Rise and Shine with 30 Perfect Pancake Recipes

By Zoe Denenberg
August 22, 2013
Caitlin Bensel
Hot off the griddle, thick, fluffy, crispy on the outside, cloud-like on the inside, stuffed with bananas, sprinkled with chocolate chips, loaded with blueberries, or drowned in sweet cane syrup. No matter how you like your homemade pancakes, we have a fluffy pancake recipe for you.There’s something about waking up early on a Saturday morning, slowly heating up a griddle and filling your house with the smell of fluffy pancakes hot off the stove. Here are some of our best pancake recipes to make your breakfasts (or brunches!) a little sweeter. From unique pancake recipes with sophisticated toppings like creamy ricotta cheese, rich brown butter, and fresh and sweet blueberry compote drizzle, to classic fluffy pancakes that are so light they’ll make your heart float away. For a traditional twist, try a big-batch pancake casserole to feed your brunch crowd. These decadent perfect pancake recipes are certainly company-worthy. But you may not want to share.
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Mix up Your Usual Breakfast With These Delicious Pancake Recipes

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Ricotta Pancakes with Brown Butter-Maple Syrup and Blueberry Compote

Hector Manuel Sanchez

Recipe: Ricotta Pancakes with Brown Butter-Maple Syrup and Blueberry Compote

These light and fluffy pancakes are great on their own, but even better when they're topped with our Brown Butter-Maple Syrup and Blueberry Compote.

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Blueberry Pancake Breakfast Casserole

Jennifer Causey

Recipe: Blueberry Pancake Breakfast Casserole

Pancake casserole is a fabulous way to serve a crowd for a big-batch brunch. This dish can be prepared in advance to make your party prep a breeze.

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Bacon Pancakes

Antonis Achilleos

Recipe: Bacon Pancakes

A strip of crispy bacon, griddled right into a fluffy flapjack? This may just be the best of both worlds. Sweet, salty, and savory combine in this new breakfast favorite.

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Sweet Potato Casserole Hotcakes

Photo: Alison Miksch

Recipe: Sweet Potato Casserole Hotcakes

If sweet potato casserole is a favorite dish on your holiday dinner spread, your family and friends will adore this new way to repurpose the leftovers.

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Dutch Baby Pancake

Micah A. Leal

Recipe: Dutch Baby Pancake

This light, airy Dutch Baby pancake is sure to stun as the centerpiece of your brunch spread. The recipe itself is oh-so-simple and can be enhanced by creative fillings, like whipped cream and fruit or drizzled chocolate.

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Hummingbird Pancakes

Southern Living

Recipe: Hummingbird Pancakes

These fruity, toasty pancakes pay homage to your favorite hummingbird cake. This recipe is a great way to add sophistication to a nostalgic pancake breakfast.

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Peaches-and-Cream Pancakes

Photo: Iain Bagwell; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Peaches-and-Cream Pancakes

Southern peaches and cream packed into fluffy, buttery pancakes. We can't think of a better way to start our morning.

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Red Velvet Pancakes

Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Red Velvet Pancakes

Layered with sweet cream cheese butter, these thick, cake-like pancakes are fit for any special occasion.

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Oatmeal Pancakes

Micah A. Leal

Recipe: Oatmeal Pancakes

Start your morning off right with this healthier twist on the classic pancake. Oat flour gives these pancakes a whole wheat flavor while still maintaining that lovely, fluffy flapjack texture.

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Pancake Bake with Cinnamon Streusel

Hector Manuel Sanchez

Recipe: Pancake Bake with Cinnamon Streusel

The cinnamon streusel adds a sweet, festive flair to this breakfast casserole. Its warm flavors are perfect for the holidays– plus, it can be made ahead to lighten your load on Thanksgiving or Christmas morning.

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Blackberry-Lemon Griddle Cakes Recipe

Photo: Helen Norman; Prop Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller; Food Styling: Marian Cooper Cairns

Recipe: Blackberry-Lemon Griddle Cakes

Blackberry and lemon are a match made in heaven. This recipe provides the perfect way to use up all that extra summer fruit for a light, delicious breakfast.

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Pecan Pancakes with Caramel Apple Topping

Luca Trovato

Recipe: Pecan Pancakes with Caramel Apple Topping

Warm, toasty pecans meet decadently sweet caramel apples in these ultimate Southern pancakes. This recipe is perfect for the fall, and buttermilk keeps these oven pancakes extra fluffy.

