Pancakes for two. A small batch of pancakes for one or two people. Perfect, buttermilk pancakes recipe that makes just 6 pancakes.
I like to think that you guys know you can count on me.
I'm not entirely sure if I'm your girl when it comes to weekend baking projects, since weekends are for intense, all-day baking, and my recipes are all so simple. (Did you know that I actually wrote a whole cookbook on simple desserts for two that requires less than 10 ingredients?).
Dessert for Two is more about getting a sweet thing on your plate quickly without using many ingredients. And when you want pancakes, you probably don't want 16 of them.
The number of times I want to make my family a small batch of pancakes compared to the times I host big brunch parties is staggering. Usually, a small batch of pancakes suffices.
My recipe makes 6 perfect, fluffy pancakes. That's two stacks of 3, if math isn't your strong suit.
Pancakes for Two, the origin:
This recipe is actually 15 years old. I scaled down a recipe for pancakes when I was in college, way before food blogging existed. It was just me and my roommate, also named Christina, and we wanted pancakes one weekend morning.
We didn't need the internet's recipe for 16 pancakes, because college girls don't plan ahead and freeze pancakes, of course. So, I divided a recipe by 4 and tested it. It took several attempts, but I landed on this recipe and haven't wavered since.
Fun story: when our current house was being finished, my husband and I lived with my parents for 6 weeks. One morning, my mom served these pancakes to me, and I exclaimed 'OH MY GOSH, THESE ARE THE BEST PANCAKES I'VE EVER HAD,' to which my Mom laughed, because it's my recipe.
She used the recipe from my second cookbook, Comfort & Joy: Cooking for Two. It had been so long since I've made pancakes, I must have forgotten how good these were.
These aren't just fluffy standard pancakes. They have crisp edges and a pleasant tang from the buttermilk that pairs so well with smoky grade B maple syrup. (Use whatever syrup you like, of course).
I have to say, these pancakes for two aren't the only amazing recipe in my cookbook Comfort & Joy: Cooking for Two. To date, it's the only cookbook I have that has savory recipes! It has small lunches, dinners for two, and comfort food meals for two also. I'm currently writing my next book, Dinner for Us: Delicious and Easy Recipes to Cook Together, (pre-order link only!) that has more savory recipes, but in the meantime, try this book!
If you lack buttermilk, watch the video for a quick tip on how to substitute regular lemon juice and milk for buttermilk.
My daughter normally eats my 3-ingredient toddler pancakes, and had never eaten these real pancakes until last week. She's now a fully converted pancake lover like me. No more healthy pancakes for her, hah. Lucky me.
Small batch pancakes: your new weekend plan.
I love that this recipe for pancakes for two can be made all in one bowl, and requires very little effort. It can even be made with eyes only half open and one hand firmly gripping a coffee mug.
If you're one who plans ahead, go ahead and whisk the dry ingredients together the night before. Leave the bowl by the stove, and then all you have to do is pour in the wet ingredients in the morning.
I use a griddle pan that fits over two burners to cook all of the pancakes at once, because it saves so much time. Plus, I don't have to turn on the oven to keep the first few cakes warm.
Finally, take a tip from my Mama: melt a big pat of salted butter into the maple syrup when you warm it up.
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Pancakes for Two, small batch pancakes
Pancakes for two. A small batch of pancakes for one or two people. Perfect, buttermilk pancakes recipe that makes just 6 pancakes.
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for the skillet
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- maple syrup, for serving
- salted butter, for serving
- fresh blueberries, for serving
Instructions
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and sugar.
In a large glass measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, 2 tablespoons of the melted butter, and the vanilla.
Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir just until no dry pockets of flour remain, but don't worry about lumps in your batter. Over-mixing will prevent tender, fluffy pancakes.
Meanwhile, melt the extra butter in your skillet or griddle over medium heat.
Using a ¼-cup measure, scoop out batter onto the preheated the skillet. Cook until bubbles appear across the entire surface, and then flip to cook the second side until golden brown. Repeat with all remaining batter.
Serve with maple syrup, extra butter and fresh blueberries.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
3Serving Size:
2Amount Per Serving: Calories: 634Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 96mgSodium: 550mgCarbohydrates: 119gFiber: 1gSugar: 79gProtein: 9g
Eli says
Just making them now. The only prpblem is if you make blueberry ones it all depends on the size of the bloobs. Mine are massive.. i did extra batter but still only got four pancakes because the bloobs made the pancakes very fat. Still very nice consistency. I might try them plain next time with bloobs on the side. I kinda prefere raw bloobs anyway.
Christian says
The way you keep calling them bloobs is sending me
anonymous says
I don't often eat pancakes but it's nice to have a small batch recipe. This was really easy to put together. I make a serving to eat and then freeze the other half.
Lisa says
Hi! I decided to try something different than my normal recipe. The only thing I did differently was I whipped the egg until fluffy then added the other wet ingredients, then dry. I didn’t add blueberries - just plain. They turned out DELICIOUS , fluffy& perfectly crispy! This recipe made enough for 3 adults . Thank you for sharing this! It’s my new go to!!
Lindsay says
We love these pancakes and have been making them often for awhile now! Thank you for the recipe. I love sweet n salty so I usually make some sausage or bacon to go with them along with maple syrup. I do substitute the buttermilk with homemade goat milk yogurt and they are fluffy and perfect :)
Jennifer says
Great recipe! I had leftover buttermilk and have been craving pancakes, but didn't want to make a huge batch. This recipe makes two servings but doesn't sacrifice quality - pancakes were fluffy and delicious! I was drawn to this recipe in particular because it calls for only 2 tbsp of sugar (some I looked at called for 1/4 cup which seemed excessive, especially if you're serving with maple syrup). Anyway, I really enjoyed these and will definitely be making them again!
Caitlyn says
Really good! Nice and fluffy. This recipe such a great size for when my 4 year old asks for pancakes. I can freeze leftovers but I don’t have a giant bowl of batter to fry up, either.
I usually make my own sour milk, so that (I think) affects the thickness of my batter. I ended up adding small increments of flour, maybe 2 - 3 tablespoons, until it was the thickness I prefer. I also like adding a bit of salt to the batter, but that’s me. I don’t usually have salted butter on hand, so I like getting that salty/sweet balance one way or another.
As always, substitute at your own risk, kids.
Jill says
I use this recipe as a base whenever I make pancakes for my husband and I. The proportions are perfect and I can usually get 6-7 good sized pancakes out of it. I use unsalted butter so I add a pinch of sea salt in the batter and double the vanilla extract.
It's very easy to modify depending on what you have on hand. Today I used whole wheat flour and an oat milk/Greek yogurt mix to replace the buttermilk. We topped with macerated cherries, salted butter and almond butter. Delish!
D. G. says
So easy, quick, and delicious. Will definitely make again.
Rose says
This has been my go-to recipe for a while now! I like mine to have some spice, so I always add a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg. It really gives them some personality.
christine says
hi Christina,
i absolutely love this recipe
so yummy and easy to make