Listen my fluffy old fashioned pancakes are the ultimate best. It’s got the flavor AND texture. And let me tell you, with my tricks, I create the ultimate batter that fries up better than any pancake house you will ever try. Slather them in butter and drizzle with maple syrup for a weekend breakfast or brunch that’ll have your whole family grinning from ear to ear.
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If you love these pancakes, you will also love these Blueberry Pancakes and Lemon Ricotta Pancakes!
Fluffy Pancakes Ingredient Notes
- Cake flour: This ingredient is the secret to fluffy pancakes. If you don’t have it, you easily make cake flour at home.
- Half-and-half: Heavy cream or milk also works.
- Sour cream: Plain greek yogurt is a good swap.
- Unsalted butter: Salted also works.
- Neutral oil: Vegetable or canola oil also works.
How to Make Fluffy Pancakes
- Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until mixed together. In another large bowl, combine the half-and-half, sour cream, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla and whisk together. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry and mix just until combined. It’s ok if the batter has some lumps.
PRO TIP: Let the pancake batter sit for 10 to 15 minutes before cooking. This gives it time to hydrate fully and make fluffier pancakes.
- Add about a quarter cup of batter to a heated oiled skillet. Cook until bubbles begin to form on top and the pancakes are golden brown on the bottom, then gently flip and cook until golden on the bottom other side. Repeat cooking until all the pancakes are cooked.
PRO TIP: Resist the urge to flip the pancakes back and forth, as it will only toughen their texture.
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The Perfect Fluffy Pancakes Recipe
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups cake flour 266 grams
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar 67 grams
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cups half-and-half 320 grams- up to 1/3 cup to thin it out if you want
- 1 cup sour cream 227 grams
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled 28 grams, plus more for cooking and serving
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Neutral oil such as vegetable or canola, for cooking the pancakes
- Maple syrup for serving
Instructions
- Place a large rimmed baking sheet in the oven and preheat to 200°F.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until combined.
- In another large bowl, whisk together the half-and-half, sour cream, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla until combined. Gently stir the wet ingredients into the dry just until combined-the batter will have some lumps. Let sit for 10 to 15 minutes to hydrate-this will give you fluffier pancakes.
- Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-low to medium heat until hot. Grease the surface with a small pat of butter and a small drizzle of oil. When the oil starts to shimmer and the butter foam subsides, add about ¼ cup of batter to the skillet.
- Cook until bubbles begin to form on top and the pancakes are golden brown on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes, then gently flip and cook until golden on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes. Resist the urge to flip the pancakes back and forth, as it will only toughen their texture.
- Transfer the cooked pancakes to the oven to keep warm and repeat with remaining batter, adding more butter and oil to your skillet as needed and adjusting the heat to prevent the pancakes from burning without cooking through. Serve warm, with the maple syrup and extra butter.
Notes
How to Store & Reheat Fluffy Pancakes
Store leftovers in the fridge or freezer in an airtight container. When ready to reheat, place them in a covered baking dish and wrap them in foil. Heat in a 350° F oven for 10-12 minutes or until heated through. How long will do fluffy pancakes last in the fridge? Leftover pancakes will last in the fridge for up to a week. Can I freeze pancakes? Yes, you can! I love to do this for a bit of breakfast meal prep sometimes. Lay them out on a baking tray and freeze them individually. Then transfer them to a freezer-safe container and store in the freezer. This allows you to easily pull out exactly the number of pancakes you want to reheat.Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Resting the Pancake Batter. Let the pancake batter rest before cooking. This is THE secret to fluffy pancakes.
- The Best Flour for Fluffy Pancakes. Use cake flour, not all-purpose flour. It contains less gluten so your pancakes will cook up lighter.
- The Bubbles Are Your Guide to Flipping. When the bubbles on the top of the pancake pop and don’t fill in, it’s time to flip!
- Don’t Over Mix the Batter. Once you mix the wet and dry ingredients the gluten starts to form. If you mix too much you will end up with tough pancakes.
Recipe Help
In my opinion you should cook pancakes in oil. Butter has a lower smoke point and can easily burn which isn’t pleasant for the pancakes. Using a neutral oil doesn’t add any unwanted flavor to the pancakes and doesn’t burn as easily.
More Pancake Recipes
- Apple Pancakes
- Oreo Pancakes
- Gingerbread Pancakes Recipe with Eggnog Syrup
- Eggnog Pancakes
- Pineapple Upside Down Pancakes
*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)!!
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These pancakes are divine!!! They smell like donuts while they are cooking and tasted like pound cake. They were a big hit with the family! This will be our families new go to pancake recipe. Thanks so much for sharing.
Hooray! I’m so so glad you enjoyed them! Aren’t they so awesome?
How many pancakes will this make?? I didn’t see that in the recipe. Thanks so much!
*Love* Clinton St. Bakery cookbook…is it okay to have pancakes for dinner? 😀
It is totally ok to have pancakes for dinner. Actually that sounds like a plan!!
Thanks for doing all the research and coming up with the perfect pancakes, Jocelyn! They look perfect! I want these for dinner, seriously! I have the Clinton St. Bakery cookbook in my cookbook hoarding bookcase, and now I have to get it out and look through it again!!!
They are seriously delish Carol, and that cookbook is gold!!!
Yum, those really do look like the perfect pancakes!
Thanks so much! I wish I had a stack right now!
I have the Clinton St. Bakery cookbook AND I used to live about 10 mins from the Maple Bakery in Chicago. I haven’t tried the Clinton cookbook recipe yet but sounds like you tweaked and adapted it and yours look perfect. Ironically I have a pancake recipe on Wednesday…for the first time in 3+ yrs!
Averie, they are super yummy. I seriously can’t wait until tomorrow to see your pancake recipe now. Geez!!!! I think I will call this week pancake week!
These pancakes do look absolutely perfect. For some reason I’m having a serious hankering for pancakes!
Thanks so much Kari! I am craving pancakes now too!
Those sound wonderful!!! There is something awesome that happens when ingredients like buttermilk, sour cream, yogurt and/or sourdough starter are used! The tartness sets off the sweetness and the taste buds just go crazy happy!!!! Made sourdough Belgian waffles for Sunday breakfast that had that “tang”! Major “yum” factor!!! Hugs, Doreen
Gosh those belgian waffles sound delish! Wish I could have tasted them!