Single Small Batch Pancake (1 Cup of Flour)

A pancake breakfast is quick and easy thanks to this recipe for a single skillet pancake. Using just 1 cup (120 grams) of flour, you can whip up a fluffy, golden-brown small batch pancake in just about 25 minutes. Perfect for a lazy morning, it’s both satisfying and simple to prepare in one pan with minimal time spent standing at the stove. So good topped with whipped honey butter or maple syrup!

Keep reading for my best tips on how to jazz up this single pancake with your favorite pancake mix-ins like chocolate chips, fruit, and peanut butter too!

Like many of my other small batch recipes, this single-serving pancake recipe uses just 1 cup of flour. I've written the recipe to make one giant skillet pancake that you serve cut into wedges like a pizza, but you can use it to make 3-4 regular-sized pancakes or 8-10 silver dollar pancakes too!

This really is a versatile recipe for making a small batch of pancakes — whether you're making one giant pancake or a bunch of little ones!

Jump to:

• About This Recipe
• Ingredient Notes
• 🍽 Mise en place (aka "the setup")
• Instructions
• Small Batch Pancake Mix-ins and Toppings
• Suggested Equipment
• Practical Tips and Recipe Notes
• BONUS: Measuring in Cups (Volume Measurements)
• Recipe FAQ
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

About This Recipe

I saw a post recently from someone (I can't remember who, please let me know if you do so I can credit them!) that said something along the lines of: Growing up means understanding that the special giant pancake your parent made at the end of the batch was less about having fun and more about wanting to be done making pancakes. And oh boy did that resonate with me.

Growing up, when my dad made pancakes on weekend mornings, the best pancake was always the last one. He'd pour however much batter was left in the bowl into the skillet to make one giant pancake, top it with chocolate chips or mini m&ms, and serve it up cut into wedges like a pizza. Watching him flip the giant pancake was a Sunday morning magic show.

As a kid, that final giant pancake was a special treat. But for my dad, a tired adult, it was probably the result of wanting to be done standing at the stove flipping pancakes as soon as possible. I know that because that is how I, now also a tired adult, feel every time I make a full-size batch of pancakes.

Making pancakes always seems like such a good idea at the time, but by the time I'm flipping the third batch, I'm wishing I could just go sit down and eat.

So what I love about this small batch pancake recipe is that it makes just enough batter for one of those giant, special skillet pancakes. You only have to pour the batter once and you only have to flip one single pancake. And the pancake is so thick and fluffy, definitely big enough for 2 adults to split or 3-4 little kids to share! Though if you want to keep it all for yourself, I'd totally understand that too.

If you have a sourdough starter, you may also want to check out my sourdough discard scallion pancakes — another great small batch recipe that takes little to no time at all to make!

Ingredient Notes

Here are the ingredients that you'll need to make this skillet pancake recipe! See recipe card for quantities.

• Flour - Regular all-purpose flour is just fine here. Nothing fancy!
• Sugar - Just a small amount of white sugar adds a bit of sweetness. You can also use honey or maple syrup if you prefer.
• Salt - I use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt which is half as salty as other brands and types of salt. If you're using a different brand of salt, even a different brand of kosher salt, cut the amount of salt in half.
• Baking Powder - Baking powder is the chemical leavener in this pancake recipe. Baking powder is double acting — it will activate first when introduced to moisture and then a second time when introduced to heat. This is why we let the pancake batter rest for 10-30 minutes before making the pancake; it gives the baking powder time to let that first activation begin producing lots of bubbles!
• Egg - Large eggs. If you use a different size, you may find you need to add or hold back a bit of milk to get to the right batter consistency.
• Whole Milk - I use whole milk in all my baking because the fat content produces more tender results. For something as simple as pancakes, you'll be just fine if you use 2%, 1%, or skim milk — even non-dairy milk alternatives or buttermilk will work fine here.
• Melted Butter - Melted butter provides both flavor and fat in the pancake batter to help make the pancakes nice and tender with a lovely buttery flavor. It also helps the pancakes brown when you cook them.

• Bring the milk to room temperature. Microwave the milk in 10-15 second bursts until it is lukewarm to the touch, about 75°F.
• Bring the egg to room temperature. Submerge the egg in hot tap water for 5-10 minutes prior to mixing.
• Melt the butter. Melt the butter in the microwave in 10-15 second bursts until just a few solid pieces remain. Stir gently until it is all melted.

Getting the ingredients to the right temperature is super important for allowing them to combine evenly so you get thick, fluffy pancake. Cold ingredients will produce a dense, flat pancake.

Instructions

Making pancake batter follows what's called the muffin method of mixing. I know, I know, it's is a pancake. But it uses the same mixing method used in muffin recipes, so that's what it's called. The "muffin method" of mixing is defined by the use of a liquid fat (melted butter, in this case) and might just be the easiest of the three main mixing methods* you'll encounter in most baking recipes.

