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American pancakes (made with self-raising flour)
Fancy a big stack of thick and fluffy American pancakes? This is how to make US-style pancakes with self-raising flour
- Difficulty: Easy
- Serves 4
- Vegetarian
- Freezable
Preparation
- Total time
- 30 Mins
- Preparation time
- 10 Mins
- Cooking time
- 20 Mins
100g self-raising flour, sifted
60g caster sugar
1 medium egg
150ml milk
oil or butter, for frying
Mix the sifted flour and caster sugar in a bowl or jug.
Add the egg and beat well to get a fluffy texture. Then slowly pour in the milk a little at a time, stirring constantly, until you have a smooth and runny batter.
Heat a drop of oil or butter in a frying pan. When the pan is really hot, pour in about 3 tablespoons of batter.
Cook for just under a minute until the bottom is golden brown. Use a spatula to keep an eye on how it's cooking and turn to the other side once the first is cooked.
Remove from the heat once both sides are golden brown and the pancake is cooked the whole way through. Repeat with the rest of the batter.
Serve.
You will need
Large frying pan - This one from Tefal provides durable non-stick performance - see more details here at Amazon.
Whisk - An electric whisk will help speed things up and this is an affordable one from Morphy Richards - see more details here at Amazon.
Large mixing bowl
Tips
Making American pancakes is a great Pancake Day option if you've only got self-raising flour in your cupboard, and they're really easy to cook. No baking powder required!
The self-raising flour gives these pancakes a light and fluffy texture that's great for special breakfasts for the kids, or quick toastable snacks.
Small kids will love mixing the ingredients together to make the batter, while older kids can have a go at flipping their own pancakes. This recipe makes about 18 mini pancakes or 9 big ones.
If you have time, make the pancake batter in advance and leave it in the fridge overnight. Batter that has been left to sit and cool for a little bit will rise better when you come to make your pancakes.
Want them even fluffier? Separate the egg whites and yolk, then beat the whites until they are stiff, before gently folding them into the batter.
Serve with maple syrup and bacon, or berries and a dollop of natural yoghurt.
Variations
Not got any self-raising flour in your cupboards? No problem. This recipe shows you how to make banana pancakes with baking powder instead.
If you do have baking powder, adding a flat teaspoon worth to your flour and sugar mix at the start will make them extra fluffy!
Try with a berry compote to serve, chopped banana works well too.
Serve with a few rashers of crispy bacon or sausages (minus the maple syrup) for a savoury pancake meal.
Add cinnamon to the batter for cinnamon pancakes, or a splash of vanilla extract for some extra flavour.
Leftover American pancakes make a great tea-time snack; simply pop them in the toaster or under the grill and spread a little butter on top.
Make sure to not use too much oil or butter when greasing the pan. You want it to just be very lightly greased.
Looking for more sweet topping ideas? Try some of these:
- Fruits, like bananas, strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries
- Lemon and sugar
- Your favourite jam or compote
- Salted caramel sauce
- Nutella or chocolate spread
- Mascarpone and lemon
- Melted chocolate bars
Reviews
Katie R(69)
★★★★★ Rated 5 out of 5 stars.Absolutely delicious!! Really quick simple pancakes
Reviewed on 08/07/22
Charlotte P(19)
★★★★★ Rated 5 out of 5 stars.Great recipe! I omitted the sugar, added a pinch of salt and I also used coconut milk (instead of dairy milk - as I don't like it). I also added a tablespoon of chia seeds for some added protein. They turned out great! Topped with maple syrup and a squeeze of lemon. Looking forward to trying them with some crispy bacon next!
Reviewed on 19/02/22
Guest
★★★☆☆ Rated 3 out of 5 stars.Great pancakes but try leaving out the sugar and add slightly warm maple syrup after cooking. Pure maple syrup is a much healthier alternative to sugar and is packed with nutritional benefits including antioxidants. Also I find if you whisk up the eggs and milk first then add the flour bit by bit you get a lump free batter really quickly.
Reviewed on 23/02/17
Guest
★★★★★ Rated 5 out of 5 stars.fabulous flavor!
Reviewed on 03/10/15
DUNCAN B(4)
★★★★★ Rated 5 out of 5 stars.Got the grandchildren involved in making the pancakes and then loaded the table with all types of sauces and fruit.
Reviewed on 07/08/15
Guest
★★★★★ Rated 5 out of 5 stars.Delicious! We keep adding different berries for a change but perfect as they are!!
Reviewed on 02/07/15
Guest
★★★★★ Rated 5 out of 5 stars.I'm usually a huge failure at pancakes (even the "just add water" cartons you get at the supermarket) but this recipe is so easy. With my electric whisk I can whip these up in 5 minutes! I just replace the milk with water because I don't drink milk!
Reviewed on 30/06/15
Guest
★★★★★ Rated 5 out of 5 stars.Really nice pancakes, we enjoyed ours with crispy bacon and maple syrup
Reviewed on 24/06/15
Guest
★★★★★ Rated 5 out of 5 stars.So easy to make!