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Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

Caitlin Bensel

Recipe: Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

These cinnamon roll pancakes sure are stunners! With a signature cinnamon swirl and a simple vanilla glaze, these pancakes are fit for an indulgent celebratory breakfast.

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Gingerbread Pancakes

Caitlin Bensel

Recipe: Gingerbread Pancakes

In the heart of the holiday season, these creative and flavorful gingerbread pancakes are sure to be a breakfast crowd-pleaser.

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German Chocolate Pancakes

Iain Bagwell

Recipe: German Chocolate Pancakes

Celebrating a birthday over breakfast? Light a few candles atop this decadent German Chocolate Pancake tower!

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Easy Homemade Pancakes

Tjahjono Soekardjk

Recipe: Easy Homemade Pancakes

Some days, you've just gotta stick to the classics. Keep this homemade pancake recipe in your back pocket for easy, breezy homemade breakfasts!

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Caramel Cake Pancakes

Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Caramel Cake Pancakes

Take your simple homemade pancake recipe to the next level with the addition of sophisticated caramel syrup.

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Banana Pancakes

Micah A. Leal

Recipe: Banana Pancakes

"Make you banana pancakes, pretend like it's the weekend now... there ain't no need to go outside." Jack Johnson said it all, folks.

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Sheet Pan Buttermilk Pancakes

RealSimple.com

Recipe: Sheet Pan Buttermilk Pancakes

Sheet cakes are our favorite hack to bake homemade dessert for a crowd– so why not change up your big-batch breakfast routine and try making these sheet pan pancakes?

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The Original "Pam-Cakes"

Photo: Alison Miksch

Recipe: The Original "Pam-Cakes"

Some people toast special occasions with Champagne, but here at Southern Living, we often celebrate with "Pam-cakes." Developed by our Test Kitchen's Pam Lolley, these flapjacks are deceptively light, unbelievably fluffy, and impossible to resist.

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Chocolate Chip-Toasted Pecan Pancakes

Photo: Alison Miksch

Recipe: Chocolate Chip-Toasted Pecan Pancakes

Add a generous dollop of whipped cream for an unexpected dessert.

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Apple-Spice Pancakes

Photo: Alison Miksch

Recipe: Apple-Spice Pancakes

Save leftover Apple Cider Syrup for drizzling over vanilla ice cream.

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Sweet Peach Pancakes

Photo: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Sweet Peach Pancakes

The sweetness of the peaches combined with the natural sweetness of the cornmeal makes for a delicious morning. A well-seasoned griddle or skillet won't need much butter and oil; use only as much as you need to keep the pancakes from sticking.

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Italian Cream Pancakes

Photo: Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Italian Cream Pancakes

Toasted pecans add a gratifying bite to this light breakfast treat. Top it off with rich and delicious Cream Cheese Syrup.

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Carrot Cake Pancakes

Photo: Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Carrot Cake Pancakes

Use the small holes of a box grater to finely grate the carrots by hand; if you use a food processor, the carrots will be too wet, making the pancakes dense and less tender.

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Pam-Cakes With Buttered Honey Syrup

Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas

Recipe: Pam-Cakes With Buttered Honey Syrup

These fluffly buttermilk pancakes are named after their creator, Test Kitchen Pro Pam Lolley. Drench them in honey syrup and top off the meal with bacon and fresh fruit.

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Buttermilk-Pear Pancakes

Photo: Charles Walton IV

Recipe: Buttermilk-Pear Pancakes

These delicious pancakes are light too! Serve with Fresh Pear-Cinnamon Topping for a tasty finish.

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Pecan Pancakes

Photo: Van Chaplin

Recipe: Pecan Pancakes

This breakfast favorite is quick and easy, not to mention super tasty. We prefer the hearty thickness of these pancakes. If you like yours thinner, add up to 2/3 cup additional milk to batter.

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Brunch Popover Pancake

Photo: J. Savage Gibson; Styling: Leslie Byars Simpson

Recipe: Brunch Popover Pancake

Complete with fruit and the "pancake," this recipe needs little else served with it. If you want a heavier meal, consider serving it with scrambled eggs and bacon or thinly sliced ham.

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Pancake Casserole