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This Best Ever Pancakes recipe employs Greek yogurt to make light, tender, super pancakes! Make the batter the night before for an easy breakfast!
If you like thick, heavy, bread-like pancakes, you might want to click over to a different recipe. But if you enjoy light, tender, melt-in-your-mouth delicious pancakes, you've come to the right place. These are truly the best ever and I don't use that term lightly. In fact, out of over 1200 Café recipes, I've only labeled a handful "best ever", including our Best Ever Flour Tortillas (with over450 5-star reviews) and our Best Ever Super Easy Salsa, another recipe that's been well loved by our readers.
I have to admit that I don't eat pancakes very often. It's not that I don't like them. Actually, just the opposite is true, I LOVE a good pancake. The reason I don't indulge in them frequently might sound strange. They make me really tired! I guess it's the overload of carbs, but it seems that when I finish a pancake breakfast I'm ready for a nap. That's not good when you have a full day ahead of you.
This recipe has changed things though. I've added lots of protein, in the form of Greek yogurt, which, for me, makes a big difference. I really like Fage Whole Milk Greek Yogurt which has 20g protein per cup. That's almost triple the amount of protein in whole milk or buttermilk, which are other products that are often used in pancake batters. (Bye-bye morning nap!)
Another benefit of using Greek yogurt in this recipe is, that like buttermilk, Greek yogurt contains lactic acid which interacts with leavening agents to increase the rise, making these pancakes ever so light. It also adds a delicious, subtle tang and makes the pancakes super tender. A win, win, win!
There are lots of delicious ways to serve these pancakes. We love them topped butter, warm maple syrup, sliced bananas and a handful of our Maple Molasses Pecans or these Easy Candied Pecans. Add some golden browned chicken sausage or a few slices of crispy bacon and you've got a delicious breakfast worthy of royalty!
Raspberries, blackberries and sliced strawberries are also wonderful toppings. Sometimes I add blueberries or a diced banana to the batter. And a scoop of this Ridiculously Easy Lemon Curd in lieu of syrup is ridiculously delicious! Have fun, use your imagination - you can't go wrong here!
Café Tips for making these Best Ever Pancakes
- To make mornings flow really smoothly, make the batter the night before. When breakfast time rolls around you'll have the majority of the work done!
- No Greek yogurt? Although the protein content won't be as high these pancakes are also super delicious made with equal amounts of regular plain yogurt, buttermilk or sour cream.
- You can also make your own buttermilk if you're really in a pinch. For 1 cup of buttermilk, just add 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice or vinegar to a measuring cup. Fill with milk to the one cup mark. Stir well and wait for 5 minutes. You're good to go! Use it just like you would regular buttermilk.
- If you live alone or there are just two of you, this recipe can easily be cut in half. Or, make the whole recipe and cook all of the pancakes. Freeze the extras on a sheet pan. Once frozen, transfer them to a zippered bag between sheets of parchment or waxed paper. When you're in a hurry, just pull one or two pancakes out of the freezer and re-warm in the microwave at 50% power for a minute or till warm.
- Don't use too much heat when making these pancakes. Medium heat is perfect. You want golden brown, but not deep brown pancakes.
- Make sure that there are lots of nice bubbles on the top surface of the pancake, the underneath is golden brown and that the edges are starting to get dry and slightly golden before you flip them. The pancakes should flip easily and not fall apart.
- Don't be too skimpy when oiling your griddle or pan. If you like beautiful, golden brown pancakes with a crisp exterior, you'll need some oil. Pancakes are a splurge breakfast - if you're going to the trouble of making them, make them good!
Thought for the day:
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13
What we're listening to for inspiration:
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Best Ever Pancakes (With Greek Yogurt)
Ingredients
For the pancakes:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup Greek yogurt, (I use Fage whole milk yogurt) See tips above in the post for alternatives to Greek yogurt. You will use 1 cup of any of the alternatives and still use 1½ cups of the milk listed below.
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups milk
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- neutral-flavored oil, (sunflower, safflower, avocado, canola, etc.)
For topping, any of the following:
- butter, warm maple syrup, Ridiculously Easy Lemon Curd, Maple Molasses Pecans, sliced bananas, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries
Instructions
- Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium-large bowl. Whisk to combine then make a well in the center.
- Add Greek yogurt, eggs, and milk to the well. Whisk everything together. The mixture will be lumpy at first. Continue stirring just until all flour is incorporated. It’s fine if there are some small lumps. Add the melted butter and vanilla and stir until blended.
- Heat an oiled griddle or large sauté pan over medium heat with 1 tablespoon of neutral-flavored oil. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle (or pan), using approximately ⅓ cup for each pancake. Spread with your scoop or the back of a spoon to an approximately 5-inch circle. Cook until tops are bubbly, and edges begin to look golden and dry. With a wide spatula, flip and cook until underside is golden.
- Serve immediately with desired toppings.
Notes
Nutrition
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Kudos to you for this super pancake recipe. My husband likes pancakes but I'm not crazy about them because about an hour after I eat them, I'm hungry again. Not so with this recipe. I ate some about five hours ago and I'm still not the least bit hungry. The Greek yogurt was brilliant. My husband asked me to make these twice a week from now on and I will be joining him!! No problem; easy to make , delicious, and healthy too.
Awesome! Thanks for the review, Josephine!
I’m not a fan of pancakes, however my husband is. We tried these last night, adding blueberries to mine. We both loved them! They were tender, flavorful, and just fluffy enough.
This will be on the menu again!
Many thanks for another great recipe.
Wonderful! Thanks for letting us know, Pamela!
These are really good. Served them for Sunday breakfast and the family gave them a big thumbs up. With the Greek yogurt, these pancakes are really tender but we also appreciate the protein bump. This recipe will go in my permanent file for the occasional treat!
Thanks for letting us know, NB!
Oh my god, these are just superb! I've tried many pancake recipes and this one is the best! I made it per recipe, nothing changed and the pancakes are awesome!
Thank you!
Thanks, Pam, for sharing your review 💕
How did you achieve the scalloped edge?
We’re there bananas in there somewhere? I thought The recipe said banana pancakes
Haha! I wish I could claim some special trick, but I just poured batter into the pan and that's how they came out. Just bananas on top!
Made these this morning on a whim..delicious..followed recipe exact, I did add a bit more milk as the batter seemed a little too thick.
Thank you Chris
Thanks, Elsa! We love these pancakes too!
These pancakes are fabulously light and delicious. I decided to make the dry ingredients into a mixture to store for when the urge for pancakes strikes. I doubled the recipe, substituting 1 cup whole wheat flour for a cup of regular, adding 1/2 cup powdered milk and cutting in 1/4 cup shortening (Crisco) so I could just use water, egg, yogurt, and vanilla when I mix them. I just use 1 cup of mix for my husband and me, and I throw in plenty of blueberries. What a yummy breakfast!
What a great idea! Thanks for sharing your adaptation! So convenient!
Chris, this is the second time I have made these pancakes and can confirm with the other reviewers that they are the best ever. This time the intention was to freeze them but ended up eating half before I could freeze them. They do freeze beautifully for a delicious breakfast. Thank you for sharing your recipes!
Thank you, Tracey! And thanks for taking the time to leave a review and the information about freezing. I haven't tried that but it's good to know!
I just love it when I cook with one of your recipes, Chris. They always work so beautifully and everyone LOVES them. These pancakes were no exception. Absolutely delicious, no fuss, easy to make and everyone LOVED them! Thank you for making me look like a superhero in the kitchen.
Thanks, Sarah! 💕 (that's my job, to make you look like a superhero 😊 )
Made these this morning. I didn't have any plain Greek yogurt so I used vanilla Greek Yogurt. They were light, fluffy and delicious. Definitely a keeper. Thank you.
Yay! Thanks for sharing your results, Karen!
Good morning, Chris.
We just had these pancakes for breakfast and my husband said, sincerely, that they are the best he has ever eaten. I second that emotion! Oh my goodness. The Greek yogurt gives them a very slightly tangy flavour which is just delightful!
I had only non-fat Greek yogurt on hand, but made up for the fat by using half-and-half for the milk portion. We are only shopping every 2 weeks, so fresh milk for drinking is in short supply, but I had a half gallon of h&h that was going begging. It has such a nice, long refrigerator life and can be used to help extend milk when cooking. The canned milk sold out quickly in our Sams Club and grocery store.
Thank you for another outstanding recipe! Your tips and suggestions are always appreciated, and the entire website is a treat. I will be passing the link along to my FB friends, as I always do!
Best regards to all. Stay safe and healthy.
Victoria
Thanks for your great review, Victoria. I know it will be helpful to others. And your idea of using non-fat yogurt and half & half is excellent! We all have to be resourceful in the kitchen these days!
I just happened to of had a container of Greek yogurt in my frig just waiting to be used when I came across this recipe so I decided to try out the pancakes. The "former" recipe I used was the IHOP recipe but good bye IHOP hello Greek Yogurt Pancakes! I cut the recipe in half since it was just my husband and myself, followed the directions and oh sweet Jesus were they ever good! Seldom do we ever eat a whole batch of pancakes but there wasn't even a crumb left! They turned out just like the picture, fluffy, golden brown and delicious! This will be my forever go to pancake recipe from here on out. Next time we're going all out and making them for family Sunday brunch (providing this nasty pandemic goes away) along with the candied pecans/walnuts and fresh fruit. They remind me of the coconut, banana, macadamia nut pancakes we had in Kauai. Thank you so much for sharing. God bless you and keep you healthy!
Yay! I'm so glad you enjoyed these pancakes, Jacqui! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave this detailed comment!
Hi Mel,
Thank you for the recipe. This looks great and am looking forward to trying it.
Could you clarify which type of milk to use? The recipe calls for 1.5 c milk. However, in the tips section under making your own buttermilk, you seem to indicate that we need 1.5 c buttermilk for the recipe. I usually make my pancakes with only buttermilk. But since your recipe also calls for yogurt, I am not sure if I should be using both yogurt and buttermilk, or yogurt and plain milk.
