Brown Sugar Pancakes

On lazy Sunday mornings, my kitchen becomes “the” spot for comfort food, especially when I’m making my Brown Sugar Pancakes (or Brown Sugah pancakes if you’re Southern!). These pancakes are crazy good, y’all. The brown sugar melts into the batter, giving the pancakes a caramel-like sweetness and, if adding brown sugar into pancake batter isn’t extra enough for you (it isn’t for me!) I’ve gone ahead and topped these brown sugar pancakes with a bacon maple butter – you read that right – Maple. Bacon. Butter! Seriously y’all! How you look at pancakes, will never be the same again!

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

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The Low Down on This Brown Sugar Pancake Recipe

Cuisine Inspiration: Southern American
Primary Cooking Method: Griddle or Stove
Key Flavor: Sweet, salty, and savory.
Skill Level: Beginner

  • The Bacon: Bacon makes everything taste better! For this brown sugar pancake recipe, it brings its salty smokiness in the form of a sweet and buttery maple syrup. It’s the perfect combo of salty, sweet, and smoky.
  • Perfect Pancakes: Let’s just say I know a thing or two about making pancakes! This pancake recipe is tried and true and always reliable.
  • Brown Sugar Changes the Flavor: Swapping the regular sugar for the deeper and more complex flavors of brown sugar gives these pancakes a hint of caramel and molasses.
  • Family Favorite: These pancakes are the perfect crowd-pleaser for your weekend mornings!

Ingredients to Make Brown Sugar Pancakes

  • Flour: I typically stick with all-purpose flour for the pancakes because it keeps them light and soft, and its easy to grab.
  • Baking Powder: Two teaspoons to give your pancakes that fluffy lift.
  • Brown Sugar: You can use light or dark brown sugar, depending on how much molasses flavor you want in your pancakes. I like to use dark, myself!
  • Eggs: Three large eggs to bind the batter.
  • Sour Cream: Adds tangs and keeps your pancakes from being dry and crumbly.
  • Milk: Half a cup to smooth out the mix.
  • Vanilla: A tablespoon of vanilla extract to give it some oomph!

Ingredients for the Maple Bacon butter

  • Butter: It’s the base of the topping. It offers a bit of fat and richness that carries the maple and bacon flavors.
  • Pure Maple Syrup: For that authentic, woodsy sweetness that maple flavored corn syrup just can’t match. Don’t grab artificial here.
  • Crisp Bacon: It’s the WOW addition adding salty, smoky flavor to help balance out the sweet.
Ingredients to make brown sugar pancakes on the counter before mixing.

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.
Making the syrup and topping the pancakes.

Tips for Making the Best Pancakes with Brown Sugar

  • 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. Make sure you give it a good heat before pouring the batter. This is the key to crisp edges and to prevent sticking.
  • Cooking in Batches. The pancakes will likely need to be cooked in batches. A griddle is great because you can usually cook more pancakes at one time. No matter what type of pan you use, keep the pancakes warm in the oven after they’re cooked and while you finish cooking the rest so they stay hot.
  • Warm Syrup. Be sure to serve the syrup while it’s warm for the best flavor.
  • Salted Butter. Salted butter is key because it adds a salty flavor to the syrup making the perfect combination of salty and sweet.
  • Swap the Flour: For a gluten-free version, you can use gluten-free all-purpose flour in the same quantity.
  • Dairy Variations: Replace the sour cream with Greek yogurt or even buttermilk for a slight tang and more fluffiness in your pancakes. If you’re dairy-free, almond or coconut yogurt are great alternatives.
  • Vegan Adjustments: For a vegan take, use flax eggs (1 tablespoon flaxseed meal with 2.5 tablespoons water per egg, let sit for 5 minutes) instead of regular eggs, and a plant-based butter and yogurt.
  • Mix-Ins and Toppings: Add a teaspoon of cinnamon or a blend such as pumpkin pie spice to give your pancakes a different flavor. Chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts are a nice texture difference too.
  • Syrup Options: Maple syrup can be replaced with honey, agave syrup, or a diabetic-friendly syrup, depending on your sweetness preference or dietary needs.
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

What to Serve with your Brown Sugar Pancakes

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 these brown sugar pancakes, 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 enjoy them again, reheat them in the microwave quickly 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?

Pancakes are perfect for the freezer! 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. You can also freeze the maple syrup as well for a couple of months.

A stack of brown sugar pancakes on a plate with only half the plate in the image.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you know when to flip pancakes?

Look for bubbles to form on the top of the pancake that pop and don’t fill back in. You can also keep an eye on the edges for when they begin to look dry. These are your signals the pancakes are ready to flip over.

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.

These Brown Sugar Pancakes are such a great breakfast option on a lazy Sunday. It’s such an easy way to enjoy fancy pancakes that are out of this world and made in your own kitchen!

Favorite Pancake Recipes

*Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating and leave comments below!* Post a photo of how your version of the recipe came out on Instagram (using #grandbabycakes)!!

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

Brown Sugar Pancakes with Bacon Maple Butter

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

  • Don’t Flip Too Early. Give the pancakes time to cook on the first side before flipping. This makes for easier flipping and more even cooking.
  • Preheat the Griddle or Pan. Make sure you give it a good heat before pouring in the batter. This is the key to crisp edges and to prevent sticking.
  • Cooking in Batches. The pancakes will likely need to be cooked in batches. A griddle is great because you can usually cook more pancakes at one time. No matter what type of pan you use, keep the pancakes warm in the oven after they’re cooked and while you finish cooking the rest. This ensures piping hot pancakes for serving.
  • Warm Syrup. Be sure to serve the syrup while it’s warm for the best flavor.
  • Salted Butter. Salted butter is key because it adds a salty flavor to the syrup making the perfect combination of salty and sweet.

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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Filed Under:  Breakfast, Stovetop

Comments

  1. Wow, that’s a gorgeous stack of pancakes! I love the optional coconut milk, it’s something I add to my pancakes as well.

    1. Thanks so much Jehan! I have been doing the coconut milk thing for a while and love it!

  2. Gurl.. these look good. I could easily do with a huge stack of these, and I love the plate

    1. Thanks so much Rochelle! I could definitely go for a stack of these right now too!

  3. You didn’t just say it. No, you didn’t.
    You did.
    BACON MAPLE BUTTER?
    I think my coffee has found a replacement.

  4. Bacon maple butter…I die! I love using brown sugar in my pancakes. These look seriously amazing!!

    1. Isn’t it so tasty Kelli! I love the brown sugar element too!

  5. Yum!! I love a sweet and savory combo! This looks awesome! Have you ever tried cooking your pancakes in coconut oil instead? I recently did just because it is all I had and they were awesome! It gives them a different texture, super good, you should give it a try sometime!

    1. I seriously must try cooking my pancakes in coconut oil now! Gosh that sounds fantastic Annie!

  6. I adore pancakes too, even though I rarely make my own. These brown sugar renditions look too good to be true! And yes, warm maple syrup is a must. Always. 🙂

    1. Thanks so much Valerie! And yep I am totally with you on the warm maple syrup!

  7. Happiness is surely in that plate oozing of maple!! These pancakes definitely look amazing, fluffy and everything a good morning should start with. And is that coconut milk I see in the ingredients? Love!!

    1. Yep coconut milk is my favorite thing in the world I think! Haha! Thanks girl!

  8. The best part of pancakes is the crispy (and hopefully buttery) edge along the sides. Delish with bacon!

    1. That’s my favorite part too! The crispy and buttery edges are amazing!

  9. Love the idea of putting brown sugar into pancakes. I have recently become a pancake lover 🙂 Thanks for sharing.

    1. Thanks Laura! I really loved that extra flavor it gave the pancakes.

4.04 from 27 votes (18 ratings without comment)

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