Start the weekend right with these deliciously fluffy hotcakes that are ready in minutes.
This hotcakes recipe uses staples you likely have on hand—flour, sugar, milk, eggs, baking powder, and soda—but tastes just like McDonald’s hotcakes without the wait.
Hotcakes vs Pancakes
You might see hot cakes, griddlecakes, or flapjacks on regional menus, but don’t worry, they’re all basically pancakes cooked on a hot flat surface.
Make Hotcakes at Home
- Make a stack of hotcakes for a lazy weekend breakfast with strawberry butter, warmed maple syrup, and a side of bacon or sausage.
- Double or triple the recipe and freeze them for quick weekday breakfasts.
- This copycat McDonald’s hotcakes recipe tastes just like the drive-thru version without the drive-thru.
- Homemade hotcake mix is easy to make and store for later. Just add the wet ingredients when ready to cook.
What’s in Homemade Hotcakes?
All-purpose flour: Sift and measure the flour before using it to guarantee you have the right amount, otherwise the hot cakes will become too dense. You can substitute ½ cup of whole wheat flour for ½ cup of all-purpose flour if desired.
Sugar: Adjust the amount of sugar depending on how sweet you like your hotcakes. A sugar-free sweetener can also be used, follow the conversion table on the package.
Baking Powder & Baking Soda: These are the leavening agents that make the hotcakes light and fluffy. Check the expiration dates to be sure they’re both fresh.
Milk: Whole milk can be swapped out for any non-dairy milk like almond, rice, soy, coconut, or oat milk.
Eggs: Eggs are the binder for hotcakes and help give them their rich flavor.
Melted Butter: A bit of fat adds flavor and helps with browning. Replace butter with vegetable oil or melted coconut oil if desired.
Vanilla Extract: Vanilla, banana, orange, lemon, or any extract adds a pop of flavor to hotcakes. Make festive hotcakes, stir in some pumpkin spice, and serve with pumpkin spice syrup.
Variations: Sliced strawberries, bananas, blueberries, or chocolate chips should be added to the hotcakes once they’re in the skillet instead of stirring them into the batter. This keeps them from burning on the skillet.
Toppings: Top hotcakes with a scoop of fresh fruit salad, whipped cream, Nutella, jam, or your favorite nut butter.
How to Make Hotcakes
- Blend eggs, sugar, and butter until combined. Mix in vanilla, oil, and milk until smooth.
- Add remaining ingredients and stir until thick and smooth (full recipe below).
- Add batter to skillet and cook until the edges are browned and they begin to bubble.
- Flip and repeat.
Storing Hotcakes
- Keep leftover hotcakes in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days with a piece of parchment paper between them so they don’t stick together.
- Freeze them the same way and place them in a zippered bag for up to 2 months.
- Pop frozen hotcakes in a toaster, or thaw and reheat them in the microwave in 1-minute intervals.
More Breakfast Dishes
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Homemade Hot Cakes Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon oil
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2½ cups all purpose flour leveled
- 3 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- cooking spray
Instructions
- In a large bowl, using a hand mixer or whisk, mix eggs, sugar, and butter until combined. Add vanilla, oil, and milk and mix until combined.
- Add flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix until combined. It will be thick and smooth (not lumpy).
- Heat a large skillet (or griddle) on medium-low. Spray with cooking spray or lightly grease skillet.
- Scoop ⅓ cup pancake batter and add to the preheated skillet for each pancake. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the pancakes begin to bubble and the edges slightly brown.
- Using a flat spatula, flip the pancakes and cook for an additional 60-90 seconds. Remove from the skillet and serve.
- Spray or brush the skillet and repeat with remaining batter.
Notes
- For perfectly round and even pancakes, cook one at a time.
- Use vegetable oil or olive oil
- If the pan begins to burn, remove from the heat, wipe it out, and allow it to cool slightly.
- Cooking at medium low helps preventing uncooked batter in the center.
- Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5 days and in the freezer for 2 months.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information does not include optional ingredients or garnish and is an estimate. It may change based on actual ingredients and cooking methods used.
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