Fluffy American-Style Pancakes

Thick, light and fluffy American-style pancakes that puff up beautifully in the pan. The batter takes minutes and uses everyday ingredients — perfect for a lazy weekend breakfast with syrup and berries.

These are proper thick, fluffy American-style pancakes — the kind that puff up into little clouds — not thin crêpes. The batter comes together in one bowl in a few minutes, and the two things that make all the difference are not overmixing and giving it a short rest before cooking. Stack them high and pile on whatever toppings you fancy.

Ingredients

• 150g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 150ml milk
• 1 knob butter — melted, plus extra for the pan
• 1 pinch salt

Method

1. Whisk the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt together in a bowl.
2. In a jug, beat the egg with the milk and melted butter.
3. Pour the wet into the dry and whisk just until combined — a few small lumps are fine; overmixing makes them tough. Leave to rest for 5 minutes.
4. Heat a little butter in a non-stick pan over a medium-low heat. Add spoonfuls of batter, spaced apart.
5. Cook for 2–3 minutes until bubbles appear and pop on the surface, then flip and cook for another 1–2 minutes until golden and cooked through. Keep warm while you cook the rest.

Serve it with

• Maple syrup and fresh berries
• Sliced banana and a drizzle of honey
• Crispy bacon for a sweet-and-salty stack
• A dollop of Greek yogurt

Why this works

The self-raising flour plus extra baking powder gives a big lift, and resting the batter lets the raising agents start working and the flour hydrate — both key to thick, fluffy pancakes. Cooking on a medium-low heat means they rise and cook through before the outside burns.

Common swaps

• No self-raising flour? Use plain flour with 2 tsp baking powder in total.
• Add blueberries or chocolate chips to the batter.
• Swap some milk for mashed banana for banana pancakes.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Overmixing the batter, which makes flat, chewy pancakes — stop while it's still slightly lumpy.
• A pan that's too hot, so they brown before the middle cooks.
• Flipping too early, before the bubbles have appeared and set.

Storage, freezing & reheating

Storage: Best fresh, but keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Freezing: Freeze in a stack with baking paper between them for up to 2 months.

Reheating: Reheat in a toaster, oven or microwave until warmed through.

Allergen notes: contains gluten, milk, egg. Always check individual product labels.

Estimated nutrition

Per serving, estimated from typical ingredient values — not a substitute for precise dietary calculation.