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Adding a little honey to the pancake batter makes these pancakes an irresistible breakfast. Read the post for all the tips so yours are perfect every time!
The Best Honey Pancakes
With a large selection of pancake recipes to choose from on any given weekend, when my family wants something a little sweeter than their favorite fluffy pancake recipe, these honey pancakes are often at the top of the list!
Since the pancake batter is naturally sweetened with a little honey, there’s little need for syrup; in fact, my youngest often skips pancake syrup altogether and loads them up with healthy pancake toppings like fresh fruit.
Ingredients
You’ll find the amounts to make these honey pancakes in the recipe card below, but before you make substitutions and become disappointed with the results, here are the substitutes and notes on each ingredient I’ve already tested for you:
- Flour: all-purpose flour is the foundation of this recipe. It can be swapped with a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour, or read below on how to use whole-wheat flour for this recipe.
- Baking Powder: helps your pancakes rise when exposed to heat. If you’re out, use this recipe for pancakes without baking powder and swap the sugar for the amount of honey in this recipe.
- Salt: to enhance the flavor of the other ingredients.
- Honey gives the batter a light and sweet flavor. I’m going to assume you have it, although I’ll note that you can swap it in equal parts with maple syrup and make maple pancakes.
- Milk: dairy or dairy-free milk will work. If using oat milk for pancakes, add a tablespoon or two extra since it’s thicker and will thicken the batter.
- Egg: to bind the ingredients and help the pancakes hold together. This is not an eggless pancake recipe, but you can use one of these egg substitutes for pancakes, although some might change the taste a little.
- Butter (optional): adds delicious, buttery flavor, which can be omitted if you’re trying to make these pancakes dairy-free and vegan.
Honey Pancakes with Whole-Wheat
You can turn this recipe into whole-wheat pancakes with honey by using whole-wheat flour and adding an extra ¼ cup of liquid. I’ve included the exact amounts to make 100% Whole-Wheat Pancakes or just half all-purpose and half whole-wheat in the recipe card. They’ll have a similar texture to buckwheat pancakes.
How to Make Pancakes with Honey
I’ve made these pancakes many times, and I’ve found some helpful tips and steps to help you make the best stack. They are:
- Measure and mix
Measure the dry ingredients and add them to a large batter bowl, mixing them well to distribute the baking powder evenly. When you add the wet ingredients to that bowl, use a fork to break up the egg first to avoid overmixing, a common mistake that yields chewy pancakes. - Cook on the first side
Always use a non-stick pan or griddle when cooking pancakes. Heat it first, and once hot, grease it with oil, spray, or butter. Then, pour the pancake batter immediately on the greased hot surface. - Flip
You’ll know it’s time to flip the pancakes with a spatula when the edges begin to look defined; you see bubbles forming throughout. Flip them over and cook the second side for another minute or two until the bottom is nice and golden. Remove them from the pan and cook the rest. - Serve
Stack them high and enjoy topped with your favorite pancake syrups or toppings.
Making Them Fluffy
The batter itself is thicker, which means the pancakes will have a nice fluffy texture. The baking powder in the recipe helps them rise, and once you flip the pancakes over, the heat activates the baking powder.
Storing & Reheating Leftover Pancakes
Uncooked batter can be refrigerated for up to 2 days, and cooked pancakes for up to 3 days. You can also freeze pancakes for later, heat them, and enjoy.
Best Toppings for Honey Pancakes
Your epic stack can be the foundation to incredible pancake toppings like fresh fruit, cinnamon apple topping, nut butter, or Nutella, and syrups like strawberry syrup, blueberry pancake syrup, or cinnamon syrup.
You can also keep it simple by dusting a little cinnamon, slicing some bananas, and drizzling them with a little more honey.
Easy Honey Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour*
- 2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 ¼ cups milk, any
- 1 egg
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
Instructions
Make the pancake batter:
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Make a well in the middle and pour the milk, egg, honey, and butter. Use a fork to break up the egg first, and then mix with a whisk or fork until the batter is smooth.
Cook the pancakes:
- Heat a non-stick griddle or large pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, grease, spray, or melt butter on the hot surface. When using an electric griddle, heat it somewhere between 300 and 350F.
- Immediately, pour ¼ cup of pancake batter onto the greased pan. Cook the pancakes for about 2 minutes, until the edges look defined and bubbles form. Flip the pancakes over and cook for another minute on the other side. Remove from the pan onto a plate and cook the remaining pancakes.
Serve:
- Serve the pancakes warm, topped with your favorite toppings.
Notes
- Make this recipe 100% whole-wheat by adding ¼ cup to ⅓ cup of additional liquid (more milk) to the batter and increase the baking powder to 2 ½ teaspoons.
- For a fluffier texture and using some whole-wheat, mix 1 cup all-purpose flour and ½ cup whole-wheat flour. Increase the liquid by 2 tablespoons and the baking powder to 2 ½ teaspoons.
- 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.
Lisa says
Loved them!
Kate says
I’m a fan of all your pancakes recipes so I had to try this honey pancakes. And I’m here to say they are delicious, fluffy… perfection!!