I have been on the hunt to find the best easy pancake recipe that freezes well for the longest time. And wouldn’t you know it, I found it in my Great Grandmother’s old recipe box! This recipe is fluffy, moist, and so easy to make. Plus you know how much I love me some freezer meals baby.
I love that this recipe uses real ingredients that I usually have on hand. Well, minus the buttermilk. But for me that’s pretty good! This recipe is also very easy to make.
But I have a problem of making too many pancakes. Like seriously, every time. I expect everyone to eat like 6 or 7 pancakes each, and they never do… (weirdo’s, I know). So now, when doubling or tripling a pancake recipe, all those leftover pancakes that usually end up going to waste, wont. Nope, not any more! These delicious pancakes can be placed in a freezer safe bag and frozen. I will show you the best method on doing that later.
My Homemade Pancake Recipe that Freezes Well
Ingredients:
1/2 cup all purpose flour (I prefer Bob’s Red Mill unbrominated & unbleached flour)
1/2 cup whole wheat flour —where to buy
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 pinch of fine celtic sea salt — available from Radiant Life — where to buy
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 Tbsp. melted butter
1 teaspoon raw sugar (or honey) —where to buy
Method:
Stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder,and salt. If you are really worried about making this recipe using 1/2 whole wheat you CAN make it with all purpose flour as well and it’s very delicious. I am just always looking for ways to bring a little more nutrition to my kids and myself. I barely even notice the whole wheat in there.
Mix the egg with the buttermilk and add to the flour mixture, stirring only until well combined but still a bit lumpy. Add the melted butter and sugar until combined. If the batter is a little thick use the back of a measuring cup to spread the batter out a little bit. I use 1/4 cup of batter per pancake, but if you want bigger ones just use a bit more. Heat your griddle to somewhere between 325 degrees and 350 degrees.
Cook until bubbles surface and pop.
Flip pancake and cook until golden brown. YUM!!!
To Freeze:
Allow for pancakes to cool completely after cooking. Then line a cookie sheet with parchment and place pancakes on sheet without touching each other. Add another layer of parchment and layer again until all the pancakes are flat and ready to freeze. If you’re wondering why you have to wait for the pancakes to cool completely it is because if not, it will cause freezer burn!
Place in freezer and freeze until solid. Remove from freezer, add to gallon sized freezer safe bags and label.
To reheat add to griddle heating till warm, oven till heated through, toaster or microwave. Serve with my homemade sausage patties as well for a nice hearty breakfast.
Here is the printable version of this freezer meal recipe:
- 1 cup all purpose flour or use 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 all purpose
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 pinch of fine sea salt
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
- 1 Tbsp . melted butter
- 1 teaspoon raw sugar or honey
-
Stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix the egg with the buttermilk and add to the flour mixture, stirring only until smooth. Add the melted butter and sugar. Using a 1/4 measuring cup, scoop up batter and fry on a greased griddle between 325-350 degrees. Makes about 10 pancakes.
To Freeze:
Allow for pancakes to cool completely after cooking. Then line a cookie sheet with parchment and place pancakes on sheet without touching each other. Add another layer of parchment and layer again until all the pancakes are flat and ready to freeze. Place in freezer and freeze until solid. Remove from freezer, add to gallon sized freezer bags and label. To reheat add to griddle heating till warm, oven till heated through, toaster or microwave.
If you love freezer meals check out my huge list of Best Freezer meal recipes here.
Karrie, I was just wondering if you could substitute rice flour to make it gluten free? Thoughts?
Thanks!
I am not sure, but I say go ahead and give it a try. It might work!
Krusteaz has a good cup to cup gf ap flour
Karrie,
I never buy buttermilk, however I use a lot of recipes that call for it. A couple years ago my mom told me to add 1 TBS apple cider vinegar to every 1 cup milk. Add it to the milk stir and let it sit about 2 minutes and voila, instant buttermilk. 🙂
Yes that makes for a great buttermilk substitute. However the texture of real buttermilk is so much better for this recipe. But in a pinch I would make the substitute as well.
Karrie,
I do not have the freezer space to put a cookie sheet in, so what I do is; once the pancakes are completely cooled I put parchment or wax paper, depending what I have on hand, between the pancakes in the baggie or container, and freeze it that way.
That is great too Doreen, thanks for sharing!
I always have buttermilk powder on hand (use it in my bread machine) that should work with this. Do you think there would be a problem?
I am not sure…I haven’t tried that but I am guessing it might? I find that the thick buttermilk liquid makes for some really really moist and delicious pancakes.
