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American

Pancake Breakfast for Dinner

A basic batter of flour, milk, and egg cooks into a skillet of pancakes meant for dinner. Butter and maple syrup make it feel like breakfast even when the sun is down.

Prep
10 min
Cook
20 min
Total
30 min
Servings
4
Difficulty
Easy
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Stack of golden pancakes on a plate with butter and maple syrup

Why you’ll love it

  • The ingredient list is already in a basic kitchen.
  • A thick batter and a moderate pan make pancakes that cook through.
  • Dinner does not have to be savory to be a real meal.
  • Leftover pancakes reheat better than most people expect.

Ingredients

Servings4

Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.

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Instructions

  1. 1

    Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.

  2. 2

    Whisk the milk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla in a second bowl. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until just combined. A few lumps are fine. Let the batter sit 5 minutes.

  3. 3

    Heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat. Add a small pat of butter and swirl it.

  4. 4

    Pour 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake. Cook until bubbles form on top and the edges look set, about 2 minutes.

  5. 5

    Flip and cook 1 to 2 minutes more, until the center springs back and both sides are golden. The center of a pancake should be cooked through, not wet batter.

  6. 6

    Repeat with the remaining batter, adding butter as the pan dries. Serve the stack with maple syrup.

Pro tips

  • Medium heat is the whole trick. A ripping-hot pan burns the outside and leaves the middle raw.
  • Do not mash the lumps out. Overmixed batter makes tough pancakes.
  • Keep finished pancakes on a plate in a 200°F oven if you want them all warm at once.

Easy substitutions

Milk
Buttermilk. Use 1/2 tsp baking soda plus 1 tsp baking powder instead of 2 tsp baking powder.
Maple syrup
Honey or jam.
Butter in the pan
A thin film of neutral oil.

Storage and reheating

Storage

Refrigerate cooled pancakes for up to 3 days, or freeze them with parchment between layers for up to 1 month.

Reheating

Warm in a toaster or a dry skillet over medium-low until heated through. They will not be as tender as fresh, but they crisp at the edges.

Nutrition

Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.

Calories
376
Protein
9 g
Carbs
58 g
Fat
12 g
Fiber
1 g

Budget friendly · Stovetop

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From the kitchen

Kitchen tools we love

Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.

  • A heavy 12-inch skillet

    Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.

  • An air fryer with a real basket

    The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.

  • A half-sheet pan

    Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.

  • A sharp chef’s knife

    These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.

  • A large cutting board

    Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.

  • Dry cups and a liquid cup

    Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.

  • An instant-read thermometer

    Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.

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Ingredients