cooking · Recipe
Easy Pancakes
From a video by America's Test Kitchen · 8 min watch
Simple one-bowl pancakes with a thick, lumpy batter that produces tall, fluffy results. The dry mix can be prepped ahead and stored for future use.

Source video — America's Test Kitchen on YouTube
From the creator
Total time
~30 minutesEstimated by Unreel from the recipe steps — the creator didn't state this.
Hands-on
~20 minutesEstimated by Unreel from the recipe steps — the creator didn't state this.
Servings
~4 servingsEstimated by Unreel from the complete recipe.
Difficulty
EasyEstimated by Unreel from the recipe steps — the creator didn't state this.
Extraction confidence: high
Auto-generated from the video and rewritten in our own words. Double-check quantities against the source before cooking.
Ingredients
Ingredients scaled to 4 servings
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 egg
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 ½ cups milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon vegetable oil
Preparation
- Step 1In a dry bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
- Step 2In a separate wet bowl, add the eggs, vegetable oil, milk, and vanilla. Whisk to combine, breaking up the yolks.
- Step 3Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Whisk just until combined, leaving the batter lumpy. Do not overmix.
- Step 4 · 10 minutesLet the batter rest for 10 minutes.
- Step 5 · 350°F / 177°CHeat a griddle to 350°F. Add the vegetable oil for the griddle and spread it into an even thin film with a paper towel.
- Step 6 · 1 minuteTest the griddle temperature by cooking a 1-tablespoon test pancake for about 1 minute until golden. Adjust heat if needed.
- Step 7 · 2-3 minutesPortion the batter using a 1/4-cup measure or spring-loaded scoop onto the griddle, smoothing each into a 4-inch round. Cook 6 pancakes at a time for 2-3 minutes until the edges are set and the bottoms are golden brown.
- Step 8 · 1-2 minutesFlip the pancakes, keeping the spatula low, and cook 1-2 minutes on the second side until done.
- Step 9 · 200°F / 93°CServe immediately or keep warm in a 200°F oven on a wire rack. Repeat with remaining batter.
Notes
- The dry ingredients can be mixed in advance, stored in a zipper-lock bag, and labeled with the remaining wet ingredients for an even quicker breakfast.
- Leave the batter lumpy; the lumps hydrate during the rest and help create a thick batter for taller pancakes. Overmixing creates a thinner batter.
- A test pancake helps confirm griddle temperature. Golden color after one minute indicates proper heat.
- For a polite breakfast, keep cooked pancakes warm in a 200°F oven on a wire rack.
- Serve with maple syrup or orange-almond compound butter.