Reviewed on 28/04/15
Guest
★★★★★ Rated 5 out of 5 stars.These are brilliant, I have been using a recipe very similar for years but I used normal white sugar but the castor sugar really makes the difference
Reviewed on 17/04/15
Guest
★★★★★ Rated 5 out of 5 stars.Made these for my husbands breakfast served with egg crispy bacon and syrup for an American style brekkie, very easy to make and follow recipe
Reviewed on 14/04/15
Guest
★★★★★ Rated 5 out of 5 stars.Great recipe, works every time. We don't always have the best breakfasts during the week but these American pancakes have become our Sunday tradition now. They are yummy and the one breakfast I know the kids will always clear their plates with :)
Reviewed on 30/03/15
Guest
★★★★★ Rated 5 out of 5 stars.My kids love love loved these!!!
Reviewed on 12/03/15
Guest
★★★★★ Rated 5 out of 5 stars.Absolutely delicious. I also add 1-2 tsps of vanilla extract or essence.. Make a big batch and freeze them in two's for my daughters breakfasts when she wants a change from ordinary brekkies... Plus saves time on making next time!
Reviewed on 11/03/15
Guest
★★★★★ Rated 5 out of 5 stars.Really easy and so delicious
Reviewed on 08/03/15
Guest
★★★★★ Rated 5 out of 5 stars.Absolutely fantastic, we've made these again and again and again! :)
Reviewed on 08/03/15
Guest
★★★★★ Rated 5 out of 5 stars.Yummy! Great with blueberries and maple syrup!
Reviewed on 05/03/15
Guest
★★★★★ Rated 5 out of 5 stars.easy to make and taste lovely, everyone enjoyed them and will be making a load more next time as the first lot disappeared so quickly
Reviewed on 02/03/15
Guest
★★★★★ Rated 5 out of 5 stars.My toddler loves these with banana and maple syrup and so do I.
Reviewed on 02/03/15
Guest
★★★★★ Rated 5 out of 5 stars.Just the best breakfast to have on a weekend! I do add blueberries to mine whilst they cook too and also raspberries are a good addition. Give it a go!
Reviewed on 26/02/15
Guest
★★★★★ Rated 5 out of 5 stars.These pancakes are scrummy and yummy and my kids love them! To help with my children's '5 a day', I add blueberries while the pancakes cook and then flip them over and the blueberries become soft and juicy. They're lovely with banana slices too. I suppose any sort fruit will work a treat. I've also used this batter in my waffle maker and they turn out great!
Reviewed on 26/02/15
Guest
★★★★★ Rated 5 out of 5 stars.I made these and froze them, so I could get them out for breakfast as and when. The children love them warmed in the toaster and spread with chocolate spread! Yummy!
Reviewed on 23/02/15
Isabelle P(30)
★★★★☆ Rated 4 out of 5 stars.These small American pancakes are so easy to make and cook. I have made them at home many times and also in a Foundation Unit where I work. I successfully made approx 120 without setting off the smoke alarm! When the recipe says add 3 spoonfulls, I would wait a few seconds between each one and let the previous one cook a little so that they don't merge together. Make sure your pan is at a good heat too. I like to add little healthy extra's, for example you can grate a couple of apples into the mixture or a couple of handfulls of raisins or blueberry's prior to cooking. They still cook as well and are Very Yummy! (Great for adding fruit for children who claim not to like it!) x
Reviewed on 23/02/15
Chris H(270)
★★★★★ Rated 5 out of 5 stars.I made these on pancake day. They were very easy and quick to make. We have four decent sized ones each with cheats crispy bacon (from M&S ready cooked) and maple syrup. I would definitely make them again.
Reviewed on 20/02/15
Guest
★★★★☆ Rated 4 out of 5 stars.Great tasting and simple to make
Reviewed on 14/02/15
Guest
★★★★★ Rated 5 out of 5 stars.Kids loved these when i made these a few mths ago. I cooked stacks of them and put them in the oven to keep warm then they filled their bowls and covered them with all sorts. Success!
Reviewed on 13/02/15
Guest
★★★★★ Rated 5 out of 5 stars.Extra tasty and a yummy treat mmm
Reviewed on 11/02/15
Guest
★★★★★ Rated 5 out of 5 stars.excellent, easy, tasty. What more could you want?
Reviewed on 09/02/15
Deborah P(178)
★★★★★ Rated 5 out of 5 stars.Absolutely lovely! Far better than a bowl of cereal on these cold mornings.
Reviewed on 01/02/15
Guest
★★★★★ Rated 5 out of 5 stars.Loved the fluffy pancakes
Reviewed on 27/01/15
Guest
★★★★★ Rated 5 out of 5 stars.might just make these in a mo, iv got some salted caramel ice-cream that will go lovely with them
Reviewed on 25/01/15
Guest
★★★★★ Rated 5 out of 5 stars.Love, love, love these! With blueberries, strawberries and maple syrup.
Reviewed on 24/01/15
Guest
★★★★★ Rated 5 out of 5 stars.Kids love these. works really well with Nutella and a fruit plate. cheeky way to get fruit in the kids!!
Reviewed on 22/01/15
