This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
If you’re craving pancakes but don’t need a big batch, this simple pancake recipe is just what you need. In about 15 minutes, enjoy a fluffy, delicious stack made just for you.
Looking for more tasty single serving pancake recipes? Check out our Pancake Recipes for One collection! You’ll find fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes, naturally sweet Banana Pancakes, hands-off Small Batch Sheet Pan Pancakes, and even a Small Batch Pancake Mix. With so many options, you’re sure to find your perfect pancake!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simple and Fast: Using basic pantry ingredients, you’ll have pancakes ready in under 15 minutes—great for busy mornings or a quick craving.
- Just Enough: This recipe makes two to three pancakes, so there’s no leftover batter or towering stack—just the right amount for one or two.
- Easy Cleanup: With a few simple ingredients, cleanup is quick and easy.
- Customizable: Top your pancakes however you like! Maple syrup, fresh fruit, chocolate chips, or whipped cream—the options are endless.
- Perfect Base Recipe: This recipe is a great starting point if you want to try out different pancake flavors.
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this single serving pancake recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Flour: Use all-purpose flour in this recipe.
- Baking Powder: Essential for light, fluffy pancakes.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar adds just the right amount of sweetness.
- Salt: 1/4 teaspoon balances the flavors perfectly.
- Egg: One egg gives structure and helps make the pancakes fluffy
- Milk: I usually use low-fat milk, but whole, skim, unsweetened almond, or oat milk work, too.
- Vanilla: A splash adds a subtle sweetness and enhances the flavor.
- Butter: Melted salted butter gives a richer taste; if using unsalted butter, you may want to add a bit more salt.
Recipe Variations
- Banana Pancakes: Mash a ripe banana and add it to the batter for a naturally sweet twist.
- Buttermilk Pancakes: Substitute buttermilk for the milk for a tangy and fluffy variation.
- Blueberry Pancakes: Add a handful of fresh blueberries to the batter.
- Chocolate Chip Pancakes: Stir in some chocolate chips for a sweet surprise.
How To Make Pancakes For One
These photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make pancakes. See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
- In a separate bowl, beat the egg and add the other wet ingredients, mixing until combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until you don’t see any dry flour. It’s okay if there are a few small lumps. If the batter seems too thick, add a little more milk gradually.
- Heat a bit of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Pour about 3/4 cup of batter into the skillet. Cook the pancake until bubbles form on the surface and the bottom is golden brown, about 3 minutes.
- Flip the pancake with a spatula and cook for another minute on the other side. Remove the pancake from the skillet and place it on a plate.
- Repeat with the remaining batter.
- Remove the second pancake from the skillet.
- Enjoy with butter, syrup, whipped cream, or your favorite fruits.
RELATED: 20 Single Serving Breakfast Recipes To Wake Up To
Expert Tips
- Measuring Flour: Fluff the flour in its container, spoon it into your dry measuring cup, and level it off with a straight edge—this gives you an accurate amount.
- Batter Consistency: Mix just until you don’t see streaks of flour. It’s okay if the batter is a bit lumpy; avoid overmixing.
- Check Your Baking Powder: Make sure your baking powder is fresh for light, fluffy pancakes.
- Flipping Pancakes: Flip the pancakes when you see bubbles on the surface starting to pop.
Serving Suggestions
Here are a few delicious ways to serve your pancakes:
- Fresh Fruit: Add a healthy touch with sliced bananas, berries, or apple slices.
- Homemade Syrup and Butter: Stick with the classic combo for that familiar, comforting flavor.
- Nut Butter and Honey: Drizzle almond or peanut butter and a little honey for a protein boost.
- Yogurt and Granola: Top with Greek yogurt and a sprinkle of granola for some extra crunch.
- Chocolate Chips and Whipped Cream: For a sweeter treat, try chocolate chips and a dollop of whipped cream.
Frequently Asked Questions
It’s best to make the batter fresh, but you can prepare it a few hours in advance and keep it covered in the fridge. Just give it a gentle stir before cooking, and if it’s thickened, add a splash of milk to reach the right consistency.
Flat pancakes can be due to expired baking powder or overmixing the batter. Make sure your baking powder is fresh, and mix the batter until just combined.
Flip them when you see bubbles forming on the surface and they start to pop. This is a good sign the pancakes are ready to turn.
Absolutely! Just double all the ingredients for more servings.
Let them cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or on a pan until warmed through.
Yes, you can! Here’s how: Let the pancakes cool completely, then place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze for 30-45 minutes until solid. Transfer the frozen pancakes to a freezer bag, placing wax or parchment paper between them to prevent sticking. To reheat, microwave a pancake for about 20 seconds or warm them in a 350°F oven wrapped in foil for about 10 minutes.
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!
Pancakes For One
Watch How To Make This
Equipment
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, plus an additional tablespoon of butter to grease the pan.
