Overnight pancakes are the fluffiest, most flavorful pancakes you will ever make. Everything is combined the night before and cooked in the morning for a quick breakfast!
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Pin RecipeThe Best Overnight Pancake Recipe
I absolutely love breakfasts that you can make the night before, whether it’s Overnight Breakfast Casserole, Overnight Oats, or Overnight Cinnamon Rolls. Putting together a big breakfast seems like a challenge when I’m tired in the morning. I would much rather just reach into my fridge and pull out some ready-to-cook pancake batter. With this overnight pancake recipe, you can do just that!
In addition to being the perfect pancakes for meal prepping, these pancakes are also really tasty. They have such depth and amazing flavor, unlike any other pancake you have ever had. The secret ingredient that gives the pancakes their unique taste is yeast!
The yeast sits overnight in the batter, growing and expanding. It helps make the batter very fluffy. The yeast also adds a distinctive sweet and tangy taste.
Pour your overnight pancake batter into a hot pan, and cook the pancakes. Then, add some syrup for the perfect breakfast. It’s a true morning treat the whole family will be excited to eat!
Ingredients for Overnight Pancakes
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- 4 cups flour
- 1 tablespoon instant dry yeast – Make sure to use instant dry yeast (not active dry or fresh yeast). Instant dry works best in this overnight recipe.
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoons salt
- 4 eggs
- 3 cups whole milk – I like whole milk in this recipe, but you can also try non-dairy milk if needed.
- 1 cup sour cream – Sour cream gives the pancakes the perfect tangy flavor. It also makes them very moist and tender.
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
Variations:
- If you want to make overnight buttermilk pancakes, replace the whole milk and sour cream with 4 cups of buttermilk. This will give the pancakes a strong but delicious flavor.
- Replace the vegetable oil with melted coconut oil. Coconut oil adds a nice sweet taste to the overnight pancakes.
- Replace the instant dry yeast with 1 1/2 tablespoons of active dry yeast if needed.
Directions For How to Make Overnight Pancakes
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- Whisk the dry ingredients: Whisk the flour, yeast, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
- Add the wet ingredients: Add the eggs, milk, sour cream, vanilla, and vegetable oil to the bowl. Whisk just until the batter is smooth and thick.
- Chill: Cover the bowl, and place the batter in the fridge to chill for at least eight hours or up to 24 hours.
- Prepare: Add a little butter or oil to a large skillet, and heat the pan and oil over medium heat.
- Cook: Scoop ½ cup of the pancake batter into the hot pan. Cook for about three minutes. Then, flip the pancake, and cook for two more minutes. The pancake will be golden brown on each side.
- Repeat: Oil the pan again as needed, and repeat the process using all the batter.
- Serve: Serve the pancakes while warm with some pancake syrup, chopped fruit, or whipped cream. Enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
These overnight pancakes are incredible on their own, but you can never go wrong with toppings! Some of my favorites include maple syrup, fresh fruit like strawberries or blueberries, chocolate chips, and whipped cream.
Then, pair them with additional sides to satisfy a crowd. Tasty options include fruit salad, breakfast sausage, and scrambled eggs.
How to Store Overnight Pancakes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for three to four days. After about 4 days, they will start to get a little tough and not have the same soft texture.
- Reheat the pancakes in the microwave for just a few seconds. You can also reheat them in a low-temperature oven, which will freshen them up wonderfully.
Quick Tip
After you cook your pancakes, keep them warm in the oven at 200 degrees Fahrenheit. I like to make a pancake and put it on a baking sheet to keep it in the oven while I cook the remaining batter. Then, I can put a whole stack of warm pancakes on the table for my family to enjoy all at once!
Overnight Pancakes
Equipment
- 1 Large bowl
- 1 Skillet
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon instant dry yeast
- 1 ½ Tablespoons sugar
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ¾ teaspoons salt
- 4 eggs, whisked
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
Instructions
- Add the flour, yeast, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt to a large mixing bowl. You want to be sure to use a large bowl as the batter will expand overnight as it sits. Whisk the dry ingredients together.4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 Tablespoon instant dry yeast, 1 ½ Tablespoons sugar, 1 Tablespoon baking powder, 2 teaspoons baking soda, ¾ teaspoons salt
- Add the eggs, milk, sour cream, vanilla and vegetable oil to the bowl and whisk into a smooth batter. Stop mixing once the ingredients are blended together, you don’t want to overmix!4 eggs, whisked, 3 cups whole milk, 1 cup sour cream, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap then place it in the fridge to sit for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.
- Remove the bowl from the fridge, uncover, and stir the batter once or twice just to deflate it a little bit (do not mix too hard or too much—two quick stirs is all you need!).
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add a little butter, oil or baking spray to grease the skillet well.¼ cup vegetable oil
- Scoop ½ cup of the pancake batter into the hot skillet and cook the pancakes for about 3 minutes on one side. The pancake batter will have air bubbles in the middle and the edges will start to look dry when the pancake is ready to flip. Flip the pancake and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove the pancake from the pan and repeat with the rest of the batter.
- Enjoy the pancakes while they are warm with syrup, butter, fruit, or whipped cream as a topping.
Notes
Nutrition
Did you make these Overnight Pancakes? Let us know how they turned out with a rating and comment below!
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