I’m sharing the best homemade pancake recipe using freshly milled flour. Pancakes are quick and easy, but you can increase the flavor and nutrition with just a few extra ingredients!

Pancakes on a white plate with butter and maple syrup melting on top.

I love making a lot of pancakes on the weekend. Enough even for leftovers. There’s nothing like letting the kids sleep in on Saturday and having some quiet time in the kitchen while I cook and listen to a podcast or some good worship music!

If you are used to using boxed pancake mix or frozen pancakes, I want to encourage you to try making them from scratch instead. You can skip the chemicals and preservatives, and the pancakes really will taste SO much better.

So here’s my recipe!

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Best Homemade Pancake Recipe

This is the best homemade pancake recipe using freshly milled flour and a few other ingredients that will add a lot of delicious flavor and nutrition!

Three cast iron skillets on a gas stove with pancakes cooking in them.

You can cut the recipe quantities in half or double it for twice as many pancakes for larger family gatherings.

Equipment you may need

Large mixing bowl – To make a lot of pancakes, you need a large mixing bowl.

Medium mixing bowl – A medium bowl is perfect for combining all the wet ingredients.

Measuring cups and spoons – You will need a tablespoon, teaspoon, cup, and half-cup measurements.

Dough whisk – You can use an electric mixer if you want, but I always mix the batter by hand because it’s quick and easy. I love my Danish dough whisk for making pancakes.

Ladle – For pouring pancake batter into the skillet, I usually use my biggest ladle. But you can also use a measuring cup.

Flat spatula – You’ve got to flip those pancakes!

Cast iron skillet – I use all three of my cast iron skillets to speed up the cooking process. If I had a fourth one, I would use it, too, but three makes the job a lot quicker.

Container for pancakes – You can put your perfect homemade pancakes directly on to plates for ready and waiting family members, or put them in a 9 x 13 or other similar casserole dish. I like that when I add hot pancakes to the top of the stacks, it keeps the others nice and hot, too.

Ingredients

Freshly milled flour – 4 cups. I use soft white wheat for this. I’ve used hard white and hard red wheat before, but my favorite is soft white wheat for pancakes and other breakfast pastries. Alternatively, you can substitute freshly milled flour for all purpose flour, spelt flour, oat flour, or other flours.

Sugar – 4 tablespoons. Organic cane sugar is my favorite. It’s a darker color than white sugar you buy at the grocery store because of the extra molasses left behind. But use what you have on hand.

Baking powder – 4 tablespoons.

Baking soda – 2 teaspoons.

Fine sea salt – 1 teaspoon. I prefer Redmond’s Real Salt but use what you have.

Buttermilk – 4 cups. You can also use regular milk, milk with an added tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice, and even a mixture of milk and some yogurt (to thicken it).

Eggs – You will need 4 eggs for this recipe.

Avocado oil – 1/2 cup. Avocado oil is nearly flavorless, but it’s a great, healthy fat to use. I would avoid olive oil since it has a strong flavor. But if you want, you can use other oils or butter if that’s what you have.

Vanilla extract – 1 teaspoon. This adds a flavor boost to these already delicious homemade pancakes.

Butter or other cooking fat – You will need some fat to melt in your skillet so your pancakes don’t stick. Most of the time I will use bacon grease or butter, but sausage grease and avocado oil are also good.

Instructions

Here we go! Follow these steps for the best homemade pancakes using freshly milled flour!!

Make the Pancake Batter

Woman adding freshly milled flour to a large glass mixing bowl.

In a large mixing bowl, add all the dry ingredients and whisk it together.

Woman mixing dry ingredients in a large glass bowl and making a well in the center.

Make a well in the center and set the bowl aside.

Woman scrambling eggs in a bowl. A mixing bowl of milk is behind it along with avocado oil and vanilla extract.

In a medium mixing bowl, add all the wet ingredients and whisk them together.

Woman pouring wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry pancake ingredients.

Pour the wet ingredients into the large mixing bowl with the dry ingredients.

Woman using a dough whisk to combine the wet and dry ingredients for the best homemade pancakes using freshly milled flour.

Whisk the ingredients together using your dough whisk until everything is well combined and you don’t see any more lumps of dry ingredients. Using a Danish dough whisk makes this job easy to do by hand. It’s sturdy and you can use the metal to scrape the dough from the bottom of your bowl.

Cook Pancakes

Cast iron skillets on top of a gas stove next to a large bowl of pancake batter.

Heat up your cast iron skillet(s) over medium-low heat on top of your stove. Add enough butter or other cooking fat to coat the bottom of your skillet to prevent your pancakes from sticking.

