Easy Pancake Muffins Recipe

Pancake muffins are exactly what they sound like: fluffy little pancakes baked into grab-and-go muffins so your morning isn’t chaos (or at least, it’s a cute, maple-smelling kind of chaos). Think golden tops, soft middles, and all your favorite add-ins—blueberries, chocolate chips, cinnamon sugar—baked right in. No flipping, no babysitting a skillet, just scoop, bake, and snack with coffee in hand.

My family treats these like currency. If I pull out a warm tray on a school morning, I’m suddenly everyone’s favorite person. My husband claims he “just needs one,” then eats three in the car with a drizzle of maple syrup straight from a travel bottle. Not proud, but also… deeply proud. These have become our weekend meal-prep heroes—toss them in the freezer, and breakfast basically makes itself.

How to Make It

Okay, here’s the vibe: preheat the oven to 375°F and grease a 12-cup muffin tin (or use liners, but give them a quick spray so nothing sticks). In one bowl whisk your dry stuff—flour, baking powder, a tiny pinch of baking soda, salt, and a little sugar. In another bowl whisk the wet—milk, a dollop of yogurt (keeps them tender), egg, vanilla, and melted butter or oil. Pour wet into dry and stir just until you don’t see big streaks of flour. Lumpy is fine; overmixing makes them tough—ask me how I know.

Let the batter hang out for 5 minutes while you wrangle toppings and sip something. Fold in add-ins if you want them throughout, or do my chaotic method and sprinkle different things into each cup so everyone gets their fave. Fill each cup about 3/4 full. Bake 12–14 minutes until the tops bounce back when tapped and a toothpick comes out clean (unless you stabbed a chocolate chip—then it’s just melty, not raw). Cool 5 minutes, pop them out, and serve with butter and a drizzle of maple.

✔Ingredient Notes

– All-purpose flour: The backbone. Spoon-and-level so you don’t pack in too much or you’ll get bricks, not breakfast.
– Baking powder + pinch of baking soda: Gives lift and a little puff. If your baking powder is older than your houseplants… replace it.
– Milk: Any milk works. I use 2%, but almond or oat milk is fine—just don’t pick a super sweet vanilla one unless you like dessert-for-breakfast vibes.
– Plain yogurt (or buttermilk): Adds tenderness and that cozy pancake tang. One time I skipped it and they were fine… but not wow. I missed it.
– Egg: Holds everything together. If you’re out, a flax egg works, but the muffins will be a touch denser.
– Melted butter or neutral oil: Butter = flavor, oil = extra moist and dairy-free. I swap depending on my mood (and the dishwasher situation).
– Sugar: Just a couple tablespoons to lean pancake, not cupcake. You can swap maple or honey—see tips below.
– Add-ins (blueberries, mini chocolate chips, cinnamon-sugar): Don’t overdo it. A heaping cup total is plenty or they get top-heavy and sink.

✔Recipe Steps

1. Preheat oven to 375°F and grease a 12-cup muffin tin (lightly spray liners if using).
2. Whisk 1½ cups flour, 2 tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp baking soda, ¼ tsp fine salt, and 2–3 tbsp sugar in a bowl.
3. Whisk 1 cup milk, ¼ cup plain yogurt, 1 large egg, 1 tsp vanilla, and ¼ cup melted butter or oil in a second bowl.
4. Pour wet into dry and stir just until combined; rest batter 5 minutes to hydrate.
5. Fold in up to 1 cup add-ins (or sprinkle into cups), then fill wells ¾ full.
6. Bake 12–14 minutes until tops spring back; cool 5 minutes, release, and serve with butter and warm maple syrup.

What to Serve It With

– Greek yogurt and berries (I do a dunk-and-bite situation).
– Crispy bacon or sausage for the salty-sweet duo.
– Sliced bananas with a dusting of cinnamon.
– A strong coffee or hot cocoa for the kids who think they’re fancy.

✔Tips & Mistakes

– Don’t overmix. A few lumps = tender muffins. Smooth batter = chewy sadness.
– Rest the batter. Five minutes makes a difference in rise.
– Spray the liners. Pancake batter likes to cling.
– Use room-temp milk/egg if you can so the butter doesn’t seize up into little cold flecks.
– Mini muffins? Bake 8–10 minutes and keep an eye—they go from perfect to over in a blink.
– Frozen berries are fine—toss with a teaspoon of flour so they don’t sink and stain everything neon.

✔Storage Tips

Let them cool, then stash in an airtight container: room temp for 2 days, fridge up to 4 days. Freeze up to 2 months—reheat straight from frozen at 325°F for 8–10 minutes or 20–30 seconds in the microwave. Cold from the fridge with peanut butter? Weirdly excellent. Breakfast in a pinch, zero judgment.

✔Variations and Substitutions

– Gluten-free: Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend and add an extra tablespoon of milk if the batter’s thick.
– Dairy-free: Use oat or almond milk and oil instead of butter; skip yogurt or use a dairy-free one.
– Maple-sweetened: Swap the sugar for 2 tbsp maple syrup and reduce milk by 1–2 tbsp.
– Protein boost: Add 2 tbsp vanilla protein powder and splash in more milk to keep the batter scoopable.
– Banana bread vibe: Mash 1 small ripe banana into the wet ingredients; sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
– Savory brunch: Skip vanilla and sugar; add ½ cup shredded cheddar and chopped chives. Serve with hot sauce.
– Pantry hack: Use 2 cups pancake mix + 1 cup milk + 1 egg + 2 tbsp melted butter; bake as written.

Frequently Asked Questions

Easy Pancake Muffins Recipe

Fluffy, grab-and-go pancake muffins baked in a muffin pan—ready in 25 minutes and perfect for breakfast meal prep. Customize with chocolate chips or blueberries!

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Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 12

Calories: 120kcal

Ingredients

 

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Main Ingredients

• ▢ 1.5 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
• ▢ 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• ▢ 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ▢ 0.5 teaspoon fine salt
• ▢ 1.25 cups milk room temperature
• ▢ 1 large egg
• ▢ 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 0.75 cup mini chocolate chips or fresh blueberries

Instructions

Preparation Steps

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners or lightly grease with nonstick spray.
• In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
• In a separate bowl, whisk milk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla until smooth.
• Pour wet ingredients into dry. Stir gently just until combined; a few small lumps are okay. Do not overmix.
• Fold in mini chocolate chips (or blueberries) with a spatula.
• Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each about 0.75 full. Bake 13–15 minutes until tops spring back and a toothpick comes out clean.
• Cool in pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Swap chocolate chips with 0.75 cup blueberries or diced strawberries. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days or refrigerate up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave for 10–15 seconds. Freeze up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge.