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This Pancakes For One recipe makes 2 to 3 fluffy, golden pancakes from scratch in 15 minutes. No pancake mix, no leftovers.
Featured Comment
“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.”
– Kaia
Quick Look
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Equipment: 10-inch skillet
- Cook Method: Stovetop over medium heat
- Servings: 1
- Yield: 2 large or 3 medium pancakes
- Difficulty: Easy
Single serve pancakes with crispy, buttery edges and a soft, tender center, made from scratch with simple pantry ingredients. No mix required.
The Pancake Recipe I’ve Been Making for Years
I’ve been making pancakes my whole cooking life, first for my family on weekend mornings and then scaled down for one. This small batch pancake recipe is the one I use. Two or three soft, golden pancakes that are ready in 15 minutes.
The ingredients are things you already have. Flour, an egg, milk, and a little butter. And the recipe is sized for one, so you’re not staring down a stack of 8 wondering what to do with the rest.
If you’re looking for more small batch pancakes for one, try my small batch buttermilk pancakes, single serve banana pancakes, small batch sheet pan pancakes, small batch chocolate chip pancakes, and single serving pumpkin pancakes.
Watch How To Make Pancakes For One
Table of Contents
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this small batch pancakes recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
All-purpose flour is the base of the batter. Measure it by spooning flour into your dry measuring cup and leveling it off. Scooping straight from the bag packs it in, which gives you too much flour and dense pancakes. Use a gluten-free 1:1 flour blend for gluten-free pancakes.
Baking powder is what makes these pancakes rise. The secret to fluffy single serve pancakes is using fresh baking powder and avoiding overmixing the batter. Check the date on your baking powder before you start. Old baking powder loses its punch and you’ll end up with flat pancakes no matter what else you do right. To test it, drop half a teaspoon into a quarter cup of hot water. If it bubbles right away, it’s good.
Sugar adds a slight sweetness and helps the outside brown evenly.
Salt keeps the batter from tasting flat.
One large egg gives the pancakes structure and helps them hold together when you flip them.
Milk brings the batter together and controls the thickness. Start with three-quarters of a cup. If the batter looks too thick after mixing, add a splash more.
Vanilla extract gives the pancakes a warm, homemade flavor.
Salted butter goes into the batter and into the pan. The butter in the pan gives you those golden, slightly crispy edges. Unsalted butter works fine if that’s what you have on hand.
Pancake Recipe Variations
This pancake recipe from scratch is a good base. Change or add one ingredient to make the pancakes you want.
Banana Pancakes For One: Mash a ripe banana and mix it into the batter for natural sweetness.
Buttermilk Pancakes For One: Swap the milk for buttermilk to add a slight tang and extra fluffiness.
Blueberry Pancakes For One: Add a handful of fresh blueberries to the batter.
Chocolate Chip Pancakes For One: Stir a handful of chocolate chips into the batter.
How To Make Pancakes For One
These steps and photos walk you through the process. For ingredient amounts and full instructions, see the recipe card below.
- 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. Stir until combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir just until you don’t see dry flour. A few small lumps are fine. If the batter looks thick, add a little more milk.
- Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Pour about 3/4 cup of batter into the skillet. Cook until bubbles form across the surface and the edges look set, about 3 minutes.
- Flip and cook for 1 more minute, until the bottom is golden.
- Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining batter.
- Flip the second pancake.
- Serve with butter and pancake syrup, butter pecan syrup, or homemade whipped cream and fresh fruit.
Expert Tips
Measure the flour accurately. Spoon it into the dry measuring cup and level off with a straight edge. Scooping straight from the bag packs in too much flour.
Don’t overmix. Stir until the flour disappears. Overmixing makes the pancakes tough.
Test your baking powder. Add half a teaspoon to a quarter cup of hot water. It should bubble immediately.
Watch the edges. Flip when the surface bubbles are popping and the edges look dry and set.
Keep the heat at medium. Too high and you’ll have a burnt outside with a raw middle.
Troubleshooting
Why are my pancakes flat?
This usually points to one of two things: the baking powder has lost its lift, or the batter was overmixed. Both flatten pancakes that should rise tall and airy.
Why are my pancakes dense and heavy?
