Julie Clark
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Griddle Cakes
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Try these Griddle Cakes for a comforting, old-fashioned breakfast. Pancakes fried in butter or oil for a golden edge and fluffy inside.
Pancakes are a common weekend and holiday tradition in many households. There’s nothing like waking up to the aroma of vanilla, butter and maple syrup.
The perfect homemade pancakes are fluffy, tender and lightly golden brown around the edges. This recipe comes from my old Amish cookbook and is one of 3 recipes we rotate through. It’s easy, takes no thinking ahead and has common pantry ingredients. It’s the best way to start the weekend!
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Reader Vanessa says, “These are the best pancakes! Thank you so much. My whole family enjoyed them.”
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Reader Lainie says, “These were so tasty. A bit like Scottish pancakes only lighter and fluffier.”
About this griddle cakes recipe:
- Flavor: These griddle cakes have a familiar, comforting flavor. They are lightly sweet with hints of rich butter in every bite.
- Texture: The pancakes are light and tender, thanks to the whipped eggs. The key to soft pancakes is to not over mix the batter. More on that below.
- Method: This pancake batter cooks perfectly in a cast iron skillet. Any skillet or pancake griddle will work though.
What are griddle cakes?
In the United States, the names griddle cakes and pancakes are used interchangeably. In other cultures, griddle cakes may mean something slightly different.
Griddle cakes are thick and fluffy. Drop that slightly sweet batter on a hot fry pan with oil or butter. Pancakes are made similarly but can sometimes be thinner rather than thick.
Some southern states say “hotcakes” which is a term with a similar meaning.
Ingredients
- Traditional all-purpose flour is standard. Cake flour will give you a lighter texture. Gluten-free all-purpose flour works as well.
- Use whole milk for the richest flavor, but any other milk works as well, even non-dairy milk. You can substitute buttermilk for regular milk.
- I use salted butter since that’s what I keep on hand, but unsalted butter will be good, too.
How to Make Griddle Cakes
- Dry Ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- Wet ingredients. In a large bowl, beat the eggs using an electric hand mixer on medium speed until the eggs are light and frothy (about 2 minutes). Add the milk and mix again until combined (10-20 seconds)
- Combine the two. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix just until combined with the electric mixer on low speed (about 10 seconds). Add in the melted butter. Use a rubber spatula to finish folding together the batter. It’s ok if there are a few lumps of flour. Do not overmix or the pancakes might be tough.
- Cook the pancakes. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium low heat (I set our oven on 3 out of 6). Add about a tablespoon of butter and allow it to melt. Use a ⅓ cup measuring cup to scoop and pour pancake batter into a hot skillet. Allow it to cook for two minutes until the top of the pancake has bubbles. Then flip and cook on the other side for another minute or until the pancakes is cooked through.
Pancake Add-Ins
This pancake recipe has a very traditional flavor, but if you want to spice it up a little, try one of these ideas:
- ground cinnamon
- vanilla extract
- chocolate chips
- cinnamon chips
- wild blueberries
Pancake Toppings
100% pure maple syrup is a classic pancake topping, but what if you’re looking for something a little different to put on pancakes? Here are some ideas:
- Butter and brown sugar. Just try it. Trust me.
- Raspberry sauce
- Strawberry topping
- A drizzle of warm peanut butter
- Hazelnut spread
- Fresh berries
- Powdered sugar
- Honey
- Yogurt
Storage Instructions
- Room temperature: Do not store the leftovers at room temperature.
- Refrigerator: Store pancakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Heat in the microwave before eating.
- Freezer: Freeze the pancakes in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Reheat in the microwave.
Griddle Cakes
Try these Griddle Cakes for a comforting, old-fashioned breakfast. Pancakes fried in butter or oil for a golden edge and fluffy inside.
Servings 12
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 260 grams
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar 43 grams
- 1 teaspoon baking powder 4 grams
- ½ teaspoon baking soda 3 grams
- 1 teaspoon salt 3 grams
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk 12 ounces
- 2 tablespoons melted butter 1 ounce
- Butter or shortening for frying
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the eggs using an electric hand mixer on medium speed until the eggs are light and frothy (about 2 minutes).
- Add the milk and mix again until combined (10-20 seconds)
- Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix just until combined with the electric mixer on low speed (about 10 seconds).
- Add in the melted butter. Use a rubber spatula to finish folding together the batter. It’s ok if there are a few lumps of flour. Do not overmix.
- Heat a cast iron skillet over medium low heat (I set our oven on 3 out of 6). Add about a tablespoon of butter and allow it to melt. (Butter gives amazing flavor, but if you use oil or shortening to fry the pancakes, it will give them a crispy, gold brown edge.)
- Use a ⅓ cup measuring cup to scoop and pour pancake batter into a hot skillet. (Make two pancakes at a time if your skillet is large enough)
- Allow it to cook for two minutes until the top of the pancake has bubbles.
- Then flip and cook on the other side for another minute or until the pancakes is cooked through.
- Add ½ tablespoon of butter to the skillet and make another pancake. Continue this until the remaining batter is all cooked.
- Serve with butter, maple syrup and fresh fruit.
Video
Notes
Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.
The calories shown are based on the recipe making 12 pancakes, with 1 serving being 1 pancake. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**
Nutrition
Calories: 135kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 279mg | Potassium: 114mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 153IU | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 1mg
Pancake Recipes
Our family loves to make pancakes on Saturday mornings or for a weeknight brinner. If you are looking for a new type of pancake, give one of these a try:
Peanut Butter & Jelly Pancakes 
Cinnamon Roll Pancakes Red Velvet Pancakes Cottage Cheese Pancakes Gingerbread Pacnakes 
Cornmeal Pancakes 
Peanut Butter Streusel Pancakes Homemade Pancakes 
Buckwheat Pancakes 
Whole Wheat Cinnamon Pancakes Oatmeal Pancakes Buckeye Pancakes 
Strawberry Shortcake Pancakes 
Honey Wheat Pancakes
Why are mine sticking to the griddle?
Made it dozens of times. Add 1 egg, no cinnamon. Love..love…love…
These look superb, just the kind I’ve been after!
About how much batter do you use for each pancake (e.g., 1/4 cup)? Do you just eyeball the amount as you pour the batter?
These were so tasty. A bit like Scottish pancakes only lighter and fluffier. Roses comment about her putting too much salt in made me laugh like mad!
Thanks for the recipe and love & best wishes from Yorkshire, UK.
I made this pancakes but they were super salty. 3 tsp is a lot of salt. They were fluff.
These are the best pancakes! Thank you so much. My whole family enjoyed them.
BTW, this review was in reference to the Amish Griddle cakes. Can’t wait to try the other recipes!
I am always on a quest for the perfect pancakes, so I decided to give these a try yesterday morning. OMG! Talk about melt-in-your-mouth goodness! I had some and froze the rest. Had an appointment early this morning and took them out of the freezer and popped them into the microwave for about a minute(30 second intervals)and it was like I’d just made them. You guys get a double thumbs-up for the delicious recipe and the fact that I can reheat them from frozen for a quick, hot breakfast on a busy morning. Thanks so much!