Perfect Pancake Muffins Recipe
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
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
have you ever made this with Bisquick?
Debbie, I haven’t used Bisquick with this recipe.
Delicious! Made them as written (oil instead of butter per recipe) and did mix ins including colorful sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, or blue berries (the kids had a blast helping with this) and I made some with turkey sausage precooked links, cut into small pieces and dropped into the center of each pancake “muffin” to make “pigs in a blanket.” They were a hit. This recipe was a perfect base for these mix ins. Easy school day breakfast – make them on a weekend, they reheat well in the microwave, and kids jump out of bed for them. Keeper!
Erica, I’m so glad that your children seem to love these pancake muffins as much as my son did when he was little. He loved to help me make them, too. They are great reheated for a quick school day breakfast.
Erica, I like your idea of adding turkey sausage pieces to Robyn’s delicious-sounding recipe. I am going to try adding precooked diced ham to incorporate protein into this quick breakfast: an all-in-one.
I have made these amazing muffin pancakes for the grandkids when they come over. They love them. I add a swirl of syrup to the top before baking them. That way there are no sticky hands.
All my grandchildren LOVE these. Have made them many times!
I’m so happy your grandchildren love these, Jane. My son and I always had so much fun making these when he was younger.
Try putting 3-5 blueberries in each mini muffin or a small piece of cooked sausage.
I made these this morning for my toddlers. Even my husband who does not like pancakes liked them. Great recipe. I added blueberries, put them in big muffin tins and baked @350 for 20 mins. Will be making these again .
So, i guess i didn’t get the mini muffins part, i made regular…now 15 min later they are still not done. Waiting patiently.
I hope you enjoy them, Njeri. The recipe is written for mini muffins, so they will need to cook longer if you make them as regular sized muffins. Thanks!
I don’t want to rate the recipe as written because I made a dairy free version due to a milk alllergy in the family. I substituted coconut oil for butter, almond ‘butter milk’ for buttermilk and used 1/2 c whole wheat flour + 11/2 c all purpose. The texture and flavor are a bit underwhelming to say the least. I love the idea and I’m sure the recipe as written is lovely but my dairy free version was a bit of a failure. My advice is to stick to the recipe if you don’t haveto make the required dietary adjustments that my family does.
Made these delicious beauties today and my husband would not stop raving about them!!! I sprinkled a cinnamon/sugar mix on top of each mini-muffin before baking-a recipe my husband makes in big batches for when he makes his homemade cinnamon rolls-more cinnamon than sugar! I even added some of the cinnamon/sugar mix to the warm syrup…YUMMY!!! After he left to work I made another batch of them to freeze since it was so easy, fast, and scrumptious!!!
I’m so glad you and your husband both love them, Cathy! They are definitely easy little things to whip up and I love having them in my freezer for busy mornings! xo
If you freeze them, how do you recommend reheating them? How long in the microwave? Thank you in advance for your reply!
Hi Lori,
When I freeze these muffins, I reheat in my microwave. Microwave ovens vary, so the time will vary with them as well. You can try using your reheat setting or at 50 to 60% power and heating the frozen muffin in 20 second intervals until warm. I hope this helps. Enjoy your muffins! Thanks! xo