The BEST IHOP Pancakes Copycat Recipe

Recipe

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Soft and fluffy with that iconic flavor, this IHOP pancake recipe is the ultimate copycat breakfast you can make at home.

Follow the recipe and all my tips for cooking IHOP pancakes at home that look and taste just like the ones at the restaurant.

stack of homemade IHOP pancakes on a white plate topped with butter and syrup

What Makes IHOP Pancakes So Good

The first pancake stack I ever had was at IHOP. I was 13, and I had just moved to the US from Spain. Their light, fluffy, cake-like texture made me an instant fan, and they’re the reason I’ve been chasing and testing the best pancake recipes ever since.

And while my homemade pancakes were one of the first to take the internet by storm when I first published them in 2013, this recipe builds on everything I’ve learned since. It’s the most nostalgic and true-to-IHOP copycat recipe you can make at home.

Ingredient Differences

The iconic restaurant’s pancakes have been around since 1958, which means they have that old-fashioned taste that only buttermilk can give. The rest are basic ingredients: all-purpose flour, granulated sugar to sweeten the batter, and both baking powder and baking soda for a light, fluffy texture. Eggs are essential to bind everything, and melted butter adds moisture and flavor.

How to Make IHOP Pancakes at Home

Make the batter in one large bowl.
First, combine the dry ingredients, then make a large well (a space) in the middle of the flour and add the eggs and buttermilk. Whisk the eggs with a fork, then mix them with the buttermilk to make the batter. The last step is to add the melted butter and combine. It’s going to look lumpy, don’t worry.

Cook them over medium-low heat, directly on the pan or griddle for a smooth finish.
These iconic pancakes are on the larger side, so you’ll need to pour ⅓ to ½ cup of batter per pancake and use the back of the scoop to gently shape them into circles.

side by side 2 image collage of cooking ihop pancakes on a pan to show size. The left is the first side right is after flipping.

Laura’s Tip: Use a griddle to cook 3 pancakes at a time while you keep the rest warm on a sheet pan in the oven at 200F.

2 image collage. On left, cooking 3 IHOP pancakes on a griddle at home to show size, on right, a bunch of them made and kept warm on a sheet pan

Serve them warm, with butter and syrup for a classic stack, or take your breakfast to another level by drizzling blueberry syrup or strawberry syrup, two other IHOP classics you can easily make at home.

The Secret to Cooking Perfect IHOP Pancakes

To get those nostalgic soft edges and smooth tops with an even color, you’ll want to cook them directly on a non-stick surface over medium-low heat. Greasing the pan with oil or butter is what gives pancakes their crisp edges and circles on top.

two image collage side by side. Left is a pancake with a smooth top and soft edges (like IHOP's) and on the right is a pancake cooked in oil or butter with crisp edges and circles on top

Tips for Making Large Pancakes

Having made (and ruined) more batches than I can count, here are some final tips for making these IHOP copycat pancakes at home:

Cooking them evenly

To ensure your pan isn’t too hot and the pancakes don’t burn, rinse it under water between batches. You’ll know the pan is too hot when the outside cooks quickly (they’ll look dark), but the middle is still gooey. pouring water on a too hot pan to cool it down

Making perfect large circles

Use the back of the scoop to spread the batter over the pan. IHOP’s large pancakes are almost 5 inches wide and a fluffy ½ inch thick.

How to flip big pancakes easily

Use the largest spatula you have to flip the pancakes and avoid pressing them down after flipping them.

When to flip them

After 2 minutes of cooking, the edges will be defined and lift easily from the pan. You’ll also be able to check their golden color.

stack of homemade IHOP pancakes on a white plate topped with butter and syrup with a closeup of a slice of pancakes on a fork to show fluffy texture

IHOP Pancakes Recipe (The Real Deal)

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 15

Soft and fluffy with that iconic flavor, this IHOP pancake recipe is the ultimate copycat breakfast you can make at home.

5 from 26 votes

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Watch how it’s made:

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, aluminum-free
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
Pinch of salt
2 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons butter, melted

Instructions

Prep:

To keep the pancakes warm as you make them, place the top oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 200F.

Make the batter:

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Move the dry ingredients to the sides of the bowl and make a well in the middle.
Pour the buttermilk into the well and crack the eggs over the buttermilk. Use a fork to break up the eggs into the buttermilk first and then gently combine them with the dry ingredients in the bowl. When the flour has been incorporated and the batter still looks lumpy, stop mixing. Add the melted butter to the batter and give it a quick swirl. You don’t have to overly mix.

Cook:

Use the largest non-stick pan (or a griddle, if you have one) and heat it over medium-low heat. Slightly below medium (300F on a griddle, like a 4 on a stove). Immediately, pour a generous ⅓ cup of batter and use the back of the scoop to spread it to make a 5-inch circle.
Cook the first side for 2 to 3 minutes, when bubbles appear throughout, and the pancake lifts easily from the pan. Use the largest spatula you have. Once you flip it, let it cook for a full minute before removing it from the pan and keeping the pancake warm while you cook the rest of the batter.