Pancake Muffins are the perfect easy breakfast recipe! Pancakes are baked as muffins with any mix-ins for an easy and fast morning meal. They’re soft and fluffy with a little sweetness and even freeze well!
I love pancakes, but most of the time I don’t have the energy to make them in the morning or the time to sit down and enjoy a plate before we have to rush out the door. I save traditional pancakes for special occasions, but I can still get my daily fix with Pancake Muffins.
These are an easy way to enjoy pancakes in the morning; Even though they’re technically muffins they have a light and airy texture and have less flour and sugar. They’re lightly sweetened with maple syrup. The ratio of the liquid to flour is closer to a pourable pancake batter than a thick muffin batter – and they’re super airy due to the chemistry of the ingredients.
You can make them ahead and enjoy them cold or warm them up in the microwave for an easy on-the-go breakfast during the week.
Essential Pancake Muffin Ingredients (from scratch)
- Oil is the perfect fat to keep these soft and moist instead of using butter.
- All-purpose flour: Be sure to measure the flour by spooning and leveling, not scooping.
- Milk and Vinegar (aka Buttermilk) reacts with the baking soda for a massive lift which creates a super airy and light muffin. I usually just add milk and vinegar but you can make your own buttermilk if want, or omit the vinegar and use buttermilk from the store.
- Real maple syrup for sweetness and to keep them moist. Maple syrup provides moisture that granulated sugar lacks so these muffins won’t get dry.
Click to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions. See below the recipe card for even more information: process shots, variations, FAQ and more.
Master Mix-In List
Any mix-ins you like – you can make all sorts of Pancake Muffin variations
- Make blueberry pancake muffins by adding 1 cup blueberries to the batter. I like to use fresh blueberries for this recipe, but you can use frozen ones.
- Make strawberry pancake muffins (or raspberry or even blackberry).
- Be sure to thaw fruit and drain off the excess liquid before adding them to the batter. Toss any berries in a teaspoon of flour to prevent the batter from turning colors.
- Chocolate chip pancake muffins add some chocolate.
- Add a cup of nuts.
- Add spices or top with cinnamon sugar.
- Make savory pancake muffins by adding cheddar cheese and cooked sausage or bacon.
Meal Prep: How to Freeze and Reheat Pancake Muffins
- Store cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Freeze muffins in a single layer, then place in a bag or container once frozen. They can be frozen for several months. Freezing them in a single layer first ensures they won’t stick together, making it easy to grab and go in the morning.
- What I love about these pancake muffins is that they’re delicious at any temperature. They’re great warm from the oven and we love to drizzle a little maple syrup over the top just like you would with regular pancakes. Or dip them in syrup!
- Simply reheat them in the microwave if you want them warmed.
Pancake Muffins Recipe
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Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (186g) all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup add-ins (i.e. blueberries)
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with liners and spray them with nonstick cooking spray.
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Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk buttermilk, maple syrup, oil, and eggs in a large measuring cup or medium sized bowl. Stir wet ingredients into dry, and stir just until combined. Mixture will be slightly lumpy. Stir in mix ins.
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Fill muffin cups ¾ full (about ¼cup of batter per muffin liner). Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs and the muffins are puffy and golden. Cool slightly before serving. Serve warm or cold, plain or with butter and syrup.
Video
Notes
- If you have buttermilk, use 2/3 cup of that and omit milk and vinegar.
- You can use your favorite non-dairy milk and add the same amount of vinegar to make a non-dairy buttermilk.
- If you want to make them sugar-free just use your favorite sugar-free pancake syrup.
- I like to use fresh fruit for this recipe, but you can use frozen ones. Just be sure to thaw them and drain off the excess liquid before adding them to the batter. And toss any fruit with 1 tsp flour so they don’t sink.
- Make a batch ahead of time and keep them in the freezer. Simply warm them in the microwave.
- Use any mix ins like chocolate chips, nuts, spices, fruit, or make savory pancake muffins.
Nutrition
How to make Pancake Muffins step-by-step
- You will need a standard 12-cup muffin pan for this recipe. I like to use muffin liners and spray the inside of each with cooking spray. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, whisk the buttermilk, maple syrup, vegetable oil, and eggs together until smooth.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones and stir just until combined. Like a regular pancake batter, there will be some lumps which is fine. Fold in the blueberries.
- Fill each muffin liner ¾ full with the batter. Bake the muffins for 12 to 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- You can serve them right away or cool them and keep them in the refrigerator for an easy breakfast later.
FAQs
Freeze them in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
You can, but this from-scratch recipe uses buttermilk and maple syrup for a much lighter, fluffier texture than boxed mixes.
Toss your blueberries in 1 teaspoon of flour before folding them into the batter; this helps them “grip” the batter so they don’t fall to the bottom.
Yes! Once cooled, freeze them in a single layer in a Ziploc bag for up to 3 months. Microwave for 20-30 seconds to reheat.
Over-baking is the main culprit. Pull them when a toothpick has a few moist crumbs. Also, ensure you are using real maple syrup, not corn syrup-based “pancake syrup”.
Yes, simply use your favorite non-dairy milk and add 1 teaspoon of vinegar to create a dairy-free buttermilk substitute.
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