Fluffy Strawberry Pancakes Recipe

These easy strawberry pancakes are fluffy, sweet, and perfectly flavored with fresh berries. They are going to be the best strawberry pancakes you have ever tried!

stack of four strawberry pancakes topped with fresh halved strawberries and syrup served on a white round plate.

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I can actually say from experience that these fruity strawberry pancakes are the absolute best. I’ve made my fair share of strawberry pancakes. I have made dozens of pancake batters, trying to find the absolute best recipe for strawberry pancakes. Lots of pancakes turned out too dense, others were not fruity enough, and some recipes took way too long to make.

Finally, I created my own strawberry pancake recipe, and it definitely checks all the boxes. The pancakes are fluffy on the inside with slightly crispy edges. There are plenty of fresh strawberries packed into every bite, and the sweet berries are complemented by a slight buttermilk tang. They’re truly amazing!

(Can’t get enough pancake recipes? Try my Pumpkin Pancakes (With Bisquick!), Oatmeal Pancakes, or Chocolate Chip Pancakes next!)

Fluffy Strawberry Pancake Recipe

Making homemade strawberry pancakes is also not as hard as you may think. It seems like a gourmet breakfast, but it only takes about five minutes to whip up. I do like to let my pancake batter sit for a little bit before pouring it into the hot skillet.

Resting the batter will make the batter thicker and bake into tender, soft pancakes. I think this step is important! So, while your batter sits, go have a morning cup of coffee, or watch the sunrise as you wait. Enjoy the downtime!

Once your pancake batter is ready to go, it is super simple to cook perfect, golden brown pancakes, one after another. You can even cook the entire recipe at once if you have a stovetop griddle (a kitchen tool I highly recommend for those with big families!).

Serve your pancakes warm while the berries are sweet and soft. Add some butter to the top, maybe some maple syrup or even whipped cream to make them picture-perfect. And you probably should take a picture—they are worth remembering!

Ingredients for Strawberry Pancakes

See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.

Flour – All-purpose flour forms the base of the batter.
Sugar
Baking powder – Make sure it’s fresh!
Salt
Melted butter – I like to use unsalted butter for this recipe since there is already salt added in the batter. You don’t want the pancakes to taste too salty!
Vanilla – Use real vanilla extract rather than imitation vanilla. The flavor is much stronger when you opt for the real thing!
Eggs – I usually use extra large eggs, which add the right amount of moisture to the batter.
Strawberries – Fresh strawberries work best. I like to cut the strawberries into small, ½ inch pieces so that there are berries throughout the pancakes.
Vegetable oil

Variations

Replace the vegetable oil with olive oil, canola oil, or coconut oil. I like coconut oil as it gives the strawberry pancakes a slightly tropical taste.
Use gluten-free baking flour to make gluten-free strawberry pancakes. Be sure to double-check your baking powder to make sure it is also gluten-free.
Swap the vanilla extract for almond extract to make almond berry pancakes.
If you need to use frozen strawberries rather than fresh, be sure to mix them into the batter while still frozen. Thawed berries will make the pancake batter a little runny and also turn it pink. Frozen, chopped strawberries will mix into the batter nicely, and they will heat right up in the hot frying pan.
Replace the strawberries with blueberries, blackberries, or pieces of banana.
Add mix-ins like chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or coconut flakes for even more taste and texture.

step 1 to make strawberry pancakes, combine dry ingredients in a large glass bowl.

step 2 to make strawberry pancakes, wet pancake batter in a large glass bowl.

How to Make Strawberry Pancakes

Whisk the dry ingredients: Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt to a medium-sized bowl, and whisk them together.
Add the wet ingredients: Whisk the buttermilk and vanilla into the dry ingredients until the batter is smooth and thick. Then, let the batter rest for about ten minutes to allow the dry ingredients to soak up a little moisture. This will help make the pancakes thick and fluffy.
Add the berries: Stir the chopped strawberries into the batter, mixing just once or twice to incorporate the berries without turning the batter pink.
Cook the pancakes: Heat a medium skillet with a little vegetable oil. Once the oil is hot, add about ½ cup of pancake batter to the skillet, and cook for about three minutes. Once the pancake batter is bubbling, flip the pancake, and cook for another two minutes.
Repeat: Transfer the cooked pancake to a plate, and grease the skillet again. Repeat the cooking process until all the batter is used.

close up image of a stack of four strawberry pancakes cut into to show the cross section.

Quick Tip

Don’t skip the resting time for the batter! Let them rest for at least ten minutes. It is essential for pancakes with a light, fluffy texture. During that time, the batter activates, forming bubbles, which helps to make super fluffy and light pancakes.

How to Store Strawberry Pancakes

If you happen to have leftover strawberry pancakes, I recommend placing them in a gallon-sized zippered freezer bag and keeping them in the fridge. They will stay fresh for about three to four days.

To reheat the pancakes, you can take them out of the bag, and pop them into the toaster oven to reheat at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for about two minutes. This will make the edges crispy once again and reheat the middle of the pancakes perfectly.

You can also pop leftover pancakes into the microwave, reheating them in 30-second increments. Once the strawberry pancakes are hot, they are ready to enjoy!

FAQs

How do you add fruit to pancakes?

Once your pancake batter is ready, you can stir in your favorite fruit right before you are ready to cook the pancakes. Stir the batter just a few times, incorporating the fruit evenly but not mushing the fragile berries. Cook the pancakes as you usually would, and enjoy!

Why aren’t my pancakes cooking in the middle?

If you are cutting open your pancakes to find them raw in the middle, chances are your pan is too hot. If the pan is too hot, the pancakes will start to burn on the outside before they can fully cook. Turn down the heat on your pan, and the pancakes should cook evenly.

Can I use regular milk instead of buttermilk?

Yes! You can replace the buttermilk in this recipe with whole milk. You can also try measuring the whole milk into a small bowl and stirring in one teaspoon of white vinegar. This will turn the whole milk into homemade buttermilk and give the pancakes a tangy, delicious flavor.

Why is the first pancake no good?

Don’t get disgruntled if your first pancake is a flop. The heat on the pan is never distributed evenly when the batter first hits the pan, so the first pancake never looks great. Keep an even temperature on the pan, and keep going to get that picture-perfect strawberry pancake.