Everyday Pancakes

By Mark Bittman

Updated Feb. 3, 2025

Everyday Pancakes
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Total Time
20 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Rating
4(13,664)
Comments
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The basic pancake is made from a simple batter of eggs, flour, milk and baking powder for leavening. You can use different types of flour if you want to experiment with whole wheat or buckwheat. And you can also add fruit to the mixture. You might also enjoy this video of the recipe, which walks through a few variations. The batter can be made from scratch in about the same time it takes to make toast. The most time-consuming part of making pancakes, of course, is cooking them. But that time is so short you should consider these an everyday convenience food, not a special-occasion feast. Cook this recipe a few times and it may become part of your weekly routine.

Featured in: THE MINIMALIST; For the Uninitiated, a Pancake Primer

Learn: How to Make Pancakes

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings
  • 2cups all-purpose flour
  • 2teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼teaspoon salt
  • 1tablespoon sugar, optional
  • 2eggs
  • 1½ to 2cups milk
  • 2tablespoons melted and cooled butter (optional), plus unmelted butter for cooking, or use neutral oil
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

258 calories; 8 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 38 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 8 grams protein; 270 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat a griddle or large skillet over medium-low heat. In a bowl, mix together dry ingredients. Beat eggs into 1½ cups milk, then stir in 2 tablespoons melted cooled butter, if using it. Gently stir this mixture into dry ingredients, mixing only enough to moisten flour; don't worry about a few lumps. If batter seems thick, add a little more milk.

  2. Step 2

    Place a teaspoon or 2 of butter or oil on griddle or skillet. When butter foam subsides or oil shimmers, ladle batter onto griddle or skillet, making pancakes of any size you like. Adjust heat as necessary; usually, first batch will require higher heat than subsequent batches. Flip pancakes after bubbles rise to surface and bottoms brown, after 2 to 4 minutes.

    Image of pancake with bubbles on the edges about to be flipped
  3. Step 3

    Cook until second side is lightly browned. Serve, or hold on an ovenproof plate in a 200-degree oven for up to 15 minutes.

    Image of butter being spread on everyday pancakes

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Ratings

4 out of 5
13,664 user ratings
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Comments

Ted

They're just pancakes, people. Calm down. You don't need to use 17 different types of flour, chocolate drops only made by a hermit on the highest mountain in Switzerland on select Tuesdays in the Spring, and edible gold glitter. That's why this is titled Everyday Pancakes and not How Pretentious Can I Be Pancakes.

Elizabeth

I halved the recipe and added finely chopped cabbage, grated carrots, finely chopped onion in small amounts so as to not overwhelm the batter. This is a fast and easy western version of okonomiyaki and can be eaten for any meal. Good alone or with sour cream, or maple syrup or your choice. Add an organic turkey sausage and there you have it, a complete meal.

Ben

If you use buttermilk (or any other acid), don't forget to add a teaspoon of baking soda!

shannon

Added 1 T white vinegar to milk mixture, resulting in a fluffier tangier batter! Batter benefits from resting before cooking as well.

Zach

Another no-nonsense, Mark Bittman classic. Super easy to whip up, and avoids me having to throw out the rest of the unused buttermilk when I invariably only use buttermilk to make pancakes once a month.

james

These were really disappointing. Not fluffy and didn’t brown well. Just pretty boring. The buttermilk pancake recipe is much better.

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