Easy Red White & Blue Pancakes

stack of patriotic pancakes of red white and blue colors on a plate. Topped with berries and whipped topping, sliced to show their fluffy texture

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 15

Made with simple pancake ingredients and just a few drops of food coloring, these red, white, and blue pancakes are an easy way to make your Fourth of July breakfast feel extra special.

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Ingredients

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder, aluminum-free
¼ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
1 ½ cups milk, any
1 egg
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3-4 drops red and blue food coloring

Instructions

Make the batter:

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Move the flour to the sides and make a well in the middle. Pour the milk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Break up the egg first with a fork, then mix it with the liquid ingredients. Then combine the liquid with the flour in the bowl, working from the outside in, until just combined and mostly smooth. Stop mixing when you no longer see flour to avoid chewy pancakes.
Measure out 1 cup of the white batter into a medium bowl. Add 3-4 drops of red food coloring and gently mix to turn the batter red. Intensity of color varies by brand; adjust the color 1-2 drops at a time. Measure out another 1 cup of batter into another bowl, add 3-4 drops of blue food coloring, and mix. These are your red and blue batter colors; the original batter bowl is the white.

Cook the pancakes:

You can cook all the batter of a single color at a time, or one batch of each pancake color.
Heat a non-stick griddle or large pan over medium heat. Once hot, grease, spray, or melt butter. Immediately, pour ¼ cup of batter (any color). This batter doesn't spread, so use the back of a spoon or the scoop to shape it.
Cook the first side of the pancakes for about 2 minutes, until the edges begin to look defined and bubbles form. Flip the pancakes over and cook the second side for a little less time. Avoid pressing down on the pancake with the spatula after flipping; this will make the pancakes dense by eliminating the air pockets and/or cause the batter to ooze out on the sides and remain undercooked.
Remove the cooked pancakes from the pan and repeat the process with the remaining batter and colors, serving the pancakes as you go or keeping them warm on a sheet pan in a 200F oven.

Serve:

Place one red, one white, and one blue pancake on a plate. Top with berries, whipped cream, or your favorite toppings and syrups.

Notes

Using a mix:

Measure 2 cups of pancake mix into a bowl. Then, follow the amounts listed in the box (of just water or other ingredients, depending on the type you have) to make pancake batter.

Homemade batter tips:

If your batter is too thick, you likely added too much flour into the cup (or omitted the butter). Add 2 more tablespoons of milk to thin it, then mix gently.
If your batter is too runny, add 1 to 2 tablespoons more flour, mix gently, and wait 5 minutes before cooking.
If your pancakes are flat, your baking powder is no longer active (gone bad), and it happens when it's been opened for more than 9-12 months. This ingredient cannot be omitted.

Nutrition