Woman adding a ladle full of pancake batter to cast iron skillets.

When your skillets are hot, add a ladle full of pancake batter to the center of each skillet. My family doesn’t mind large pancakes, so I fill up my skillet.

A large pancake cooking in a cast iron skillet.

The batter will start to form bubbles on top and those bubbles will pop.

Interestingly, there is a phobia associated with tiny bubbles, holes, and bumps. If you have trypophobia, cooking pancakes may make you uncomfortable.

Woman flipping over a pancake in a cast iron skillet.

When the bubbles on top of your pancake stop filling in with uncooked batter around the edges and most of the pancake, flip your pancake over using a flat spatula.

A pancake cooking in a cast iron skillet.

Cook an additional 30 seconds or until your pancake is done to your liking. Then remove your cooked pancake to a separate container.

Pancakes in a large stainless steel pan.

Keep making pancakes following the steps above until you use up all your pancake batter. You may need to add additional cooking fat if your pancakes start to stick to your hot skillets.

Tips

Use enough cooking fat to coat the bottom of your hot skillet(s) to prevent your pancakes from sticking initially. I’ve found that I sometimes need to add a bit more cooking fat about half way through my batter, but it depends on how well-seasoned your cast iron skillets are. If your pancakes are sticking, add more cooking fat, as needed.

Recipe Variations

Want something special? Try these recipe variations!

Pumpkin Pancakes

If you want some delicious pumpkin pancakes, add a cup of pumpkin puree to your batter along with traditional apple pie spices! That includes cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. You can also add ginger and cardamom if you like those flavors.

Apple Pancakes

Making apple pancakes is simple. Add a cup of applesauce or apple butter to your pancake batter! You can also add some apple pie spice (cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice) to bring out the apple flavor more.

Fruity Pancakes

You can add any dried fruit and some soft fresh fruits to your pancake batter for something delicious and nutritious. I like chopped banana, raisins, and dried cranberries.

Nutty Pancakes

Adding some chopped pecans, walnuts, and hard seeds like chia, flax, and sunflower seeds give your pancakes a nice crunch. If I have the time, I add nuts and fruit to my pancake batter after making a few plain ones for my picky eaters.

Recipe Card

Best Homemade Pancake Recipe with Freshly Milled Flour

This is simply the best homemade pancake recipe using freshly milled flour! When you want a cozy breakfast, whip up a batch of these pancakes. They are delicious and healthy! The texture is somewhat like a cross between a fluffy pancake and a thin crepe pancake.

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 30

Total Time 35

Serving Size 14 large pancakes

Equipment

large mixing bowl
Medium mixing bowl
measuring cups and spoons
Dough whisk (You can also use an electric mixer.)
ladle
Flat spatula
cast iron skillet(s) (I use all 3 of my skillets to speed up the cooking process.)
Container for pancakes

Ingredients

4 cups freshly milled flour (I use soft white wheat.)
4 tbsp sugar
4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp fine sea salt
4 cups buttermilk (or milk)
4 eggs
1/2 cup avocado oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
butter or other cooking fat (I have also used sausage grease, bacon grease, and avocado oil with good results.)

Instructions

Make the Pancake Batter

In a large mixing bowl, add all the dry ingredients and whisk it together. Make a well in the center and set the bowl aside.
In a medium mixing bowl, add all the wet ingredients and whisk them together.
Pour the wet ingredients into the large mixing bowl with the dry ingredients. Whisk the ingredients together using your dough whisk until everything is well combined and you don't see any more lumps of dry ingredients.

Cook Pancakes

Heat up your cast iron skillet(s) over medium-low heat on top of your stove. Add enough butter or other cooking fat to coat the bottom of your skillet to prevent your pancakes from sticking.
When your skillets are hot, add a ladle full of pancake batter to the center of each skillet. The batter will start to form bubbles on top and those bubbles will pop.
When the bubbles on top of your pancake stop filling in with uncooked batter around the edges and most of the center, flip your pancake over using a flat spatula. Cook an additional 30 seconds or until your pancake is done to your liking. Then remove your cooked pancake to a separate container.
Keep making pancakes following the steps above until you use up all your pancake batter. You may need to add additional cooking fat if your pancakes start to stick to your hot skillets.

Tips

Use enough cooking fat to coat the bottom of your hot skillet(s) to prevent your pancakes from sticking initially. I've found that I sometimes need to add a bit more cooking fat about half way through my batter, but it depends on how well-seasoned your cast iron skillets are. If your pancakes are sticking, add more cooking fat, as needed.

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Best Homemade Pancake Recipe Using Fresh Milled Flour