Thank you.
Thank you for noticing that, Catherine. It's totally my mistake. I have clarified it in the recipe and tips now. It should be 1 cup of Greek yogurt, sour cream or buttermilk and 1½ cups of milk. If you only have buttermilk, it's also fine to use all buttermilk.
This will be the last pancake recipe you will ever need. It's so fast to put together and cook. I didn't have plain greek yogurt on hand but I did have vanilla greek yogurt so that's what I used in the recipe. It tasted great. My 3 year old grandson ate 4 pancakes at one sitting so you've got to know they were good! Thanks so much for the recipe!
Thank you, Maryanne, for taking the time to share your review 💕 I love that your grandson loved them so much, so sweet. You're making wonderful memories for him!
Made these pancakes for Sunday brunch and my soon to be fifty year old son requested bananas and chocolate chips with a twinkle in his . They were a huge success and set the tone for a lovely day in our household. I especially wanted to thank you for your "thought of the day". I look forward to each email you send and your work has been a great source of inspiration for me and so many. Blessings of peace
That's so awesome, Peggy! Thanks for your thoughtful comment 💕💕
Made these tonight for our Sunday night supper. They really were the best pancakes I've ever made, and I had pretty much decided that the "pancake" recipe didn't matter much, that it was toppings that mattered most. This recipe changed my mind. My wife makes her own Greek yogurt, and it was the perfect touch. They were great! My wife and three daughters agree.
Thanks for your beautiful blog, and thank you also for having the courage to share your faith.
Clayburn Peeples
Thank you for your kind comment, Clayburn. It came at the perfect time when I needed a bit of encouragement. I'm so happy you and your family enjoyed the pancakes 💕💕
Can i make these with non fat fage greek yogurt?
Yes, you can!
Do you use a scalloped pancake mold? The shape of the pancakes are just lovely.
Hi Kathy, I don't use a mold. I'm just not good at pouring perfect circles! 🙂
Tasted fine but mine came out much thinner than yours :/
I think flours can make a difference as well as the moisture in the bananas. If the first pancake seems thin, just add a little more flour.
Oh my, Chris, I need to have these in my life. I don't make pancakes often enough but you have put a combination of flavours here that is irresistible! I think we'll have to start out our Sunday morning this way. I'll send a pic. Gotta have 'em! Sharing.
And how cute is Momo! lol. Sounds like a fun weekend 🙂
Such a sweet story, Chris. Coincidently, we made banana pancakes last Saturday and used whole wheat flour to bump up protein. I find half white/half whole wheat creates sturdy but still fluffy pancakes.
We've been making pancakes lately too Chris but not for an occasion as special as Momo's birthday! Your pancakes are beautiful!
Glad you're back and I am positive Momo would have gone on and on about these pancakes. (If Momo could talk...) Glad you had fun being snowbound with the kiddos!
Nothing better to eat than pancakes after one comes in from shoveling snow! The two just seem to go together. Or maybe it's that snow and pancakes go together, and the shoveling is justification for a hearty meal. Anyway, lovely looking pancakes -- really pretty. Fun read, great photos -- thanks.
Such a dreamy stack of pancakes! Love that pretty maple molasses pecan topping too! 🙂
So glad you're back! I love your posts and your photography. And your recipes haven't failed me yet. My granddaughter Lucy's beloved "Nunny" must be a distant cousin of Emmy's Momo.
These look amazing Chris. In fact at first I thought you must have a scalloped pancake pan. They look so inviting. I could eat pancakes everyday but I rarely ever have them anymore. I may have to break down and try a batch of yours.
Oh wow - these sure are decadent and fluffy!
And wow - speaking of fluffy - y'all were surrounded by the fluffy white stuff! We heard about it here in Georgia, but it missed us - glad y'all enjoyed it so much!
I love whole wheat banana pancakes. These look awesome too. Pecan topping , yummy!!
Thanks Charlotte! Whole wheat would pair so nicely with bananas!
You had me at banana pancakes...then you got me with molasses maple pecans ~ Lord, I'm not going to be able to stop thinking about these all day!
Sorry about that Sue 🙂 I'm still thinking about them too!
I'd love to have these gems for breakfast. Love that Momo got to celebrate her big day at your house. Her fancy-pants outfit is perfect for the occasion!!!
P.S. Indy would shut down with 6 inches of snow, too. It cracks me up!
I've been craving pancakes lately - and these look like the cure! We only got a few inches of snow - and not much ice thank goodness. But it has been dark and dreary and just plain yucky! These will put a smile on my face!
Thanks Tricia! And yes, I think these pancakes might be a cure for the winter blues!
That's a dream breakfast! Those pancakes look so soft and delicious.
Thanks Angie, I've been craving them ever since!
These are THE most beautiful pancakes I have ever seen! And the sweetest story about Momo. I am sure you have the most awesome visit!
Aww, thanks Ginny. I know they were some of the best we've had in a long time 🙂