Easy Pancake Recipe Without Baking Powder

This easy pancake recipe without baking powder will give you the perfect result every time, and it uses minimal ingredients too. It’s great for breakfast, for pancake day or whenever you fancy. Since there is no baking powder used, you are likely to have the ingredients already.

A stack of pancakes with no baking powder on a white plate.

This recipe includes all the basic ingredients you would expect to find in pancakes: self-raising flour, eggs, milk, and no baking powder. It’s super simple to make and doesn’t require resting either. If you need a vegan recipe, these fluffy banana pancakes are delicious and thick. You would enjoy these even if not vegan but they do happen to be egg-free so perfect if you’ve just run out. For some topping inspiration, try my Tiramisu pancakes. They are incredible. But this easy pancake recipe is so good just with syrup and a pat of butter on top.

Why you’ll love this recipe

It contains no baking powder, so it’s easy to pull together with minimal ingredients from the cupboard
The pancakes are the perfect mix of thick and thin – they are fluffy and soft, thicker than crepes but thinner than a proper American-style thick pancake. Perfect in my opinion
These pancakes are customizable. I’ve done them with blueberries, but chocolate chips, for example, would be delicious.

Ingredients

Eggs: Large eggs work best here. Try to use free-range eggs if you can!
Whole milk: Whole is ideal, but it would be fine with semi-skimmed or even skimmed milk too. Whole just gives the best, well-rounded pancake.
Self-rising (self-raising) flour: This is to replace the baking powder to make sure they still have some rise and are still fluffy.
Sugar: Optional, but just a hint of sugar adds a touch of sweetness to these pancakes.

Substitutions and variations

Milk: You can substitute whole milk for oat milk or almond milk if you don’t drink dairy.

Blueberries: As mentioned above, chocolate chips would be delicious or you could keep the pancakes plain. Using fresh raspberries is a great idea.

Self-rising (self-raising) flour: I love this recipe because it doesn’t contain extra baking powder. If you want to make these and don’t have self-raising flour, use 9 3/4 oz (280 g, about 2 1/4 cups) all-purpose (plain) flour and add 3 teaspoons of baking powder.

How to make easy pancakes with no baking powder

Here’s a quick visual guide — the full recipe with exact measurements is below.

ONE: Add the eggs and milk to a large bowl, and then add the flour and sugar if using. Mix together until totally smooth.

TWO: Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat and add a little butter. I do this with a paper towel for ease. Once hot, scoop about 2 tbsp of batter at a time for each pancake and cook.

Fresh blueberries on pancake frying in pan.

THREE: Add blueberries or whatever add-ins you like. Do this just before the bubble start to form and it’s still not set on top.

FOUR: Once the bubbles appear, you can flip the pancake. They should be golden on each side. Yum!

My top tips for the best pancakes ever

Butter: As you may have heard before, “butter makes it better.” And that is very true here. Frying in butter gives the best color and flavor.
Cooking temperature: Do not be tempted to cook pancakes over a high heat. I’ve done it before, and it really leads to a mess – burnt exteriors and a claggy center. Keeping the pan on medium heat means the pancakes gently turn golden and gives enough time to cook in the middle for a fluffy rise.
Non-stick pan: I would really recommend using a non-stick pan here as it means you avoid any sticking mishaps. I like this non-stick pan; it does it all!

Frequently asked questions

What is the trick to making good pancakes?

A good non-stick pan is crucial to making good pancakes. Alongside the non-stick pan, make sure you grease the pan well with some butter. Wipe it on with some paper towels to spread it evenly.

Can you make pancake batter the night before?

Yes, you can make this batter the night before. Cover it and leave it in the fridge overnight. When ready, give it a good stir and let it sit out at room temp for 20 minutes or so before cooking, just so it loosens again. But you don’t have to chill it; this is just if you are getting ahead!

Can I use all-purpose (plain) flour?

