Welcome, breakfast lovers who don’t want to share! Here you will learn the secrets of making self-rising flour pancakes for one. Namely, yourself.
This no egg pancake recipe is scalable and you can make it to feed a crowd. The nice thing about this recipe is that the proportions are easy to remember and you can also vary it in many ways.
Made with self-rising flour, vary them however you like by adding citrus zest, spices, blueberries, etc.
If you do feel like sharing, I recommend my yeast raised chocolate chip pancakes.
For ease of browsing, here are all of my breakfast recipes in one place. Enjoy!
Watch my pancakes for one recipe web story here.
Deee-licious! Easy recipe and still oh so fluffy without the eggs.
Pinner Sheri
Making pancakes using self-rising flour
Why use self-rising flour in this pancake recipe?
If you happen to have self-rising flour, it makes it really easy to whip up these guys quickly.
Self-rising flour, sometimes called self-raising flour, already contains leavening and salt, so you only need to measure 1 ingredient rather than 3.
And the self-rising flour already has the perfect amount of leavening in it so you don’t have to guess. Sweet!
What You Need to Make Pancakes for One
Barring a box of mix or a frozen brick of pancakes from the big box store in your freezer, here’s what you’ll need. You probably own most of this stuff already.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- self-rising flour Self-rising flour is a great shortcut to have in your pantry. If you don’t have any, substitute 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, and a heavy pinch of salt
- sugar (granulated sugar, brown sugar, or even a sugar substitute like Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener, which I sometimes use to partially offset all the syrup I pour on them)
- milk: I use whole milk. 2% will work fine, and you can also substitute your favorite nut milk or other plant-based milk
- spice: I often add a touch of cinnamon or nutmeg. Cardamom would also be nice in these
- vegetable oil I recommend a neutral oil that doesn’t have an assertive flavor. It serves to tenderize the pancakes just a bit, but not so much that they won’t hold together without eggs. I don’t recommend you use melted butter unless your milk is at room temperature or the butter will just re-solidify in tiny blobs
- butter: this is for topping the pancakes. You just can’t beat the flavor.
- real maple syrup (yes, it is worth it)
How to Make a Substitute for Self-Rising Flour
I usually have self-rising flour around, but it does lose its potency after a few months.
It’s always good to have a backup plan.
Remember this formula:
To substitute for one cup of self-rising flour, whisk 1 cup of all-purpose flour together with 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon fine salt. Scale up or down as necessary.
Can you really make pancakes without eggs?
Yes, you can!
In fact, sometimes using eggs can make your pancakes almost rubbery.
Making pancakes without eggs and mixing just until the ingredients come together yields fluffy, tender pancakes.
It’s my preferred way to make pancakes. No eggs, thanks very much.
You may now consider this your go-to no egg pancake recipe!
Equipment you’ll need
- a well-seasoned cast iron skillet or griddle (an electric fry pan works here too)
- one bowl
- one whisk
- one spoon (a regular teaspoon will do)
- a half-cup measure (or use a kitchen scale if weighing your ingredients)
- a pancake turner or other thin spatula-type Item
I make almost all my smashed burgers (and a bunch of other things) in this Lodge 12" cast iron skillet. It's heavy, which is great for smashed burgers. It holds heat and allows the burgers to cook evenly.
Plus, over time, it builds up its own, natural, magic non-stick coating. So the burgers stick when you need them to for browning, but then they're pretty easy to flip as well. Best of both worlds!
This is also my go-to pan for making pancakes.
How To Make Small-Batch Pancakes
Perfect every single time!
Pinner Marsha
Here’s how it’s done. Follow these steps To The Letter, and you, too, can be enjoying a fresh, peaceful and delicious meal of pancakes without eggs in about 20 minutes. All by yourself.
Note that pancake batter is best made using The Muffin Method.
- Heat your griddle or skillet. You want your pan to be nice and hot, so go ahead and give it a head start on medium-high heat while you mix your ingredients. (If you make a lot of pancakes, having an electric griddle or an electric skillet is a nice luxury that will help them cook evenly.)
- Whisk together dry ingredients. In this case, dry ingredients include self-rising flour and a little sugar. If you don’t have self-rising flour, you can still make these. See the recipe notes. You can also whisk in some spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, or cardamom if you’d like.
