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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.
I am looking for the pancake’s recipe and i found your recipe. I think it’s simple and i’ll try to make it. Thanks for sharing Joanie
I just wanted to share my success in making these gluten free! I substituted the all-purpose flour for King Arthur’s Measure for Measure flour. I used the measurements as stated, other than I added a second egg (gluten free flour tends to be a lot more dense than normal flour). They were delicious and fluffy!! Will definitely be making these again! This recipe made 4 good sized pancakes.
Thank you so much for sharing how you made these pancakes gluten free. I know many readers of ODK will be so happy to know this can be done with success. I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe, thank you so much for letting me know.
Joanie
Turned out great. Don’t know how you’d only get 3 though, I got 7.
Disappointed. They were thick but not fluffy. Very dense and heavy. But then again I’m usually disappointed in pancakes I make at home. Might try the waffles next time.
Hi Bonny,
I’m sorry your pancakes didn’t turn out as expected. The fact that they were dense and not fluffy could be due to a number of factors. Overmixing the pancake batter develops the gluten which very often will make pancakes turn out rubbery and dense. For best results, mix just until the batter comes together leaving a few lumps. Also, check to make sure the baking powder you are using hasn’t expired. This would also contribute to heavy pancakes.
Hope this helps.
Joanie
Do you think I could I substitute all purpose flour for gluten free flour ?
Hi Amanda,
Although I haven’t tested this recipe with gluten free flour, others readers have told me they did with success. More specifically, a reader said she substituted the flour with King Arthur’s GF Measure for Measure Flour but needed to add an extra egg since GF flour tends to be a little dense.
Hope this helps and please let me know how yours turn out if you choose to make the substitution.
Joanie
Wow they are great!! I put cheese in the middle. And did stuffed pancakes they are great. Thanks!!
Awesome! Sounds wonderful, I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Joanie
A misleading title! Great pancake recipe but waaaay too much for one! I ended up with 3 4 inch pancakes that were about ¼ inch thick! Light and fluffy but I only made it through one. I guess I need to play around with the amount of flour and milk to get a true one person serving!
Hi Lesley,
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thank you.
I don’t like to dictate how much a person should eat at one sitting. What is a good amount for one person may not be enough for another. I like to suggest that our readers take some of the recipes as guidelines and adjust accordingly. The portion size featured in the recipes are amounts that I would enjoy myself and amounts that have been recommended by our testers.
I used the left over self rising flour from the vanilla cupcakes for this recipe. Came out great! I love your recipes. They enable me to continue good old fashioned stovetop home cooking as opposed to buying unhealthy premade frozen microwave servings for one.
Great idea, Joanne! I’m so happy you liked the pancakes. Thanks so much for letting me know!
Have a wonderful week.
Joanie
Made recipe.. I used 1.5 T baking powder for little fluffier pancakes. All said pancakes we’re delicious! Thank you for recipe.
p.s. I used Fairlife whole milk & Kerry Gold grass fed butter.
I’m so happy you enjoyed the pancakes, Allen. Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Joanie
I did add some sugar I did more than a table spoon but other than that they were amazing!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Hannah. Thanks so much for letting me know.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Joanie
This pancake recipe made crepes… Delicious nonetheless.
While walking my dog this cold, snowy winter morning, I smelled something wonderful that had me hankering for some pancakes. I did a google search for ‘pancakes for one’, and found this recipe and website. I immediately pulled out my griddle pan and whipped up these wonderful pancakes! They were big and fluffy, just like the picture. Had some blueberries in the fridge, and sprinkled them on one of the cakes while it was cooking. The only thing I changed was to use unsweetened almond milk, as that’s what I had on hand.
I’m now having fun looking around your site, and can’t wait to try more of your recipes! I think your eggplant parmigiana will be next. Thank you for such great ideas when it comes to cooking for one!
I’ve tried this recipe twice and both times the flour clumps into little balls when I pour in the wet ingredients. I stir but these flour balls don’t mix into the batter/never blends into a smooth mixture – it resembles runny oatmeal. I even tried a whisk but the batter will not incorporate into a smooth mixture. The thin batter spreads all over the skillet and the pancakes come out flat, not fluffy. Any ideas where I’m going wrong? Thanks.
Hi Pat,
I’m sorry you had those issues. I know how frustrating it can be to not have a recipe turn out the way we hope. Hopefully, I can answer your questions.
First of all, the pancake batter will not be completely smooth. In fact, the batter will have a few lumps and that’s okay. Stir your batter until the dry and wet ingredients are just incorporated and leave the little lumps.
Next, I suspect that the reason the pancakes turn out flat and not fluffy is because you might be over-mixing the batter. If you over-mix, the gluten will develop from the flour in your batter, making your pancakes chewy and flat instead of fluffy.
I hope this helps.
Joanie