Brown Sugar Pancakes

On lazy Sunday mornings, I love to make my Brown Sugar Pancakes. They are so crazy good, y’all. You get all that unique molasses flavor in the batter but they stay super fluffy and light like my old fashioned pancakes. Plus I top them with a homemade bacon maple butter. Make a batch and see what I’m talking.

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A stack of brown sugar pancakes on two plates on the table.

How to Make Brown Sugar Pancakes

Step 1: Make the Pancake Batter

  1. Combine the flour, baking powder, and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl.
  2. Whisk everything together until evenly dispersed.
  3. Combine the eggs, sour cream, milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract in another bowl.
  4. Whisk until smooth and mixed together.
  5. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients.
  6. Whisk just until combined. The batter will be slightly lumpy yet still combined so don’t overmix. Leave the lumps as there’s no need for a smooth batter.
A collage showing making the brown sugar pancake batter.

Step 2: Cook the Pancakes

  1. Pour about a quarter of a cup of batter in a circular pattern onto a heated griddle coated with extra butter. Cook until bubbles form and the bottom is golden brown and crisp.
  2. Flip over the pancake and cook until golden brown and crisp on the other side. Remove the pancakes, place them in a warm oven (about 225 degrees), and repeat the process until all the pancakes are done.
Cooking the pancakes on a griddle.

Step 3: Making the Bacon Maple Butter

  1. Combine the butter and maple syrup in a microwave-safe container.
  2. Melt in the microwave.
  3. Add the pancakes to your plate.
  4. Top with bacon bits and then pour the syrup mixture over the pancakes.

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Making the syrup and topping the pancakes.
Brown sugar pancakes stacked up on a white plate and topped with maple bacon syrup.

Brown Sugar Pancakes Recipe

Light, fluffy, and buttery Brown Sugar Pancakes have a hint of molasses from brown sugar and are topped with bacon maple butter.
4.04 from 27 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course: Breakfast
Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients

For the Pancakes:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 6 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 ¼ cups sour cream or greek yogurt
  • ½ cup milk
  • 6 tablespoons melted salted butter
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

For the Bacon Maple Butter:

  • 6 tablespoons butter
  • cup pure maple syrup
  • 3 slices of fried/baked crisp bacon cut into small bits

Instructions

For the Pancakes:

  • Whisk together flour, baking powder, and brown sugar into a large bowl.
  • In another bowl, whisk together eggs, sour cream or greek yogurt, milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract until combined. Slowly whisk the wet mixture into the dry mixture just until combined. The resulting should be slightly lumpy yet still combined so don’t overmix. Leave the lumps there. No need for a smooth batter.
  • Heat a griddle or non stick skillet over medium heat and melt extra butter.
  • Pour about 1/4 of a cup of batter onto the griddle surface in a circular pattern and allow to sit until bubbles form and the bottom is golden brown and crisp.
  • Flip over the pancake and cook until golden brown and crisp on the other side.
  • Remove the pancake and place in a warm oven (about 225 degrees) and repeat the process until all pancakes are done.

For the Bacon Maple Butter:

  • Add butter and maple syrup to a microwave safe container and melt together.
  • Add some of the bacon bits to the syrup and leave the rest for garnish.
  • Add pancakes to your plate and add bacon bits to the top pancake in your stack. Pour syrup mixture over pancakes and enjoy.

Notes

How to Store & Reheat Brown Sugar Pancakes

For the best results, keep the pancakes and syrup separated if you know you will have leftovers. To store, cool them to room temperature and then stack them with wax paper in between each pancake. Add them to an airtight container or a zip-top bag and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
When you’re ready to heat, reheat them in the microwave or in a toaster or oven for a crisper texture. Reheat the syrup in the microwave for a few seconds or in a saucepan on the stove.
Can I freeze pancakes with brown sugar?
Yep, they freeze well for up to 2 months. You can remove them from the freezer the night before to thaw them in the fridge or reheat them directly from the freezer. They will just need a bit more time in the oven to heat up. 

Nutrition

Calories: 480kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 140mg | Sodium: 271mg | Potassium: 289mg | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 875IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 142mg | Iron: 2mg
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Recipe Tips

  • Don’t Flip Too Early. You want to see bubbles all over before you even think about sliding a spatula under the pancake!
  • Preheat the Griddle or Pan. This is the key to crisp edges and to prevent sticking.
  • Cooking in Batches. I use a griddle because I can usually cook more pancakes at one time. Then keep the pancakes warm in the oven after they’re cooked and while you finish cooking the rest so they stay hot.
  • Brown Sugar: Make homemade brown sugar with granulated sugar and molasses if you run out.
Brown Sugar Pancakes with Bacon Butter sitting in a small pool of syrup and topped with bacon bits next to a fork on a blue and white plate

Recipe Help

Why are the sides of my pancakes too brown but still aren’t cooked in the center?

This commonly happens when you have the heat too high. Medium heat is the perfect temperature for making pancakes. You will have much more control over the temperature using a griddle but whether you’re using a griddle or pan on the stove if your pancakes are browning too quickly, lower the temperature slightly.

How do you get crispy edges on your pancakes?

The secret to pancakes with perfectly crisp edges is to cook them in a pan or griddle with plenty of butter. The fat in the butter basically fries the batter as it’s poured into the pan. Add more butter in between batches if it’s needed and make sure to cook over medium heat so the butter doesn’t burn.

A stack of brown sugar pancakes topped with maple bacon syrup.

Favorite Pancake Recipes

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Filed Under:  Breakfast, Stovetop

Comments

  1. Sounds delicious, I am going to make them this morning. I cook and bake every day. I share with the people where I live. My grandmother taught me how to bake and cook and can. I have cooked in restaurants and supper clubs. Thank you very much for the recipe.

    1. I have not tried making this recipe with buttermilk, but I don’t see why not!

  2. These were hands down the best pancakes I have ever had, no joke. They’re fluffy and melted in my mouth . This will be my go to pancake recipe from now on and I will definitely be sharing it with friends and family.

  3. DELISH!!!! There is a little more to this recipe than regular pancakes and its worth it! The batter is thick… I used a scooper to put on the griddle, but they come out lighter than they look. The syrup with the butter melted in is worth the extra step as well! Serve with fresh fruit & berries and they are a perfect breakfast/brunch/lunch/dinner meal!

  4. A lot of people have the idea that pancakes are something that requires more fuss than they want to deal with. Oh, and there are recipes out there that do make them more complicated than they have to be! This is not one of those.
    You have nailed a perfect pancake with a little bit of a twist with that brown sugar.
    I just love this recipe.
    I skip the bacon and just go for a bit of delicious maple syrup to pair up accent the brown sugar and this pancake is the best you will find anywhere.

    1. Thank you so much for the kind words, Carol! So glad you like the pancakes!

  5. Normally u can make waffles with pancake mix..can u use this for waffles? I luv them as pancakes they are the best I’ve ever had so I really wanna turn them into waffles

  6. Due to coronavirus ( stuck in the house) I decided to fix these pancakes for breakfast….wow! They are delicious!!! My family & I love them & we’re going to make them again in the morning lol…Thank u again for a really good recipe, I’ve try several of your cakes, WE LOVE those too

  7. Excellent pancakes! I followed it verbatim. You have nailed a delicious Southern pancake and syrup recipe, and my Southern family thanks you. We love them! Thanks so much! God bless you and your loved ones

  8. Did the buttermilk get swapped out with yogurt/sour cream? Made these before and making these this weekend and just wanted to make sure I wasn’t imagining things.

4.04 from 27 votes (18 ratings without comment)

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