You could also use kefir in place of the buttermilk. It makes a very moist and fluffy pancake as well.
THANKS for a great recipe! I actually have buttermilk left over from making butter, do you think that would work as well as the cultured buttermilk from the store? Also, when it says “serves 10”, how many pancakes per person? I found a nice recipe that I liked but I’m having the dickens of a time finding a good ratio of doubling/tripling. Seems like it either makes too few or waaaaay too many 🙂 Your freezer tip is also great! Never thought to do that with pancakes but it works great with my cookies. 🙂
I haven’t tried homemade buttermilk before in these pancakes. Give it a try and let me know how it goes!
This recipe makes around 10 pancakes total so that might make it easier to figure out whether to double the recipe!
You make your own butter. Wow, I am impressed. I don’t have all that much patience. I wonder if it tastes better than store bought. ?
Fresh homemade butter is ALWAYS better than the store bought. Even if you can get the organic butter. It’s just soooo much better when you use raw milk. But raw milk is just a lot healthier, too 😉
Just made a double batch of these and well … none made it to the freezer. They ended up being dinner. I used fresh boysenberry jam on mine and it was totally amazing! These are, by far, THE BEST pancakes! EVER!!! I’m going to cut in some buckwheat flour into the next batch. But my hubby just loved these! He even said these were the best he’s ever had, so thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!
Now if I can only make a batch that will make it to the freezer … LOL
Sorry — forgot to rate this before I posted my last comment! These are THE BEST EVER! They’re light, fluffy, but moist and ever so tasty!!! You won’t be disappointed!
Karrie-
These sound amazing! I’ve frozen leftover pancakes in much a similar way before but was looking for an EXCELLENT recipe to use. These WILL work! Thanks!
So….can I make the batter, freeze the batter, and make them while I’m camping? Will freezing the batter compromise it? Or should I just mix the dry and the wet at camp?
No, you can make the batter, freeze it, pack it, thaw it out and cook it! It works great! Here is how I use it camping. https://happymoneysaver.com/10-easy-and-cheap-camping-meals/
I am in awe over your ability to make all these meals, what a organization skill.
I love the pancake idea of freezing them. I will be trying this one. I do use Buttermilk in my pancakes plus whole wheat flower, plus Vanilla, no sugar.
Also plan on using some of the other ideas you have on here. I dont mind cooking but I have other interesting things to do besides. These ideas will give me more time for those ” other things”. Thanks so much, I am on my way to the kitchen and pantry to muster up some grits.
How long will the pancakes last when freezing them, also how long will the mixture last in freezer?
Thanks!
The pancakes should be eaten within 3-4 months – and it goes the same for the mixture as well. Although the buttermilk might curdle when thawed so you will need to wisk it back to smooth.
Could you make them and heat them in a toaster? I would like to make a batch to freeze so kids could have pancakes before school. With them and myself getting ready I thought this would be a good way to still have a hot breakfast and I’m not getting up hours earlier to make them or even dirty a pan/griddle in the am. Toaster to plate!
You could definitely use the toaster. I would just try it out a couple times so they don’t get too crispy. This is one of my few times I use the microwave! 🙂
I’m expecting my second baby this month and am in full-on nesting mode making freezer-friendly recipes. I am so thankful for your website. There is always cereal, but I wanted to have some pancakes on hand too, since they are such a nice breakfast. I doubled this recipe and was a little uneasy about the thin batter and even considered adding more flour. Thankful I didn’t as they are delicious! Very cake-y in texture and I can’t wait to pull these out on cold winter mornings. Now if I can just stop eating them….
Hi, how long do you put them in the microwave for to heat them up? Do you wrap them in a paper towel or?
Usually I just pop them in for 30 seconds to a minute or until warmed through. Depends on how many I am heating up at once.
I have the same pancake problem at my house, but I recently found an even better solution than freezing the pancakes after they’re made – I freeze the extra batter in a ziplok bag. Then, I thaw it in some cool water, snip the corner of the bag and cook FRESH pancakes again. Amazing! You would never know it had been frozen.
Is there any substitute you could recommend for buttermilk that is still recommended for freezing? We live in a country where buttermilk is either $20 a container or unavailable in our village ?
Thank you! these look delicious and make me homesick 🙂
Some people add vinegar to milk, and wait a few minutes for it to do it’s thing. That may work!
I used 3/4 all purpose and 1/4 corn flour, and coconut oil in place of part of the butter. They turned out really thin but they worked great for my kids’ snack – they rolled them with peanut butter and dipped them in syrup. They also froze great!
How long will these keep frozen? 🙂 Can’t wait to try!
Thanks!