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With an unbeatable flavor and texture, these yeast pancakes will become your new weekend go-to recipe!

This beginner-friendly recipe for yeast pancakes yields a terrific breakfast stack! If this is your first time making them, read the post which explains a lot!

large stack of yeast pancakes topped with butter and syrup.

Pancakes With Yeast

The first time I bought yeast in bulk at Sam’s Club, and by “in bulk, I mean 2lbs of it, my husband thought I was crazy! But, for the last 20 years, I’ve kept a stash of it at all times in the freezer to make pizza Fridays and my no-knead bread a few times a week.

Being that my family loves pancakes for breakfast, this recipe makes an appeance from time to time. Similar to old-fashioned pancakes, pancakes with yeast have a delightful tangy flavor and an unbeatable fluffy pancake texture that I know you’re going to love.

The original recipe came in the back of the Red Star Yeast package but I’ve since perfected it and modified it to be able to use both active dry and instant yeast. All the differences are explained in this post.

Yeast Instead of Baking Powder for Pancakes

Using yeast instead of baking powder is another way to give your pancakes a fluffy texture; however, the method for making the pancake batter will be different. It’s my favorite way to make delicious pancakes without baking powder.

Ingredients

You’ll find the amounts needed to make yeast pancakes in the recipe card. But before you go there, check out why each ingredient used in this recipe is crucial for it to turn out:

Flour: regular all-purpose flour works best for this recipe.
Yeast: active dry yeast (slower to activate) is what I use often. If you have instant yeast, make sure to read the notes below.
Milk: adds flavor to the batter. A dairy-free milk alternative can be used, but I do not recommend swapping for water.
Water: a little to dissolve the yeast.
Eggs: they provide structure to the batter and bind the ingredients. I do not recommend omitting or using an egg substitute for pancakes when using yeast.
Butter: adds moisture to the batter. It can be swapped with a neutral oil like vegetable, avocado oil, or coconut oil. Do not omit.
Sugar: helps activate the yeast and lightly flavor the batter.
Baking soda: a little to give the pancakes a golden color and a bit of a tangy, old-fashioned flavor like grandma’s pancakes. It can be omitted.
Salt: to enhance the flavor of the batter.

Active Dry Yeast vs. Instant Yeast for Pancakes

You can use both types of yeast to make pancakes; however, active dry yeast is slower to activate and needs to proof (be mixed with the water) before being added to the bowl. If using instant yeast, it can be added to the dry ingredients directly.

How to Make Yeast Pancakes

The detailed steps to making this recipe are in the printable recipe card. Having made these numerous times, in this section, I share some additional things I’ve found helpful in each step including:

Prep
Activating the yeast can be done the night before in the fridge or in the morning for an hour on the counter. You’re only combining some of the flour to feed the yeast.
Make the batter
If you made the yeast bowl the night before, take it out of the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before combining it with the other two mixtures, the eggs and butter, and the dry ingredients.
Cook the pancakes
I recommend heating the non-stick surface first over medium-high heat. Once hot, grease it with oil or butter. This prevents the butter from burning. Then, pour the batter immediately. Wait to flip the pancakes until you see bubbles forming on top. Avoid pressing down with a spatula this will not cook the pancakes any faster and will change the texture.
Keep them warm
Keep the pancakes warm in the oven or on a plate covered with a clean kitchen towel while you make the rest of the batch.
Serve
Stack them high and serve these pancakes with your favorite pancake toppings and pancake syrups.
Store
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.

Letting the Batter Rise

The biggest difference between traditional pancakes and yeast pancakes is that it takes time for the yeast to come alive and become active in the pancake batter. This can be done overnight in the fridge or for an hour on the counter.

What Does the Batter Look Like

Yeast pancake batter, once it rises and is ready to be cooked, will be thicker than you’re used to and airy. It also has a bread-like smell. I should not that it should not be runny or liquid at all.

If your batter seems runny, I don’t recommend adding any additional flour or ingredients. You can expect thinner pancakes or turn them into yeast waffles.

closeup on three yeast pancakes topped with syrup

Topping Yeast Pancakes

Yeast pancakes are great with a little butter and paired with savory breakfast foods like fried eggs and cooked bacon. They’re the perfect base for healthy pancake toppings like fresh berries and fruit.

If syrups are your thing, try this old-fashioned brown sugar syrup, this incredible blueberry syrup for pancakes, or my favorite strawberry syrup. There’s no right or wrong way to enjoy your yeast pancakes!

How to Freeze These Pancakes

Cooked yeast pancakes can be frozen for up to 3 months. To prevent them from sticking to each other, spread them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and transfer them into a zip bag once they’re frozen. Microwave them for 30 seconds or toast them to enjoy them again.

Yeast Pancakes

large stack of fluffy pancakes topped with butter and syrup

Servings: 8

Prep Time: 10

Rise: 1

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 1 25

With an unbeatable flavor and texture, these yeast pancakes will become your new weekend go-to recipe!

5 from 13 votes

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Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast*, 1 package (7g)
1 ¼ cups milk, any
¼ cup water
2 large eggs
¼ cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda, optional but recommended
½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Prep:

Activating the yeast can be done overnight in the fridge or in the morning for 1 hour on the counter. You’re only combining some of the flour to feed the yeast, make sure to plan accordingly.
In a large batter bowl combine 1 cup of flour and the yeast. Heat the milk and water until warm (120F). If you don’t have a thermometer, use your pinky finger to test it; it should feel warm, not hot. Add the warm liquid to the flour and yeast and with a rubber spatula, mix to combine.

Activate the yeast:

Cover the mixture with a lid or plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight, 8 hours minimum, or on the counter for 1 hour. It’s ready when the mixture has approximately doubled in size and bubbles have formed.

Make the batter:

If you made the yeast bowl the night before, take it out of the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes.
In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and add the melted butter. In another bowl, combine the other half of the flour, sugar, baking soda (if using), and salt.
With a rubber spatula, give the yeast bowl a stir to mix it. Add the egg and butter mixture to the bowl and the other dry ingredients. Mix to combine until smooth. A few lumps are ok, use a fork to break up any flour clumps instead of overmixing.

Cook the pancakes:

Heat a large non-stick pan or griddle to medium-high heat. Once hot, grease with oil or butter.
Immediately, pour ¼ cup of pancake batter onto the hot surface. Cook the pancakes for 2 minutes on the first side, waiting to flip them over when bubbles have formed throughout and the edges look defined. Flip and cook for an additional minute on the other side. Keep the pancakes warm while you cook the remaining batter.

Serve:

Serve the pancakes warm topped with your favorite syrups and toppings.

Store:

Refrigerate leftover pancakes for up to 3 days in an airtight container or zip bag or freeze for up to 3 months.

Notes

If using “quick rise yeast” the yeast bowl mixture might double in size in just 30 minutes, vs. the full hour needed for traditional active yeast. Overnight rising is not necessary with quick rise.