page.

RELATED: 40 Easy Recipes For Busy College Students

If you’ve tried this small batch pancake recipe or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.

Also, if you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see!


Your Cooking For One Source
Because you’re worth it

How To Make Pancakes For One

4.82 from 299 votes
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 15 minutes
Servings: 2 pancakes
Enjoy a stack of fluffy pancakes without the hassle of leftovers. This single-serving recipe yields 2-3 perfectly cooked pancakes using pantry staples.

Ingredients 
 

  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ tablespoon sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg
  • ¾ cup milk
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon salted butter , melted
  • 1 teaspoon salted butter for the pan

Instructions 

  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.
  • In another bowl, beat the egg and then whisk in the milk, vanilla and melted butter.
  • Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. If the batter seems too thick, add more of the milk, a little at a time.
  • Melt the butter in a large skillet or griddle over medium heat.
  • Ladle about 3/4 cup of the batter onto the skillet to make a pancake.
  • Cook until bubbles break the surface of the pancake, and the underside is golden brown, about 3 minutes.
  • Flip with a spatula and cook about 1 minute more on the second side. Remove from the pan and place on a plate.
  • Repeat until all the batter is used up.
  • Serve with your favorite toppings: butter, syrup, fruit or any other topping you desire.

Video

Notes

Expert Tips

  • Flour measurements can be a huge variable when it comes to baking. Weighing ingredients is by far the most accurate, but it isn’t done much in the U.S. If you use measuring cups to measure, use this method of measuring the flour:
    • Use a spoon to fluff the flour in the container.
    • Use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup.
    • Use a knife or other straight edged utensil to level the flour across the measuring cup.
  • Let lumps remain in the batter. Lumpy pancake batter is absolutely okay. Stir the batter until there are no more flour streaks and still lumpy. But be careful not to overmix.
  • Check to make sure your baking powder is fresh. If it is old or expired you will end up with flat pancakes, not light and fluffy ones.
  • Wipe out the pan between pancakes. I love cooking pancakes in butter but the butter will eventually burn. To solve this problem, wipe the pan between pancakes and add a little bit more butter before cooking the next pancake.
  • Flip the pancakes when the bubbles just begin to pop.

Nutrition

Serving: 1pancake, Calories: 228kcal, Carbohydrates: 38g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 82mg, Sodium: 472mg, Potassium: 301mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 344IU, Calcium: 149mg, Iron: 2mg

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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I’m Joanie and I’m incredibly happy you’re here! Our aim is to inspire individuals with access to single serving recipes, education, and a supportive community that will enable them to enjoy the preparation of a meal that will nourish both body and soul.

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Recipe Rating




311 Comments

  1. Very tasty, I added 1/2 a smashed banana. Not sure this is one serving as I got roughly 3 servings of 2 smaller 5” pancakes. Going to try freezing the others and see how they reheat in toaster/microwave.

  2. Pancakes were delicious. I took frozen blueberries and put them in the microwave for one minute, and put them on top of the pancakes with some maple syrup and whipped cream ..Unbelievably delicious
    Thanks so much for this wonderful recipe

  3. Turned out really well! Very happy.
    I added blueberries to mine and the result was just great!
    I didn’t want to dress up and pay $15 with tax for blueberry pancakes and tea… with potato hash and everything else they give you. Plus I don’t want to eat out alone just to have a pancake.
    Instead, I had the ingredients on hand for this recipe with real Canadian maple syrup from nearby so I had what I’ve been wanting for some time in the comfort and convenience of my own home. Dishes washed and on to doing other things today.
    🙂

  4. I’ve made this recipe 3 times and every time my butter instantly forms back into cold clumps and will not smooth out. What is a way to fix this? I’ve never had this issue with a pancake recipe.

    1. It sounds like the butter is cooling down too quickly when you mix it into your pancake batter. To prevent this, try letting your butter cool slightly after melting it, but make sure it’s still warm when you add it. Also, ensure that your other ingredients, especially milk or eggs, are at room temperature. This may help to keep the butter from solidifying into clumps.

  5. I make these by replacing the milk with OJ and I add 1/2 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice. They’re a delicious harvest pancake

  6. Hands down the best pancake recipe I’ve ever tried – and I’ve tried a lot. They’re so light and fluffy and maintain their fluffiness out of the pan. Thank you for my new go-to recipe!

  7. Buttery, soft, and just the right amount of fluffiness. Perfect serving size, came out with less pancakes then the picture.

  8. These pancakes were really good. Instead of a whole egg I used a leftover egg white from a prior recipe that I beat into a meringue, and half a mashed banana. I also used almond milk since I don’t have regular. I really enjoyed these pancakes. Thank you 🙂