Too much flour is usually the culprit. Make sure you’re spooning flour into the measuring cup and leveling it off, not scooping directly from the bag. Scooping packs in too much flour.
Why are my pancakes raw in the middle?
The heat is too high. A pan that’s too hot browns the outside before the inside has time to cook through. Lower the heat to medium and give each pancake the full 3 minutes before flipping.
Why are my pancakes sticking to the pan?
The pan isn’t hot enough or doesn’t have enough butter. Make sure the butter is melted and the pan is properly heated before you pour the batter.
Why is my batter too thick?
Add milk a small splash at a time until the batter loosens to a pourable consistency. Different brands of flour absorb liquid differently, so slight adjustments are normal.
Why is my batter is too thin?
Add a small amount of flour, half a tablespoon at a time, and stir gently until the batter thickens slightly.
Frequently Asked Questions
This small batch recipe makes exactly 2 large or 3 medium pancakes, perfect for a single serving.
It’s best to make the batter fresh. If you’d like to make it a few hours ahead, cover and keep the batter in the refrigerator. Give it a gentle stir before cooking. If the batter has thickened, add a splash of milk to loosen it.
Yes. Let them cool completely, then freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet for 30 to 45 minutes. Transfer to a zip top bag with parchment between the layers. Reheat in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds, or in a 350°F oven wrapped in foil for about 10 minutes.
Cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds or in a skillet over low heat.
Yes. Double every ingredient and you’ll get 4 to 6 pancakes.
No. Use our single serving waffle recipe instead.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve tried this pancake recipe for one 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!
Fluffy 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. Stir until combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir just until you don't see dry flour. A few small lumps are fine. If the batter looks thick, add a little more milk.
- Heat a small amount of butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Pour 3/4 cup of batter into the skillet. Cook until bubbles form across the surface and the edges look set, about 3 minutes.
- Flip and cook for 1 more minute, until the bottom is golden.
- Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining batter.
Notes
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, honestly, are the best homemade pancakes I have ever had. Even without the vanilla extract they were sweet enough. Thank you.
This is a very tasty recipe which I will make again! I used honey instead of sugar and cooked in a sheet pan with blueberries on top.
Simple and simply delicious. I made them in my waffle maker topped them off with blueberries and maple syrup. Who said you can’t have dessert for supper? Decadent.
Definitely made more than 2, about 8, just be warned.
The recipe is designed to yield 2-3 pancakes, but if yours made about 8, they were very likely much smaller than intended. Either way, I hope you enjoyed them!
Hi,
I like that in this recipe you added a very small amount of vanilla extract. I was wondering can you substitute the sugar and use honey instead? How much would be the needed?
Thanks,
Sharleen Squires
I’ve never tested this recipe with honey, but I bet it would work! Keep in mind that it may slightly alter the flavor and texture, but it should still turn out delicious. If you try it, I’d love to hear how it goes!
I made these pancakes using vanilla almond milk since it’s what I had. I also added blueberries to the top of the pancake before flipping. It made 4 large pancakes and I have one leftover which I will freeze then pop in the toaster to reheat.
These pancakes were so good! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
I noticed a small error in the conversion from US to metric that you might want to fix: 1/4 teaspoon salt is converted into 0.5 teaspoon of salt. Not that the extra salt hurt it, the pancakes were delicious!
They were very egg-y and they didn’t fluff up like a pancake should; they were pretty dense. I followed the recipe exactly, so I don’t know what went wrong.
They still tasted good, it was just an odd texture…
Thank you for your feedback! I’m glad the pancakes still tasted good, even though the texture wasn’t what you expected. It’s tricky to pinpoint the exact cause, but sometimes small factors like ingredient temperature or how much the batter is mixed can make a difference. Overmixing can lead to denser pancakes, and letting the batter sit too long might affect how much they fluff up. I hope this helps, and I appreciate you sharing your experience!
Over mixing might have been the issue, now that you mention it. I mixed for a while trying to get it as smooth as possible. Next time I make them, I’ll be sure to go easy on the mixing. Thank you!
I made these & they turned out good. All except for the butter in the skillet, which tended to scorch because of the high heat needed to cook them. Next time I would use avocado oil, or another high heat oil for these.