You will need only one egg, some flour, milk, butter, and a few other pantry staples to whip up 30 mini pancakes in under 30 minutes. Double the recipe to freeze some for a quick and delicious breakfast later. These mini pancakes are so much better than store-bought!
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About the mini pancakes recipe
When I moved to the United States, I discovered a whole new world of pancakes. It's not that we don't make pancakes in Ukraine, they are just a little different. Back home, we usually make syrnyky or fluffy kefir pancakes.
Having lived here for over 16 years, silver dollar pancakes have become one of my favorites. Every week, I make a batch of them for my son's breakfast. He loves them with syrop and fresh fruit
Instead of traditional maple syrup, I enjoy them with a Ukrainian twist, I pair them with smoked salmon, red caviar, or a dollop of sour cream - just like we used back at home.
I have not bought frozen pancakes in a long time.
This small pancakes takes about 30 minutes to make them at home, and they taste so good. I have not bought frozen pancakes in a long time.
They come out about 2-3 inches in diameter when using the tablespoon to measure each pancake. You can double the ingredients if you have a large family or if you want to stock up your freezer.
I love small pancakes more than regular-sized ones, because they cook faster, reheat easily from frozen, and are perfect for packing in a lunch box. Plus, they are just the right size for kids to dip in syrup!
If you make large pancakes for kids, you'll end up cutting them into smaller pieces anyway. So why not skip that step and make them small from the start?
These mini pancakes are a family favorite, but I also love making Greek yogurt pancakes, oat milk pancakes, and beetroot pancakes, for variety.
Why you will love this recipe
- Better than store-bought: homemade pancakes aren’t just better ingredient-wise, they also taste amazing, even after being frozen!
- Endlessly Fun: you can make them with chocolate chips, diced strawberries, blueberries, mini marshmallows, cinnamon, or sprinkles.
- Freezer-friendly: I always make extra and freeze some for a quick breakfast during the school week.
Ingredients
You can find the ingredients quantities in the recipe card below.
- Flour: I used all-purpose flour.
- Sugar: granulated sugar works best. You can also use coconut sugar.
- Baking powder: it will make pancakes light and fluffy
- Salt: for taste
- Eggs: for binding and texture. You can use mashed bananas, applesauce, or flax seed instead.
- Milk: I used whole milk. You can also use almond or soy milk alternatives.
- Melted Butter: you can melt it in a microwave and let it cool down slightly.
- Vanilla extract: for taste. You can skip it or use almond extract.
- Cinnamon: it is optional, but I like to add a little bit of it to the batter for taste.
Step-by-step instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
- In a medium bowl, whisk egg, milk, and vanilla extract.
- Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Whisk until well combined.
- Now, pour the melted butter into the pancake batter while whisking continuously. Don’t worry if you notice a few lumps—they’re just bits of butter solidifying.
- Let the pancake batter rest for 10 minutes. Heat your frying pan over medium heat. Add a little bit of butter.
- Scoop out a tablespoon of pancake batter into the hot pan. Repeat the same by adding 4-5 more scoops or as many as you can fit on a frying pan. Let them cook over low- medium heat for about 60-90 seconds or until you see small bubbles on top.
- Flip the pancakes and cook on the other side for another minute.
- Remove them from the skillet on a plate. Cook the rest of the batter. If you see the butter start smoking, reduce the heat a little bit. You may need to add a little bit more butter between each batch if needed.
Serving tip
To keep them warm while you finish the rest, place the cooked pancakes on a baking sheet in a preheated oven at 200°F. You can also cover them loosely with the foil so they do not dry out.
Serving ideas and toppings
- Side dishes: I love serving sweet pancakes with some breakfast chicken sausage, smoked salmon or bacon, and some golden hash-browns. I always add some fresh fruit, such as berries, kiwis, and bananas,.
- Sauces: Maple syrup, honey, Nutella, chocolate sauce, almond, or peanut butter.
- Toppings: Whipped cream, sour cream, Greek yogurt, powdered sugar, fresh berries, sprinkles.
How to store and reheat
- To freeze: flash and freeze them on a cutting board lined with parchment paper for about 1 hour. Once the pancakes are solid, transfer them into a freezer bag or a container. They will last in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- To refrigerate: let pancake cool down completely. Transfer leftover pancakes into an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
- To reheat from frozen: place 5-6 pancakes on a plate in a single layer. Microwave on high for about 35-45 seconds or until hot.