There's one thing I want you to keep in mind as you mix this small batch pancake batter. A challenge, if you will. Try to mix the pancake batter in as few movements as possible.

If you mix the pancake batter too vigorously, or for too long, it will begin developing a gluten network. Gluten provides the strength and structure we want in bread doughs, but in muffins and pancakes, it will make the batter tight, dense, and unpleasant to eat.

This doesn't mean you have to limit yourself to like, ten stirs, or whatever. Just be efficient with your mixing — don't mix any more than you have to to get everything incorporated.

This resting time will also give any lumps or bits of flour time to absorb more of the liquids in the batter.

The finished pancake batter will be VERY thick. If you prefer a thinner pancake batter (and a thinner pancake) you can add a little bit more milk to thin it out.

Let the pancake cook for 5-7 minutes until lots of bubbles are visible on the surface, especially around the edges of the pancake. The outer edge will lose its shine and start to look a little matte in texture. The idea is to let the pancake do most of its cooking on this first side. Be patient!

TIP: If you're going to add any extras like chocolate chips or M&M's or bananas or fruit, add them after the pancake has had at least 1 minute to cook so they don't sink all the way through.

For a successful pancake flip, you want the bottom of the pancake to be completely cooked through and for the batter on the top to also start to set up. A runny pancake won't flip well. Adjust the burner temp as needed so the pancake doesn't burn on the bottom.

Because the pancake cooked halfway through before you even flipped it, it doesn't need much time on the other side to finish cooking. If you prefer a darker, more browned pancake on both sides, it's fine to let it go a little longer.

Small Batch Pancake Mix-ins and Toppings

There are a lot of ways you can customize this skillet pancake. Here are some of my favorite twists to get you started:

• Candy or Nuts: Chocolate chips, mini M&Ms, cinnamon chips, toffee chips, sprinkles, rainbow chips, etc. I prefer sprinkling them on top of the pancake about 1 minute into cooking to prevent them from burning on the surface of the pan, but you can also just mix them directly into the batter and pour it onto the skillet. Add no more than 50 grams if adding directly to the batter.
• Fruit: Blueberries, diced strawberries, or diced stone fruit can be mixed directly into the batter after it has time to rest. Add no more than 30 grams if you're mixing directly into the batter. Thinly sliced bananas can be added to the pancake in the skillet. Other berries like raspberries or blackberries are better served on top of the pancake instead of cooked into the batter.
• Peanut Butter or Nutella: You can pour or dollop it right onto the surface of the pancake and swirl it in with a knife and follow the rest of the recipe as written. But what I like to do is pour half to three-quarters of the batter into the pan, drizzle melted Nutella or peanut butter all over it, and then use the remaining pancake batter to cover it up so that the Nutella or peanut butter cooks inside the pancake. It's a little fussier, but less messy to flip and reduces the chances of the peanut butter or Nutella burning after you flip the pancake.
• Jam or Jelly: Same as with peanut butter or Nutella, you can either dollop or swirl it onto the pancake batter in the pan, or divide the pancake batter to hide it inside the pancake.

Suggested Equipment

To mix the batter, you can use any spatula you like, but I like to use a dough whisk. Despite the name, the sturdy wire coil of a dough whisk is a super efficient option for mixing muffin and pancake batters. It cuts through lumps of flour without agitating the batter too much and helps prevent over mixing.

If you don't have a dough whisk, use a spatula to mix the batter for this small batch pancake recipe. I don't recommend using a regular whisk for pancake batter — they're too efficient at mixing and you're far more likely to accidentally overmix!

I mix the pancake batter in this Pyrex 4-cup measuring cup. The recipe only makes about a cup and a half, maybe 2 cups of batter, but you need more room to mix effectively so I find the 4-cup liquid measuring cup works best. And the spout makes it easy to pour the batter.

I like to use a 10.25" cast iron pan to make pancakes, but a non-stick pan or an electric pancake griddle will also work just fine. You may need to adjust the burner temperature and timing of the recipe based on your own stove and how your pan heats.

To flip the giant pancake, I recommend a fish-turner spatula. The long, wide shape and gentle slope toward the handle provide more support for the pancake when it comes time to flip.

Practical Tips and Recipe Notes

• To make chocolate pancakes, replace 15 grams of flour with cocoa powder and increase the milk by 10 grams.
• I like to slice or scoop about ¼ tablespoon of homemade butter and place it on top of the pancake after flipping to give it time to start melting while the pancake finishes cooking. It makes it easier to spread later.
• If you prefer a sweeter pancake, you can double the amount of sugar and add ¼ teaspoon vanilla to the batter along with the liquid ingredients.
• *The other two primary mixing methods are the biscuit method and the creaming method. I have a detailed explanation of the biscuit method in my honey butter biscuit recipe and a detailed explanation of the creaming method in my vanilla pound cake recipe.

Recipe FAQ

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