- Whisk wet ingredients together. You’ll need milk (I like whole milk, but you can make these dairy-free by using your favorite nut milk.)
- Whisk in some neutral vegetable oil and any extract. If you’re using citrus zest, you can whisk it in with your milk and oil.
- Mix wet into dry. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture and stir until it just comes together. A few lumps are just fine.
- Cook. Add a bit of butter or a spritz of pan spray to your pan and cook your pancakes, 1/3 of the batter at a time. Once you pour the batter into the pan, that’s when you can add fruit or chocolate chips. Let them cook until set and dry around the edges. Flip and cook an additional couple of minutes.
- Plate and Enjoy. I like to put butter on my plate, add a pancake, add more butter, add a pancake, add butter, then top with a pancake. But I like butter! You can just add a pat of butter on top, douse in syrup, and enjoy your pancakes for one. You deserve them.
Visual How-To
Here are a few photos so you can see how easy it is to make this batter.
I weigh my flour and eyeball the spice. If weighing, you’re going for 70 grams/2.5 oz/ 1/2 cup, give or take a tiny bit.
Then, I whisk the flour and spice together.
I add my milk to a pitcher (75 grams/2.7 oz/ 1/3 cup) along with the oil and vanilla.
Then, the wet goes into the dry and gets a quick whisk to combine.
Here’s a photo of what the pancakes will look like right before it’s time to turn them. You’ll notice they have bubbles all over the top that have popped but not filled in, and the edges are dry.
I flipped that pancake as soon as I took this photo, and here it is, all lovely and perfect.
Tips for Success
If cooking one pancake at a time, put them in the toaster oven or oven on “warm.” They’ll be fine for the amount of time it will take you to cook the rest.
If your pancakes sit out too long, or you leave them too long in the oven, they may get a little crisp on top. To soften and heat them back up, wrap in a damp paper towel and microwave them for about 20 seconds.
Recipe Variations
- Add lemon zest to the batter and add fresh or frozen blueberries to each pancake while the batter is still wet and before you flip them
- Add orange zest and add mini chocolate chips to each pancake (as above)
- Spice with cinnamon and add a sprinkling of chopped, spiced or candied nuts to each pancake
- Add minced, crystalized ginger to each pancake and top with spiced peaches
- For a fun dessert variation, add cinnamon to the batter and then top with whipped cream and spiced pumpkin caramel sauce.
- You really are only limited by your imagination, so please have fun with this basic recipe and use your favorite flavor combinations
Pancakes for One Q & A
Once you realize that mixes are mostly just pre-mixed dry ingredients with a few artificial ingredients added in for good measure, you’ll realize that with self-rising flour alone, you have gone a good way to making your own pancake mix. Plus no weird ingredients.
In this case, it’s the chemical reaction between the leaveners present in self-raising (self-rising) flour and liquid and the heat of the griddle.
Of course. Add a little lemon zest to your batter. Once you pour some into your skillet, allow it to set up a minute, and then sprinkle on a handful of blueberries. When the pancake is ready, flip it over and continue cooking. The berries will cook right into your pancakes.
Absolutely. There are tons of ways to vary this basic recipe. Add vanilla to the batter, and use the same procedure as for blueberry pancakes. Add batter to the skillet, top evenly with chocolate chips, then flip and finish cooking. The chocolate chips will definitely be melty. You may have a little burning/sticking where the chocolate touches the skillet, but otherwise, you’ll have lovely, chocolate chip pancakes.
Serving Suggestions
Obviously, you should serve pancakes with copious amounts of butter and real maple syrup.
But, should you need some other ways to enjoy it, consider spreading them with lemon curd or using an unexpected sauce like this mixed berry Chambord sauce.
Make them silver dollar sized and spread them on a board along with a pitcher of syrup, fruits, nuts, etc for a brunch board. Maybe add some quartered crepes, too, just for fun.
Other pancake recipes to enjoy
If you’re a fan of this pancake recipe, here are a couple more from my site and from some of my friends. Enjoy!
- German Pancakes (made with mashed potatoes)
- Yeast-Raised Chocolate Chip Pancakes (not too sweet. Really good!)
