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This copycat Cracker Barrel Pancakes recipe brings the warm, made-from-scratch taste right to your kitchen -no road trip required.

Learn to make large, soft, and buttery Cracker Barrel pancakes with this recipe and all my tested tips.

stack of large cracker barrel style pancakes topped with whipped butter

Copycat Cracker Barrel Pancakes

Whenever we take a road trip, stopping at Cracker Barrel for food (and clean bathrooms) is a must and my sons always order their pancakes.

My youngest, who is as obsessed with a good pancake recipe as I am, says these are the real deal. So I’ll take the win on this copycat recipe, which is different and yet almost as iconic as my IHOP pancakes and McDonald’s pancakes.

Why Cracker Barrel Pancakes Are So Good

Cracker Barrel pancakes are iconic for their classic, old-fashioned pancake flavor, achieved only with buttermilk. The eggs bind the ingredients, the melted butter adds moisture, and the vanilla extract adds flavor.

All-purpose flour is the base that gives your pancake its structure, sweetened with granulated sugar, and baking soda reacts with the acidity in buttermilk to give each pancake its fluffy texture. The salt brings out the flavors in the batter.

How to Make Them

Making these copycat Cracker Barrel pancakes at home is easy. You’ll mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl, then add all the wet ingredients, and mix the batter until it’s nearly lump-free.

The secret to getting those big, round, and uneven-edged pancakes that remain soft in the middle is in how you cook them. These are quite large, so use the largest pan you’ve got and pour ⅓ to ½ cup of batter (see note below on greasing) and then use the back of the scoop to spread it on the pan. 2 minutes per side is all they take to cook, flipping them over once you see bubbles and defined edges.

Getting that Crackled Look

Greasing the pan with butter or oil is what gives pancakes their “crackle” and crisp edges. For a flat, even color, omit the grease, just make sure to use a non-stick pan.

Variations and Add-Ins

My son is notorious for asking our waitress to add ingredients to his pancakes. At home, I’ve been able to add 1 cup of diced fruit, such as strawberries or blueberries, to make blueberry pancakes, and ½ cup of chocolate chips to make chocolate chip pancakes. Gently fold these into the batter at the very end, right before cooking.

Cracker Barrel Pancakes At Home

Servings: 6

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 15

This copycat Cracker Barrel Pancakes recipe brings the warm, made-from-scratch taste right to your kitchen -no road trip required.

5 from 7 votes

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Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
2 ¼ cup buttermilk
2 eggs
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional

Instructions

Make the batter:

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the middle and add the buttermilk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract.
With a fork, whisk the eggs into the milk, and then begin to combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients, mixing from the outside of the bowl in, until the batter is mostly smooth.

Cook the pancakes:

Heat a large non-stick pan or griddle over medium heat. Once hot, grease the surface and immediately pour ⅓ to ½ cup of pancake batter (the more batter, the larger the pancake). Use the back of the scoop to spread the batter evenly on the hot surface. Cook the first side for 2 minutes, and once the edges are defined, flip the pancake over and cook the second side for another 2 minutes.
Note: Greasing is what gives pancakes their “crackle” look and crisp edges. For a flat, even color, omit the grease, just make sure to use a non-stick pan.
Remove the pancakes from the pan onto a plate and serve them as you cook, or keep them warm in the oven (at 200F) on a baking sheet while you repeat the process with the remaining batter.

Store:

Store leftover batter in the fridge overnight and let it come to room temperature before cooking them. Refrigerate cooked pancakes in an airtight container for up to 4 days or freeze them for up to 3 months. Reheat them in the microwave (30-60 seconds), toaster, toaster oven, or a pan over low to medium heat.

Notes

Make your own buttermilk by adding 2 tablespoons of white vinegar or fresh lemon juice inside a large measuring cup. Add enough regular milk to fill it to the 2 ¼ cup line. Stir and let the mixture sit for 5 minutes before adding it to the bowl.
If you don’t use buttermilk (or make it), these pancakes won’t rise at all. In that case, swap the baking soda for baking powder, in the same amounts.