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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.
Looks amazing! I haven’t tried making a pancake mix from scratch! I’m going to give this a try!
Belle
You definitely should, Belle. You can’t beat homemade.
I love single-serving recipes! Especially ones like this – you never normally see pancake recipes that only make one portion!
Thanks, Nicola.
This just made hungry, they look scrumptious and it’s really helpful because every time I dare pancakes I end up with too much and everyone gets tired of eating too much. Thank you for the recipe.
I know exactly what you mean, Joan and leftover pancakes are never as good as hot off the skillet.
Hi, love your recipes, just wondering if I want to make double for your recipes do I just double the ingredients and the cooking time if the food goes in the oven?
Hi Laura,
Thank you, I’m glad you like the recipes. A few of the recipes can be doubled but they are developed as single serving recipes and have been tested that way. The Pancakes For One recipe can be doubled with success.
THESE WERE SO YUM! I am amazed… I will be craving this forever! <3 Love it!
Perfect for just me and so good! Thanks for sharing, Joanie!
These were really good, and fluffy! I did have to add an extra tsp of milk because the batter was a tad too thick. This recipe would be perfect for two in my opinion. My fiancé doesn’t like pancakes and I was begging him to eat the leftovers. Pancakes fill me up quickly though so it could just be me.
Also a perfect size batch for kids! Whipped these up for my 4 and almost 2 year old made lots of little sized pancakes that they loved. Thank you!
I just made these and it was my first time ever making pancakes without a mix and even though the look deformed (my fault) they are WONDERFUL I will be adding this recipe to my box so thank you very much me and my nephew are very grateful.
Hi Jacob,
Thank you so much for letting me know that you enjoyed the pancakes. I'm so happy you liked the recipe.
Best,
Joanie
These are the best pancakes I have ever had – thank you so much! All the others were either very dense or eggy, but these were great. Actually, I split the recipe in half because after reading the other comments I didn't want to make too much, and that was enough for me. I substituted oil for butter (because I was too lazy to walk over to the microwave) and added a bit of vanilla extract. On top of the cooked pancakes I poured black current jam and it was so good! I never liked making pancakes because they wouldn't taste very good and would be really heavy, but if I do make them (which I definitely will, thanks to you), this is the only recipe I will ever use.
Rachel, I'm so happy you liked the recipe. I'll bet the jam on top was perfect. Thanks so much for letting me know. Have a wonderful week!