Homemade Pancake Mix + Pancake Recipe From Scratch

This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy here.

A good pancake recipe from scratch is a must-have for any home cook. It is versatile, healthy (mostly…), quick to throw together, and uses common ingredients found in most kitchens. You can dress them up or down depending on your mood, and serve them as a meal unto themselves or as a delicious side dish.

Pancakes from scratch

Pancakes from Scratch

Our family loves pancakes not only because they are so quick and easy, but because you can change them into so many different flavors depending on what you have on hand! Scroll down in this post to find some fun “add-in” ideas if you are making pancakes from scratch. Let’s jump into the recipe!

Pancake Mix From Scratch

What You Need:

  • 4 cups All Purpose Flour (can be gluten free flour)
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/4 cup sugar (see note below)
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder

*Note on the sugar….you can leave this out if you wish. I usually leave it out and then add honey to my actual pancake recipe or nothing at all depending on my add-ins and toppings.

In a large bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients. Store in a glass jar or another storage container (should fit in a quart jar) until you are ready to use it. The recipe to make pancakes from scratch from the dry mix are as follows:

Pancakes from Scratch

What You Need:

  • 1 1/2 cups Pancake Mix
  • 1 egg
  • 3 tablespoons melted butter
  • 1/2 to 1 cup of milk

Pancake Ingredients

In a bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients until they are mixed well. Then begin adding in the wet ingredients.

Pancake Batter

Some recipes say to add all the wet ingredients together first before adding to the dry….you can do this either way, whichever you prefer. Personally I get a bit lazy and don’t want extra dishes so I put everything together in one bowl!

Whatever you do, add everything together eventually and combine until there are no lumps. Don’t mix the batter together overly long, but do make sure all of the baking powder and flour have been mixed in well so you don’t have dry spots.

Pancakes Cooking

Heat a griddle (I have this Cast Iron Griddle from Lodge) on medium-low heat and begin scooping your pancake batter onto the hot griddle. I do this with a 1/3 cup measuring cup but you can also do it with a muffin scoop.

As you can see here, I have a few odd lumps in my batter…those are bananas! See the bottom of this post for add-in ideas. Also…please ignore the cleanliness of my stovetop…it was a long week. :p

Cook for a minute or two on each side. Flipping when the side you are cooking is a golden brown.

Pancakes with Strawberries

If desired, you can transfer the cooked pancakes to a cookie sheet set in a 200-degree oven. This will keep them warm until all the pancakes are done.

Enjoy with your favorite toppings such as apple syrup, fresh fruit, blueberry sauce, or homemade whipped cream!

Pancake Addition Ideas

  • Sliced bananas
  • Blueberries
  • Chocolate chips
  • Replace 1/2 cup milk with pureed pumpkin and add 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • Shredded coconut with coconut oil instead of butter
  • Cooked crumbled sausage and ¼ teaspoon dried sage

Looking for even more pancake add-in ideas? Check out page 196 in my book, Little House Living: The Make Your Own Guide to a Frugal, Simple, Self Sufficient Life. It contains 15 pancake additions so you can really change up the flavor!

Need to print this Pancake recipe to add to your Recipe Binder? Grab it below!

Pancakes from scratch
5 from 2 votes
Print

Pancake Mix From Scratch

Easy to make pancakes from scratch using a homemade pancake mix recipe!

Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 4 people

Ingredients

Pancake Mix

  • 4 cups all purpose flour can be gluten free
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/4 cup sugar can be left out
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder

Pancakes

  • 1 1/2 cups Pancake Mix
  • 1 egg
  • 3 tablespoons melted butter
  • 1/2 to 1 cup milk

Instructions

Pancake Mix Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients. Store in a glass jar or another storage container (should fit in a quart jar) until you are ready to use it.

How to Make Pancakes with Mix

  1. In a bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients until they are mixed well. Then begin adding in the wet ingredients. You can mix wet and dry in separate bowls if desired.

  2. Add everything together eventually and combine until there are no lumps. Don't mix the batter together overly long, but do make sure all of the baking powder and flour have been mixed in well so you don't have dry spots.
  3. Heat a griddle on medium-low heat and begin scooping your pancake batter onto the hot griddle.
  4. Cook for a minute or two on each side. Flipping when the side you are cooking is a golden brown.
  5. If desired, you can transfer the cooked pancakes to a cookie sheet set in a 200-degree oven. This will keep them warm until all the pancakes are done.
  6. Enjoy with your favorite toppings!

Is this not the pancake recipe from scratch for you? You might want to check out these other pancake and waffle recipes we have posted:

Do you already have a special pancake recipe from scratch or will you try this one?


Merissa

Merissa has been living a frugal lifestyle ever since she was a little girl and has always love to experiment with inexpensive and simple recipes (since she was 11 years old!). She has been the author of Little House Living since it started in 2009 and still lives a frugal, simple life with her family as a stateside missionary. Read my story here.