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, beat the egg, then add the milk, vanilla, and melted butter, whisking until smooth.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stirring just until combined. If the batter is too thick, add a little more milk gradually.
- Heat a small amount of butter in a large skillet or griddle over medium heat.
- Pour about 3/4 cup of batter onto the skillet. Cook until bubbles form on the surface and the bottom is golden brown, about 3 minutes.
- Flip the pancake and cook for another minute on the other side, until golden.
- Transfer the cooked pancake to a plate and repeat with the remaining batter.
- Serve the pancakes with your favorite toppings like butter, syrup, or fresh fruit.
Notes
- Measuring Flour: Fluff the flour in its container, spoon it into your dry measuring cup, and level it off with a straight edge—this gives you an accurate amount.
- Batter Consistency: Mix just until you don’t see streaks of flour. It’s okay if the batter is a bit lumpy; avoid overmixing.
- Check Your Baking Powder: Make sure your baking powder is fresh for light, fluffy pancakes.
- Flipping Pancakes: Flip the pancakes when you see bubbles on the surface starting to pop.
Nutrition
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.
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 🙂
Living alone for the first time since… 1989?!… I cook my meals for the week ahead of time but want some things hot and fresh. I have made these pancakes 3 times now and they come out perfect! I follow the recipe exactly (well… I will admit I don’t have vanilla extract but must invest soon to make these even better.) For me, this recipe yields 2 large, thick, “cakey” pancakes (6-7″ in diameter).
That’s awesome to hear you’re enjoying the pancakes! Vanilla extract will definitely add an extra layer of flavor, but it sounds like you’ve got a good thing going even without it. Love that you’re getting two large, cakey pancakes out of the recipe. Thanks for sharing your experience!
Delicious taste but WAY too much flour in my opinion, when I first combined my ingredients it was more like a dough. Also, I got six LARGE pancakes out of this and even then had a bit of batter left over. Would recommend cutting by half or even a third if it’s actually for one person.
Thanks for giving the recipe a try and sharing your experience! If the batter felt too thick, I’d recommend double-checking the flour measurement technique. We’ve got some expert tips on the blog, and a video, showing exactly how to get it right. This recipe usually yields 3 pancakes, so I’m surprised to hear you had extra. Always value the feedback!
In response to Brendan, if he prefers his pancakes thin (more like McDonald’s) then your batter will seem too thick and when he thins it he’s going to get a “passle” of pancakes!
I am looking forward to making these pancakes, but I understand Brendan’s concern. I see huge variations in how much flour goes into a cup. I use a digital conversion chart that I found on the internet that has me measuring out 125 grams of flour for a cup. I never measure flour by volume, but only by weight, on my digital scale. I have used this 125 gram measure for years, and my cakes come out perfect every time. I’ve seen other websites that call for 120 grams to as much as 145 grams. I am a bit puzzled about how to proceed.
I totally get it! Different brands of flour can have varying weights, so if 125 grams has always worked for you, feel free to stick with it. With the flour we use and test our recipes with, 145 grams gives us the best results. If your batter ends up too thin, you can always add a little more flour, or if it’s too thick, just add a splash of milk. Either way, I’m sure the pancakes will turn out great! Let me know how they turn out!
These were great! The recipe made enough for myself and 2 small kiddos.
Glad you and the kiddos enjoyed the pancakes! Thanks for letting us know the serving size was spot-on for you.
These were bomb as hell!! I added a bunch of pumpkin pie spice and chocolate chips for extra flavor and they were amazing. So fluffy so easy to make and so delicious. It was still too much batter for one girly so I’m freezing the rest for tomorrow.
Stoked you loved the pancakes! Adding pumpkin pie spice and chocolate chips sounds like a flavor win. Good call on freezing the leftover batter for another day. Thanks for the rave review!
WARNING: These pancakes are SO good, if you decide to eat the first while the second is cooking, you may forget and overcook it. Take it from a very hungry (and slightly absent-minded?) bachelor.
I got up one Saturday morning and had a hankering for pancakes. The off-brand pancake mix in the cupboard offered no appeal, so I looked for a recipe online and stumbled onto this site (now saved to my phone’s home screen).
I followed the easy directions and got 3 good-sized pancakes… perfect for me. I topped them with U.S. Grade A Amber Vermont Maple Syrup and was ready to face the day!
Thank you so much, Scott. I’m so happy you enjoyed the pancakes!
Pancakes were delicious! I followed the recipe exactly except I sifted the dry ingredients before whisking them. Not sure if it was because of this change that I got 6 pancakes rather than 2 or 3. No problem at all! I have another serving ready for another meal. Thank you for the recipe and the tips. 🙂
These babies are good!
This recipe is a bit much for one person, but they turned out fine.
Really fluffy and tender. I used almond flour with flour mixed. Make sure to use real maple syrup.
Pretty good recipe. I think it varies based on the individual’s taste palette, but using salted butter plus salt made them a little too salty for my taste. Next time I make them, I will probably use unsalted butter.