Recipe

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These pancakes cooked in your cast iron pan are fluffy with golden-crisp exteriors and taste just like the ones our grandmothers used to make.

You’ll find the classic cast iron pancake recipe and all the tips that make a great batter for cooking them to perfection in your favorite pan here!

stack of fluffy pancakes topped with a slice of butter and drizzled with syrup

Is Cast Iron Good for Making Pancakes

Yes! I love using my cast iron pan to make pancakes because it heats evenly, so my pancakes cook perfectly, and I swear they taste like the ones at a diner or the old-fashioned pancakes our grandmothers used to make.

Below, you’ll learn what I’ve learned from testing this recipe and making it many times, like greasing the pan, preventing it from sticking, at what temperature, and all my tips so your breakfast pancakes in the cast iron pan are the best ones yet!

Ingredients

The ingredient amounts for these cast iron pancakes are in the recipe card, but before you swap anything and mess up the pancake batter here is what I’ve already tried:

All-purpose flour: essential for soft and fluffy pancakes.
Sugar: a little to sweeten the batter slightly and give the edges a caramel color.
Baking powder: helps the batter rise.
Baking soda: reacts with the acids in buttermilk for extra fluffy pancakes. Omit if using regular milk.
Salt: a little to enhance the flavors of the pancake batter.
Buttermilk: the super-star ingredient in grandma’s recipe -she also used it in her buckwheat pancakes. You can use regular milk or make buttermilk in 5 minutes with lemon or vinegar (deets in the recipe).
Eggs: bind the ingredients and moisture. Making eggless pancakes will change the texture and flavor since the recipes are different.
Unsalted butter: adds flavor and moisture to the batter and helps the pancakes not stick to the pan. Omit the salt if the butter is salted.
Vegetable oil: another star ingredient that makes a difference in the outcome since cast iron pans get hot and butter browns quickly.

three fluffy pancakes topped with butter and syrup

How to Make Cast Iron Pancakes

Allow me to share some helpful notes within each step to ensure your pancakes come out incredible! Some of my tried and true tips are:

Make the pancake batter
Mix the dry ingredients first to ensure even distribution. Before you mix the wet ingredients with the dry, I recommend breaking up the eggs first so you don't overmix the batter. Overmixing is a common pancake fail that yields chewy pancakes.
Heat the cast iron pan, then grease
Heat the cast iron pan ungreased on low heat for 5 minutes while you make the batter. Make sure you don’t see smoke -that’s too hot! Grease it with oil right before cooking.
Cook the pancakes
Cook 2 to 3 pancakes per batch so they have room to expand and they flip easily. Flip them after 2 minutes, when bubbles form throughout, the pancake edges are defined, and the bottoms are golden. Cook the other side for about a minute to 90 seconds.
Stack them high!
Serve these cast iron pancakes as you cook them or keep the pancakes warm in the oven until you’re done cooking the rest. Top them with butter, syrup, and your favorite toppings.

Best Way to Grease a Cast Iron Skillet for Pancakes

Start with a hot cast iron pan, then grease it with vegetable oil and immediately pour the pancake batter on the greased surface. I don’t recommend using butter because it browns (burns) quickly and it makes the pancakes taste burnt.

Preventing Pancakes from Sticking to a Cast Iron Pan

The reason your pancakes are sticking to the cast iron pan is either because the surface is too hot or you didn’t grease it enough. After you’re done with the batch, remove the pan from the heat for 5 minutes and generously grease it again. If you see smoke, it’s too hot.

What Temperature to Cook Pancakes on a Cast Iron Pan or Griddle

Cast iron retains heat but also distributes it evenly and for a long time so for this reason, I always preheat it over low heat first and then increase it to low-medium (right below medium heat) right before I pour the pancakes.

Serving Cast Iron Pancakes

Grandma rarely bothered with toppings when she served her pancakes because the cast iron made them so good! A little butter, syrup, or fresh fruit make these a great partner for your favorite pancake sides and pancake syrups.

Grandma’s Cast Iron Pancakes

large stack of fluffy pancakes on a plate

Servings: 6

Prep Time: 8

Cook Time: 12

Total Time: 20

These pancakes cooked in your cast iron pan are fluffy with golden-crisp exteriors and taste just like the ones our grandmothers used to make.

5 from 7 votes

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Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 ½ teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 ¾ cups buttermilk*
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Vegetable oil, for greasing the pan

Instructions

Make the pancake batter:

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the center. See the note below on how to make buttermilk.
Pour the buttermilk, melted butter, and eggs into the middle of the bowl. Use a fork to whisk the eggs into the liquid first, then combine the buttermilk and eggs. Mix the batter with a whisk or silicone spatula from the outside of the bowl in, until the flour is incorporated.

Cook the pancakes:

Heat your cast iron pan on low heat for 5 minutes. Once the surface is hot, grease it with oil. Butter tends to brown quickly, so oil is recommended for this method. Turn the heat up near medium.
Pour or scoop ⅓ cup of pancake batter on the greased hot surface, cooking 2 to 3 pancakes at a time, ensuring room between the pancakes.
Cook them for 2 minutes on the first side until bubbles rise to the surface, the edges of the pancakes become defined, and the bottoms are golden brown. Flip the pancakes and cook until the other side for one more minute. Do not press down with a spatula.
Remove the pancakes and serve immediately, or keep them warm in a 200F preheated oven until you’ve finished cooking the rest of the batter.

Serve:

Serve these pancakes with butter and pancake syrup or your favorite pancake toppings.

Storage:

Refrigerate leftover pancake batter overnight and let it fully come to room temperature before cooking it the next day. Or, cook them all and keep them in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container.

Notes

DIY buttermilk: These pancakes can be made with regular milk. However, they’re much tastier with buttermilk. If you have none, make buttermilk by adding 1 ½ tablespoons of white vinegar or fresh lemon juice inside a large measuring cup. Add enough regular milk to fill it to the 1 ¾ cup line. Stir and allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes before using.
Use the right baking powder: Since pancake batter naturally has a mild, neutral flavor, it’s important to use aluminum-free baking powder. The metallic flavor will ruin the taste, especially in fluffy pancake recipes that call for 2 or more teaspoons. Trust me on this one.