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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
My pancakes are 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.
My pancakes are 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.
My pancakes are 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.
My pancakes are 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.
My batter is 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.
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.
Flat pancakes are usually caused by expired baking powder or overmixed batter. Baking powder loses its lift over time, so test yours by dropping half a teaspoon into a quarter cup of hot water. It should bubble immediately. Overmixing develops gluten in the flour, which creates dense, tough pancakes instead of light, fluffy ones.
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.
so love your recipes for one. I have tried many and love them all and make frequently .
Followed your recipe, but not sure what went wrong. Upon mixing wet into dry, ingredients became more like dough than batter. Adding more milk only made the “batter” thick and like elastic. I still tried frying some up and what was created were barely golden, white discs that tasted of nothing but flour and baking powder. Any thoughts on what I may have done wrong?
You shouldn’t end up with a dough-like batter, so something was definitely off. The most common issues are accidentally adding too much flour or baking powder, or using a measuring cup that packs the flour down. The batter should be pourable and smooth. Also, if the batter sits for a while, it can thicken and may need a splash of milk to loosen it. I hope this helps you pinpoint what might’ve happened.
My melted butter immediately clumped up again when I poured it into the cold mix. I hope it doesn’t change the recipe but next time I guess I can warm up the milk carefully to room temperature.
When melted butter hits cold ingredients, it can firm back up almost instantly. This usually happens if the milk or egg is very cold. The good news is that small bits of butter won’t hurt the recipe at all — the pancakes will still cook up just fine.
For next time, letting the milk and egg sit at room temperature for a few minutes, or gently warming the milk, will help keep the butter smooth when it’s mixed in.
Hello, I made the pancakes, and they were delicious, perfect for one person. I so enjoy trying your recipes for one. I made the carrot cake muffins, which are also easy, and now my son asks that I make them for him when he comes home.
Thank you.
I’m so glad you’re enjoying the recipes! It makes me happy to hear the pancakes and carrot cake muffins were such a hit — how nice that your son asks for them too!
Perfect! I didnt use sugar or vanilla in them. The pure maple syrup is quite enough!
Quick, easy and very tasty! This is the best smaller-portion pancake recipe I’ve found, thank you.
was good
What am I doing wrong that this recipe makes 10-12 pancakes?!
They’re delicious, but help?
I’m so glad you enjoyed the pancakes! This recipe makes about 2 to 3 pancakes total. If you’re getting 10 to 12, it sounds like the pancakes you’re making are much smaller than the ones shown here, or there may be a mix-up with the way the ingredients were measured. For reference, I scoop about ¾ cup of batter for each pancake. You might also find it helpful to take a look at the step-by-step photos and video in the post, they show exactly how much batter I use.
Thanks! Looking forward to fresh pancakes for one!
Sure, I know how to make pancakes… for my family of six! Your single and double serving recipes are perfect for us empty-nesters! Thanks for doing the work so we don’t have to, Joanie!