- Vegan Vanilla Chai Pancakes (no eggs, no dairy)
- Gluten-Free Buckwheat Pancakes with Pears (hearty and satisfying)
- Bubula (Matzo Meal Pancakes) (like your grandma used to make)
- You may really enjoy these pumpkin pecan pancakes in the fall.
- Banana Chocolate Chip Whole Wheat Pancakes ( if you’re looking for a dessert pancake!)
If you have any questions about this or any other recipe or post on the site, there are a few ways to get in touch.
You can leave a comment on the post, and I’ll be back in touch within 24 hours.
If your question is more pressing, don’t hesitate to email me, and I should be back in touch within 4 hours (unless I’m asleep) or often much more quickly than that.
A Note About Measurements
This is the kitchen scale that I recommend for home cooks and bakers. Using a scale will help you be more accurate and consistent in your measurements.
It is lightweight, easy to store, accurate, and very easy to use.
Don't let its small price and small size fool you. The Escali Primo is an accurate and easy-to-use food scale that I have used for years. It's easy to store, easy to use, has a tare function, and easily switches between grams and ounces/pounds for accurate measurements.
I hope you’ve learned something from this post or that you’ve decided to make the recipe.
It would really help me and other readers out if you’d rate the recipe using the star ratings in the recipe card.
It’s also very helpful to me and to other readers if you leave a comment and/or a recipe review.
Thank you so much for being here and for helping others find my recipes by sharing on your social platforms!
Pancakes for One
When you want an indulgent breakfast or breakfast-for-dinner on those days you're home alone, turn to this easy recipe for pancakes for one. No egg recipe for tender pancakes. You're going to love them!
Ingredients
For the Pancakes
- 70 grams (2.5 oz or 1/2 cup) self rising flour
- 1 Tablespoon sugar or sweetener of choice
- 75 grams (2.7 oz or 1/3 cup whole milk)
- 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil, I use avocado oil
- a sprinkle of cinnamon or other pancake-y type spice, optional
- splash of vanilla/citrus zest/chocolate chips--whatever, optional
For Serving
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- Real maple syrup
Instructions
The Procedure
- Preheat the skillet over medium/medium-high heat. Set the timer for five minutes.
- In your bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients, including zest, if using. Do not mix in any "chunky" mixins here--only spices or zest
- Stir oil into milk, and add vanilla, if you're using it.
- Pour over dry ingredients and whisk slowly until just incorporated.
- Let the batter sit until the timer goes off.
- Rub a little butter onto your skillet.
- Pour 1/3 of your pancake batter into the skillet. (I use 1/4 cup measure, and I get three same-sized pancakes every time)
- While your pancake cooks, heat up the maple syrup so it's ready to go.
- Let pancake cook until the bubbles around the edges pop but don't fill back in with batter, about 3-4 minutes. If using blueberries, cinnamon chips, chocolate chips, etc, sprinkle on a few evenly over the top of the pancake before flipping.
- Flip pancake and cook about 2 minutes.
- While the second side of the pancake cooks, put a wee pat of butter on your plate.
- Place this pancake onto plate on top of butter.
- Make 2 more pancakes the same way you made the first.
- Put a wee pat of butter on top of your first pancake.
- Pile on the other 2 pancakes as they finish cooking, adding a small pat of butter in between each pancake.
- Turn off stove.
- Pour syrup on top of pancakes.
- Eat.
Notes
Rather than plating each pancake before plating the next, you can keep the cooked pancakes warm in a toaster oven and then plate everything all at once.
As a special treat, rather than using plain maple syrup, try some of the Bourbon barrel-aged maple syrups that are out now. Very good! It's pricey, but these are pancakes for one, and that means you're not sharing with your kids or your husband. Indulge!
Nutritionals calculated without the butter (or syrup) for serving. Just so you know.