LHL BookThis recipe comes from my book, Little House Living: The Make Your Own Guide to a Frugal, Simple, Self-Sufficient Life. More recipes, including fried chicken, coffee cake, oven pancakes, and more using this mix can be found in the book starting on page 196.


This recipe for Pancakes from Scratch was originally posted on Little House Living in April 2013 but has been fully updated in February 2020.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Support Little House Living by Sharing This

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




32 Comments

  1. Amanda, is this something that the dry ingredients could be prepped ahead of time and then place in a glass container in the pantry just to grab and scoop and add the wet ingredients each time?

    1. Definitely! Just combine the flour, salt and baking powder and note how many cups it makes. You could also weigh the dry ingredients on a kitchen scale and skip dirtying a measuring cup! When you are ready to make a batch, set your mixing bowl on the scale, then just dump and go!

  2. The pancakes in the pictures look so delicious! I like to use biscuit mix for mine. Maybe pancakes for dinner tonight.

  3. I have been making my pancakes/waffles from scratch for awhile too. Many flavors and some make it to the freezer for future use like the blueberry waffles I made this morning. I like almond extract in my plain waffles or pancakes.

  4. The above given recipe is really very nice. It is easy and tastes good. Thanks for such a great recipe.

  5. Hi, Merissa, re: pancake mix, in substituting puréed pumpkin, is that 1/2 cup pumpkin, and 1 cup milk instead of the 11/2 c. whole milk? Also, in trying to be frugal, any suggestions what to bake w/ the remainder of the canned pumpkin? Also, would it alter the batter to use Lactaid milk or Almond milk?
    How is the weather in South Dakota? We are finally having some heat wave days and cooler nights, alternating with rainy days here in the northeast.

    1. Yes, that should work for subbing the pumpkin in. Here is a link to some other pumpkin recipes we have on the site. 🙂 Our weather on this side of SD has been about average temps and pretty dry. We’ve been having some severe wind storms lately which are aggravating my garden plants but I think they will pull through!

  6. My family loves this recipe. I have not used any other recipe since I found this one a year ago. They freeze great for a quick breakfast!

  7. We had homemade pancakes for breakfast yesterday morning. Our grandson was here and requested chocolate chip pancakes and sausage for breakfast. I add a quarter cup of oatmeal and a sprinkle of wheat germ or flax seed to the batter, just to make them healthy! Our favorite pancakes have diced apple and chopped walnuts with a dash of cinnamon.

  8. 5 stars
    I was wondering about using this for biscuit mix as well — and using buttermilk (love!). Thanks for all the “from scratch” recipes. Where people got the idea that it was so difficult and time-consuming to do real cooking and baking is more than I can figure. (The processed food industry?) And, I hear Ohio is getting some late winter snow. Stay safe and warm!

  9. I’m 70 years old and I never use milk in my pancake mix whether homemade mix or store bought mix. I will either use ginger ale, club soda or beer.
    As for the eggs; well they are put in separately. I will whisk the egg yolks; add to the batter and then will beat up the egg whites until nice and frothy of which the whites are gently folded into the batter.

    When I make my own pancake mix; I do make a rather large mixture of which is divided up and put in individual freezer bags or containers; dated & labeled along with instructions.

    Merissa; Thank You for sharing your homemade pancake mixture.
    Oh, by the way; don’t forget to add just a capful of vanilla to your pancake batter.

  10. Very close mine. Only I use alot less salt. Add baking powder. So it can double as waffles. Use less sugar.. I didnt read the note above yet….. also I use coconut oil on griddle only. Use water in mix with egg. This works for those of us who can not do dairy. My kid likes mine better then dads. He uses half and half, as that is what we have on hand.

  11. 5 stars
    I did make it yesterday and my kids loves them. I think i got the best recipe for a pancake. looking forward for more recipes. Can we make pancake by deep frying like the one call malpua in india

  12. So simple and thank you for sharing this recipe. I love your tips to make life a little easier like planning and making things ahead like this pancake mix.

  13. My husband has end stage renal failure and needs a low sodium low phosphorus diet. What does the salt do in baking?
    Can it be left out and still have a decent product? He needs to eat and the diet does not allow for any treats. I would love you make him a couple of pancakes now and them Thank Lee

  14. As I picked more wild berries today, I couldn’t wait to get to this website for the homemade pancake mix recipe. I am making some now (with oat flour) for breakfast and freezing the rest. Pancakes with wild berries are a food that bring back many sensory memories from childhood.

    This website rains the most blessings because you don’t lead us to believe you are perfect. I didn’t see a messy stove: I saw life in progress. The majority of us have messy stoves more often than not. My stove has been way worse after a busy week and I’m not a sloppy person.