- To reheat from the fridge: Microwave on high for about 15-20 seconds or until hot.
Expert recipe tips
- To prevent the melted batter from solidifying, pour it in at the very end by continuously whisking the pancake batter.
- Let the pancake rest at room temperature for 10 minutes before frying.
- To make the mini pancake even size, you can use a mini pancake pan, a small cookie scoop (about 1 tablespoon), a stainless steel measuring tablespoon, a squeeze bottle (like the kind used for ketchup or mustard), or a pancake batter dispenser.
- To speed up the cooking process, you can use two frying pans if you do not have a large griddle.
- Cook the pancakes on medium or medium-low heat to prevent the butter from burning.
- When using a stainless steel pan, cook it on low-medium heat and if the butter still burns, rinse the frying pan every 2-3 batches.
Recipe variations (savory and sweet)
There is a lot you can do with the pancake batter. You can make them sweet or savory. Just remember if you add anything to the batter it needs to be chopped up small as well.
Sweet variations:
- Chocolate chip: mix in some mini chocolate chips.
- Berries: frozen wild berries work best for this recipe, because they are much smaller.
- Banana and Nutella: dice some bananas and swirl some Nutella into the pancake batter.
- Apple and cinnamon: peel and grate the apple and add it to the batter with some cinnamon.
Savory variations:
- Cheese: add some shredded mozzarella or cheddar to the batter.
- Bacon and herbs: mix in some bacon bits, diced chives, and dill to the batter.
- Feta cheese: add some crumbled feta cheese to the better.
Frequently asked questions
You can use butter or oil to cook pancakes. I usually cook my pancakes on low to medium heat, so I prefer using butter for the flavor. Vegetable oil or avocado oil works great too. Vegetable oil can handle higher heat without burning, but it lacks flavor. Butter, on the other hand, adds a nice flavor and creates a beautiful golden-brown crust, but it can burn easily at higher temperatures. Another great option is combining butter and vegetable oil or using clarified butter, which offers both - it’s flavorful and can handle high heat.
I always use the time and visual clues to tell the best moment to flip my pancakes. Depending on the heat, it usually takes about 1-2 minutes for them to cook on the first side. When you see bubbles on top and the edges of the pancakes look browned and slightly lifted from the pan, it is time to flip them. After flipping, they should cook for another minute.
Yes, you can use this recipe to make regular size pancakes instead. You will have about 8 regular size pancakes with this recipe.
📖 Recipe
Mini Pancakes
Equipment
- 2 medium bowls
- 1 tablespoon or small cookie scoop
- 1 large skillet
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoons salt
- 1 eggs
- ⅞ cup (halfway between ¾ a0nd 1 cup) milk
- 2 tablespoons melted and slightly cooled butter
- ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoons cinnamon optional
- 1-2 teaspoons butter for frying
Instructions
- In the first bowl, whisk 1 cup all-purpose flour , 1 tablespoon granulated sugar , 1.5 teaspoons baking powder , ¼ teaspoons salt , ¼ teaspoons cinnamon
- In the second bowl, whisk 1 eggs , ⅞ cup (halfway between ¾ a0nd 1 cup) milk and ½ teaspoons vanilla extract .
- Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients, whisking them until combined. Pour in 2 tablespoons melted and slightly cooled butter into the batter, continuously whisking it so the butter does not solidify. But if you see a few butter lumps appear, it is OK. Let the batter rest for about 10 minutes at room temperature.
- In a large skillet, heat about 1 teaspoon of butter over medium heat. Using a table measuring spoon, scoop out the pancake batter and add it to the hot pan. Add about 4-5 more pancakes, depending on the size of your skillet.
- Cook on one side for about 60-90 seconds, until you see small bubbles on top and the edges brown. Flip the pancakes and cook them on the second side for another minute. Repeat the process with the remaining batter. You will have about 30 mini pancakes.
Notes
- You can use whole milk, 2% milk or any milk alternatives.
- Pancake batter can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for 1-2 days.
- You can cook them in two skillet simultaneously to expedite the cooking process.
- Freeze the pancakes for up to 2 month.
- Frozen pancakes reheat well from frozen in the microwave.
- You can also use this recipe to make about 7-8 regular size pancakes.
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