Fluffy Pancakes For One

If you’re searching for the best pancakes for one recipe, you’ve just found it. This recipe makes the perfect amount of light, fluffy, golden-brown pancakes for one person—no leftovers, no waste, just a stack of soft and satisfying pancakes made from scratch. They’re sweet, tender, and cook up perfectly every single time. I’ve made this recipe more times than I can count, and it’s truly foolproof, so I'm confident this single-serve pancake recipe will quickly become your go-to breakfast.

Why This Pancake Recipe For One Works

• Quick and Easy: This recipe is perfect for busy mornings when you want a homemade breakfast without the fuss. From mixing the batter to flipping pancakes, the entire process takes about 15 minutes.
• Perfect Single Serving Recipe: No more guessing measurements or ending up with too many pancakes. This pancakes for one recipe makes just the right amount for one person, so you can enjoy every bite without waste.
• Light and Fluffy Texture: The batter is balanced to create fluffy pancakes for one with a soft interior and golden edges—just like a diner stack, only smaller.
• Customizable: Keep it simple or get creative. Stir in blueberries, chocolate chips, or even a dash of cinnamon. Top your stack with maple syrup, fresh fruit, whipped cream, peanut butter, or just butter—the options are endless.
• Tested and Reliable: I’ve made this recipe countless times (especially on mornings when I’m the only one craving pancakes), and they turn out consistently perfect. That reliability is why this recipe has become one of my personal favorites.

Ingredients You'll Need

Since this is a pancake recipe for one, you don't need much to make it. In fact, I'm willing to bet that you probably have all of the ingredients at home!

Anyway, here's what you'll need to make the pancakes:

• ¾ cup milk
• 1 egg
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon melted butter, cooled
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

By the way, if you end up with some extras of these ingredients after you make these pancakes you can put them all to good use and make this waffle recipe for one next!

Also, if you want to make another delicious single-serve breakfast recipe, you have to try this French toast recipe sometime. It's so good and it makes the perfect amount for one person.

How To Make Pancakes For One

Step 1: Mix the Dry & Wet Ingredients

Whisk the milk, egg, vanilla extract, sugar, and melted butter in a medium bowl. Add the all-purpose flour and baking powder and whisk until you have a smooth pancake batter.

Step 2: Heat the Skillet

Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat and coat the surface with butter or cooking spray.

Step 3: Cook the Pancakes

 Add ⅓ cup of the batter onto the skillet. Cook until bubbles form on the surface, then gently lift and flip the pancake and cook on the other side for a minute or until browned on the bottom side. Repeat the process with the leftover pancake batter.

Step 4: Serve

As soon as you've cooked the remaining batter, serve the pancakes warm with your favorite toppings like fresh fruit, butter, and maple syrup. Enjoy!

My Pro Tips For The Best Pancakes For One

• Don’t overmix the batter. Stir the ingredients just until a batter forms. Overmixing develops gluten, which makes the pancakes chewy instead of light and fluffy. For the fluffiest single-serve pancakes, a few small lumps are perfectly fine in the batter.
• Sweeten the batter. Add 1 tablespoon of maple syrup directly into the batter. It gives these pancakes a subtle sweetness and rich flavor that balances with butter or fruit toppings.
• Use a griddle for efficiency. A flat griddle distributes heat more evenly than a skillet and lets you cook the entire batch of this pancakes for one recipe at once. This ensures all your pancakes cook at the same temperature and are ready together.
• Measure the batter. Using an ice cream scoop, cookie scoop, or measuring cup helps portion the batter evenly so each pancake cooks consistently. This gives you a perfect diner-style stack.
• Grease the pan every time. Before pouring each drop of batter, coat the skillet or griddle with a thin layer of butter. This prevents sticking and gives the pancakes golden, crisp edges that contrast with the soft centers.
• Know when to flip. Flip your pancakes when bubbles just begin to pop on the surface and the edges look slightly set. This ensures they’re cooked through but still tender and fluffy in the middle. Once the bubbles pop and you flip them, use the touch test to know they're done. If you push on the center of the pancake and it's firm but still slightly soft, it's cooked through.

How To Store and Reheat The Pancakes

• Store them in the fridge: Since this recipe is designed to make the perfect amount of pancakes for just one person, you probably won't have any leftover pancakes. But, if you do - or if want to make them in advance - you can store your cooked pancakes wrapped in foil or plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 1 week.
• Store them in the freezer: You can freeze your cooked pancakes in the freezer. Just wrap them in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and they'll stay good for up to 3 months in the freezer.
• How to reheat the pancakes: Just microwave the pancakes in 5 to 10 second intervals until they're warm.
• If you're reheating frozen pancakes you can microwave them in 10 second intervals. Just keep in mind that frozen pancakes will need more time to heat back up than unfrozen ones. By the way, to reheat multiple pancakes at once I recommend putting them on a baking sheet and warming them in the oven at 350°F for about 5 minutes.

FAQs About This Single Serve Pancake Recipe

Can I make pancake batter ahead of time?

Yes, but with some caution. Pancake batter relies on baking powder for lift, and if it sits too long, the batter may lose some of its rise. If you want to prep the pancake batter ahead, mix the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, salt) and wet ingredients (milk, egg, melted butter) separately, then combine them right before cooking. This way, you’ll still get light and fluffy pancakes without sacrificing texture.

How many pancakes does one serving of this recipe make?

It depends on the size of your pancakes. This recipe makes about five 4-inch pancakes, which is the perfect single serving. To keep them consistent, I like using a cookie scoop or ice cream scoop so each pancake cooks evenly and looks uniform.

Can I make pancakes for two?

Absolutely! Just double all of the ingredients and cook as directed. You’ll end up with about 10 small pancakes—enough for two people. If you want larger pancakes, use a ¼ cup measuring cup to portion the batter instead of a scoop. Or you can make my small batch pancakes instead.

Why are my pancakes not fluffy?

Flat or dense pancakes are usually caused by overmixing the batter or using expired baking powder. For the best single-serve pancakes, gently stir the batter until the ingredients just combine—small lumps are fine. Also, check your baking powder’s expiration date; if it’s old, your pancakes won’t rise properly.

Is it better to use milk or water in the pancake mix?

Milk is best because it adds flavor, fat, and richness, which helps create thicker, more fluffy pancakes. I like to use whole milk, but you can use any milk or milk substitutes, such as almond milk, soy milk, or oat milk. If you don’t have milk on hand, water will still work, but your pancakes may be slightly less flavorful and tender. I do have a great recipe for pancakes without milk if you prefer to use water.

More Pancake Recipes

• Pancakes without baking powder
• Sweet cream pancakes
• Crispy pancakes
• Eggless pancakes
• Bisquick pancakes
• Cracker Barrel pancakes