With the lack of baking powder, you need the self-raising flour for a bit of rise. So I wouldn’t use plain here as you might end up with a crepe rather than a pancake. If you only have plain flour, use 9 3/4 oz (280 g, about 2 1/4 cups) and add 3 teaspoons of baking powder.

Are these pancakes sugar free?

Yes, these pancakes don’t have sugar in them and are sugar-free. Typically, American pancakes include sugar, but I find that with the fruit and the syrup, this isn’t needed. You can, of course, add a touch of sugar to compensate for different toppings, or if that’s how you prefer it. Add 1-2 tbsp superfine (caster) sugar or granulated sugar to the batter, at the same point as the flour.

Other recipes you may like

If you are a pancake fiend, try these Tiramisu Pancakes or my Fluffy Banana Pancakes. And if you fancy trying something a bit different to usual, I love these Mango Pancakes with Whipped Cream and Fresh Mango – so fresh and fruity. Finally, a great crepe-style recipe can be found on my site too; they are delicious with lemon curd! But if you want a savory breakfast, make these easy 3 Ingredient Bagels; they are chewy and crisp at the same time.

racuchy with cream and raspberry compote.

Pancake Recipes

Racuchy (Polish Apple Pancakes)

poffertjes in bowl with butter and raspberries.

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Poffertjes (Dutch Mini Pancakes)

pannukakku in a cast iron pan with whipped mascarpone cream and poached rhubarb.

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Pannukakku (Finnish Oven Pancake)

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Pannekaker (Norwegian Pancakes)

If you tried these Easy No Baking Powder Pancakes or any other recipe on the site, please do leave a comment and let us know how it went!

Easy Pancake Recipe Without Baking Powder

By: Margie Nomura

This is a classic pancake recipe. These have all the ingredients you’d expect: self-rising flour, eggs, milk, and, of course, no baking powder!

Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 20 mins
Servings: 8 pancakes

Ingredients

2 large eggs
14.3 fl oz milk , whole milk ideally; about 1 3/4 cups
9.75 oz self-rising flour (self-raising flour) , about 2 1/4 cups
1-2 tbsp superfine sugar (caster sugar) , optional

To serve:

Butter , for frying and serving
Maple syrup
Blueberries or chocolate chips , optional

–

Instructions

Whisk the eggs and milk together to combine in a large bowl. Add the flour and whisk until the batter is completely smooth.
Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat and add a little butter. I do this with a piece of kitchen paper for ease. Once hot, scoop about 2 tbsp of batter at a time for each pancake and cook.
Once in the pan and slightly set around the edges, but not yet bubbling on top, add the blueberries or chocolate chips.
Once bubbles appear on top, flip and cook until golden. The size of your pan and the size of the pancakes will determine how many pancakes you can cook at a time, but this should make at least 8 pancakes.
Serve with a pat of butter, maple syrup and enjoy!

Video

Notes

Conversions: To be helpful, we’ve provided conversions if you are in America and like using cups but we should say, for accuracy, we really do recommend weighing. It’s the British way of doing it and is the most accurate way to get the best cakes. We’ve tried to make your life easier, but for the best cakes, please use the weights provided! Frying: I always add a little more butter to the pan in between batches so they are all fried in butter and don’t stick. When to flip: Only flip the pancakes when they have bubbles on the surface. This is how you know they are done enough to flip so they don’t break and go everywhere. Sugar: I often make these without adding any extra sugar. If I’m adding blueberries and maple syrup, I don’t find they need sugar. If you do like a little extra sweetness, add 1-2 tbsp of caster or granulated sugar to the batter, at the same time as the flour.

Nutrition

Calories: 181 kcal
, Carbohydrates: 30 g
, Protein: 7 g
, Fat: 3 g
, Saturated Fat: 1 g
, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g
, Monounsaturated Fat: 1 g
, Trans Fat: 0.004 g
, Cholesterol: 47 mg
, Sodium: 37 mg
, Potassium: 132 mg
, Fiber: 1 g
, Sugar: 4 g
, Vitamin A: 149 IU
, Calcium: 79 mg
, Iron: 1 mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.