I made my pancakes for one with lemon zest in the batter and fresh blueberries sprinkled on top of each pancake as they cooked.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 1 Serving Size 3 pancakesAmount Per Serving Calories 442Saturated Fat 13gCholesterol 8mgSodium 36mgCarbohydrates 61gFiber 1gSugar 16gProtein 10g
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Thank you for spending some time here today. Enjoy your pancakes that you don’t have to share with anyone! Take care, and have a lovely day.
molly says
What? No egg?? Illustrious Chef, I bow before your awesome recipes…..but, but, but! Pancakes without eggs? Did I sleep through that class or what? I want to get this right as I am often in the position of making pancakes, or summat, for one!
onlinepastrychef says
I know, right?! I always thought I needed an egg in my pancakes, too. But w/o it, the result is much more tender. Try it (plus, it’s one fewer ingredient you have to remember)!
Hannah says
Hurrah for the no-egg and the single-serving! I cook only for myself, never have eggs in my fridge, and have recently decided I need to give pancakes another go after disliking them for most of my life. Pastry Chef to the rescue!
onlinepastrychef says
Hurrah, indeed! All signs point to: “It’s Time for Hannah to Start Eating Pancakes Again.” =D
MJ Schrader says
I may have to try this, although I had to look up the recipe for turning all purpose flour into self-rising. (for anyone else, add 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp baking soda) But what a great way to make pancakes for just me 🙂
onlinepastrychef says
MJ, if you don’t have sr flour, I’d make it w/ 1/2 cup all purpose, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Since the batter doesn’t contain any acidic ingredients, the baking soda won’t work so well in this case. Regardless, do make them–very easy, and perfect for one! 🙂
Camille says
Pancakes may be the fastest breakfast I know how to cook, mainly because I insist on cooking my scrambled eggs the slow way. 🙂
Groovyoldlady says
Pancakes are like biscuits and pie crusts; SO easy to make homemade. Why would anyone use a mix???
Daily Spud says
A pancake with no eggs – well now, there’s a thing. As for that shake-and-pour thing, may it never, ever touch my shopping basket!
Medifast Coupons says
And the smell of pancakes first thing in the morning, yum! Yeah who buys that nasty pour stuff, so wrong. I even cheat sometimes and make the batter the night before just to save that bit of breakfast time. And pancakes for supper, oh yeah there is a lovely treat mid-week. Thanks for your pancake recipe!
MommyMatter says
This made me chuckle so much! It is amazing how lazy the world is becoming and relying on such pointless quick making things. I’d NEVER buy the shake and pour. It is just WRONG!!! I love making homemade pancakes. Throw in some mashed banana’s into the mix and I’m really good to go.
Thanks for the chuckle. The video just made it even more amusing. Guess what we are having for dinner now 🙂 And who said pancakes are only for breakfast?!
onlinepastrychef says
Glad I could make you laugh! Enjoy your Dinner Pancakes (I, too, have been known to have the odd pancake or three for dinner every once in awhile)! 😆
Barbara | Creative Culinary says
I can not deny I have what I think is the best pancake recipe…and that’s saying a lot because it came from my ex-husband’s dad and I still think it’s worthy. I’ll have to try yours, they sure look perfect. Too bad we can’t do a pancake throwdown! 🙂
Jennifer Field says
When we meet For Reals, it is On! =) <3
Kunal Pahuja- Handmade Chocolates says
Amazing Recipe. I’ve tried it at home. Everyone liked it so much. Thank You so much!!
Jennifer Field says
Thank you for letting me know–I’m so happy you like it!!
Nathan says
Hey Jenni,
Found your site through this recipe – I searched for something easy to make during camping trips. I tried these this morning, but I think I messed up somehow. When I make the batter according to your directions (substituting 1/2 cup regular flour + 1/2 teaspoon baking powder + 1/4 teaspoon ground Kosher salt) it comes together very sticky and doughy. Also, I realized I left the sugar out, but I don’t know if that accidental omission would cause things to get super thick. Even without the sugar, though, they tasted good (a bit bland, but not bad). On the third “pour” I added a dash of water to thin the dough back to a batter consistency and then threw in some blueberries – that one was really nice. For a pre-diabetic, that would work just fine for me, without the sugar and all.
Any idea what could make the batter get so thick? I triple-checked the volumes I used (which is when I realized I left the sugar out accidentally). I’m going to try again tonight (because why not?) and see if I get different results.
Jennifer Field says
Hey, Nathan. Sugar might make a bit of a difference, but if you think the batter is too thick, it’s totally fine to add a bit more milk to it. If you are prediabetic, consider adding a bit of cinnamon to the batter as cinnamon can have some regulating affect on blood sugar levels. Leaving out the sugar can also lead to a bit of blandness since the sugar and salt together heightens flavor.
