Perfect Pancake Muffins Recipe
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These Pancake Muffins are fluffy, delicious, and taste just like your favorite pancakes — but baked as muffins for easy grab-and-go breakfasts! Made with simple pantry ingredients and ready in under 30 minutes, they’re perfect for busy mornings or weekend brunch.
The light, fluffy texture and classic buttermilk pancake flavor make these pancake muffins a family favorite! This easy recipe turns traditional pancake batter into portable, kid-friendly muffins that are great for busy mornings or weekend brunch. Whether you serve them plain or with maple syrup, these pancake muffins are sure to become a favorite breakfast.
Why You’ll Love This Pancake Muffins Recipe
- Quick & Easy: Ready in under 30 minutes with simple pantry staples.
- Kid-Approved: Handheld muffins are a fun breakfast for little ones.
- Make-Ahead Friendly: Perfect for meal prep for easy weekday breakfasts.
- Portable: Great for on-the-go breakfasts, school lunches, or weekend brunch.
Ingredients
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, notes, and estimated nutritional information.
- All-Purpose Flour: You can also use a blend of whole wheat and white flour if you like.
- Granulated Sugar: Adds a bit of sweetness and gives the muffins structure as they bake.
- Baking Powder: Acts as a leavener, helping the muffins rise.
- Baking Soda: Also helps the muffins rise, since this recipe uses buttermilk.
- Salt
- Buttermilk: If none on hand, make this 2-ingredient homemade buttermilk.
- Egg
- Butter: Melted butter. Can use cooking oil if you like.
- Maple Syrup: Warmed, for serving. Or use your favorite pancake syrup.
Optional Mix-Ins
- Chocolate Chips
- Blueberries, Diced Strawberries, Raspberries, or Chopped Peaches
- Lemon Zest
- Nuts: Chopped nuts such as pecans, walnuts, or almonds.
- Cinnamon
How to Make Perfect Pancake Muffins
This easy muffin recipe uses simple ingredients and no special equipment.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat and prep: Set oven to 350º F. Spray a mini-muffin pan with nonstick baking spray or use muffin liners, and set aside.
- Mix the dry ingredients: Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
- Mix the wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, mix together buttermilk, egg, and melted butter.
- Combine: Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir to just combine. Don’t overmix. Allow the batter to rest for about 3 minutes.
- Add any mix-ins (optional): Gently fold in chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or berries if using.
- Scoop into muffin tin: Scoop the pancake batter with a cookie scoop to evenly divide into muffin cups, filling each about 1/2 full.
- Bake: Bake for 13-15 minutes until slightly golden on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Serve: Serve them with warmed maple syrup for dipping.
Recipe Success Tips
- Don’t Overmix: Stir just until combined to keep muffins fluffy.
- Use Room Temperature Ingredients: Helps the batter mix evenly.
- Test for Doneness: A toothpick should come out clean or with only a few moist crumbs.
- Make Ahead: Bake a batch on the weekend for easy weekday breakfasts.
Storage Tips
- Store: Keep in an airtight container at room temperature overnight or refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: Cool completely, wrap individually, and store in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight, then heat in oven or microwave.
- Reheat: Microwave 15–20 seconds or warm in a toaster oven.
- Make-Ahead: Bake ahead and freeze; Store the batter in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container, then bake as directed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Homemade pancake batter, like in this recipe, can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
Yes – many optional mix-ins, such as chocolate chips, fruit, and nuts, can be added.
Yes – substitute with your favorite 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.
More Favorite Breakfast Ideas
Why These Pancake Muffins are a Breakfast Star
Fluffy and sweet, these pancake muffins bring all the comfort of classic pancakes in a grab-and-go muffin. Easy to make, freezer-friendly, and endlessly customizable — they’re great for busy mornings and weekend brunch.
Perfect Pancake Muffins Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour, (spoon + level)
- 3 tablespoons (36 g) granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (6 g) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (4 g) baking soda
- pinch (0.4 g) kosher salt
- 2 cups (490 g) buttermilk
- 1 (50 g) egg
- 1/4 cup (56.75 g) melted butter
- maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º F. Spray a mini-muffin pan with nonstick baking spray or use muffin liners and set aside.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Mix the wet ingredients: buttermilk, egg, and melted butter in a medium mixing bowl. Pour the buttermilk mixture slowly into the flour mixture, stirring to combine as you pour. Allow the batter to rest for about 3 minutes.
- Scoop pancake batter and fill each indention of mini muffin pan about 1/2 full. Bake for 13-15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Serve with warmed maple syrup for dipping.
Notes
- Store: Keep in an airtight container at room temperature overnight or refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: Cool completely, wrap individually, and store in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight, then heat in oven or microwave.
- Reheat: Microwave 15–20 seconds or warm in a toaster oven.
- Make-Ahead: Bake ahead and freeze; Store the batter in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container, then bake as directed.
- Chocolate Chips: I like to use mini-chocolate chips. I think they are sized perfectly for this recipe.
- Blueberries, Blackberries, Diced Strawberries, Chopped Peaches
- Lemon Zest
- Chopped Nuts
- Cinnamon
- Bacon: Add chopped cooked bacon
- Don’t Overmix: Stir just until combined to keep muffins fluffy.
- Use Room Temperature Ingredients: Helps the batter mix evenly.
- Test for Doneness: A toothpick should come out clean or with only a few moist crumbs.
- Make Ahead: Bake a batch on the weekend for easy weekday breakfasts.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
Robyn, these look and sound delicious! I can’t wait to try these.
One trick is to make muffin, cupcake, and pancake batter in a half-gallon plastic juice jug, so the batter pours faster and more cleanly than spooning it. However, when doing this, heavier add-ins such as chocolate chips or nuts sink to the bottom of the jug, so I’ve found I need to leave them out of the batter, and sprinkle them on after the batter has been poured.
I recently had a stroke, and need heart-healthy, convenient recipes.
Any chance you could provide us a whole grain bean bread muffin, please?
Alice, you may want to try my Oatmeal Banana Bread Muffins. You can make your own oat flour for these muffins with this recipe. I hope this helps.
how could I make a smaller batch of this?
These muffins were light, airy, and amazing! It was extremely easy to make, and they turned out awesome! For some added flavour, I added chocolate chips and at right before eating I drizzled some maple syrup on it. They were so good that my family of 4 (including me) ate them all in the span of 20 minutes.
I really recommend this recipe, especially if you want breakfast on the go, just pop one or a couple into the microwave for 10 seconds-ish, and then voila!
Thanks, Nathan. Adding the chocolate chips and maple syrup sounds delicious!
Absolutely delicious. Made these the night before and they were great for Sunday brunch. Oh so good with pure Canadian maple syrup . Thank you Robyn for sharing with us.
Anna, I bet the pancakes were good with the Canadian maple syrup. So glad you enjoyed them.
What size of the mini muffin tin should one use? There are two sizes 24 and 48.
Thanks
Anna, this recipe makes 36 mini pancake muffins. You can use either the 24 or 48 cup tin. Hope you enjoy!