And I heartily approve of pancakes for dinner. Enjoy!
Nathan says
Sounds good! Thanks for the reply!
Jennifer Field says
No problem–I try to stay on top of things when folks have questions and/or to help troubleshoot! Enjoy your camping and your dinner pancakes. 🙂
Nathan says
Hi Jenni,
I added more milk, and remembered the sugar, added a couple of pinches of cinnamon, and yeah, they worked great! Just what I’m looking for at camp (or when I need an emergency pancake meal, of course). The family approves as well. Next trial will be car camping. Thanks again for the input! Great recipe.
Jennifer Field says
Awesome! Glad they turned out well for you! =) Try them with some lemon zest in the batter and blueberries sprinkled on them before flipping. Maybe my favorite way!
Harsha says
I manufacture and supply premixes for waffles. would love to try this recipe.
Debbie says
Hi! Would it be possible to make this using 1) gluten free pancake omitting the leveling agents since already contained, and secondly could I sub 1:1 gluten free flour? Any suggestions, I would greatly appreciate as I’ve not been able to make a decent GF single serving pancake. Thank you in advance
Jennifer Field says
Hi, Debbie. I wish I could tell you for sure, but I’m not gluten free and have very limited experience with all the different gf flours and flour blends. My only advice would be to try it. If it doesn’t work out, at least you’re only out a small amount of ingredients. I have heard that you can make an oat flour pancake that is really good. I’m going to refer you to my friend Sandi who is an amazing gluten free baker. She may be able to better help. https://fearlessdining.com
Lizzie says
These pancakes came out a bit sticky and a bit bland…would not make again.
Jennifer Field says
Oh, man, that has never happened to me before. I wonder if your self-rising flour was a little bit old? That can happen in a fairly short amount of time, and if the leavener is a little kaput, they may not rise as well and therefore get a bit sticky on the surface. And I have to ask, did you use self-rising flour? I normally always add salt to everything to fight against blandness, but self-rising flour already has enough salt in it to make things taste good. So if you subbed in regular flour for self-rising, you’d be down both leavening and salt, possibly resulting in sticky, bland pancakes.
Sorry you weren’t a fan, but I appreciate your stopping in and commenting!
Mollie says
Can I use all purpose flour instead of self rising? Sorry, I couldn’t find the notes.
Jennifer Field says
You can, but if you make that substitution, you will have to add leavening and salt. The ratio is generally 1 teaspoon of baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt per cup of all purpose flour to equal self rising. Hope that helps. I’ll add that to the notes. Enjoy, and stay well.
Aly says
Can I make these without a cast iron skillet or griddle?
Jennifer Field says
Hey, Aly. You can make them in a large, nonstick frying pan or in an electric fry pan if you have either of those. Enjoy!
Stephanie says
HI Jenni
I just tried this recipe and ended up with a plate of the fluffiest, most gorgeous pancakes I’ve ever made. They’re delicious. Thanks so much for this recipe!
Jennifer Field says
I am so happy that you enjoyed them, Stephanie! I appreciate your letting me know! I hope you continue to enjoy them and to make them your own with your favorite mix-ins! 🙂
Ash says
Thank you for this amazing recipe. I’ve never been able to properly make pancakes before but with your recipe and instructions they came out perfectly. My grandma loved them too 🙂 thank you so much.
Jennifer Field says
Hey, Ash! I’m so happy you enjoyed the pancakes, and how lovely that you made some for your grandmother, too! Thanks so much for letting me know, also. Makes me feel really good about what I’m doing! Take care, and thanks again. 🙂
Kay says
Wow. I’ll admit I was skeptical at first, but the results speak for themselves!
I didn’t have any proper measuring cups, so I eyeballed it with a coffee mug and it still worked out.
Next time I’ll add vanilla or another spice for a bit more taste, but as they stand, these are pretty good on their own.
Jennifer Field says
Yay! Yes, this is a very basic recipe, so please add flavor/spices/mix-ins to make it your own. So glad they worked out for you!
Take care, Kay. 🙂