Strawberry Pancakes

Strawberries – Fresh, ripe strawberries will work best for this recipe.

Flour – It’s best to use all-purpose flour for this pancake recipe. You can substitute 1:1 all purpose gluten free flour if you need to keep the pancakes gluten free. Note: there will be a difference in a texture due to gluten free flour.

Vanilla Extract – it’s always best to use 100% pure vanilla extract, not imitation vanilla.

Buttermilk – Be sure to use low-fat buttermilk! I’ve found through many trials and errors that it always creates the very best flavor and consistency for pancakes.

Lemon Juice – use freshly squeezed lemon juice for the best flavor.

Eggs – let the eggs sit on the kitchen counter for about 30 minutes prior to making pancake batter.

Brown Sugar – you can use light brown sugar or dark brown sugar if you wish. Note that dark brown sugar just has a little more molasses flavor.

Baking Powder – Check the expiration date on your baking powder! Believe it or not, even if the expiration date doesn’t show it, it will lose potency after 6 months of being opened.

Baking Soda – use both, baking powder and baking soda. Baking soda has it’s own separate job to do and how it reacts with the ingredients is different from the baking powder.

See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.

Start cooking the sauce. Wash and dice strawberries. Preheat a sauce pot over medium heat. Add diced strawberries, sugar, water, and lemon juice (1). Cover and let it cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring often.

Finish cooking the sauce. When the strawberries are softened, lower the heat to medium-low, stir in vanilla extract and cornstarch water slush. Stir the whole time as the sauce thickens (2). It will take a minute or so. Take off heat.

Make the pancake batter. Combine buttermilk, oil, eggs, vanilla extract, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl and whisk well. Add flour, baking powder, and baking soda and mix just until smooth and combined (3). Don’t over-mix.

Add strawberries. Gently fold in the strawberries until they’re evenly dispersed (4).

PRO TIP: Let the batter sit while you preheat a skillet or a griddle (cast iron is the best choice for both).

Add batter to the pan. Add a little oil to the pan and spread it around to grease. Use a 1/3 cup scoop or an ice cream scoop to get the same amount of batter for each pancake. Add the batter to the hot pan and let it cook without touching it (5).

Flip it! Wait for the bubbles to appear all over the top, that is your indication that pancakes are ready to flip. Use a spatula to slide all the way under the pancake, lift it off, and use your wrist to quickly flip (6). Note that it will take 4-6 minutes for each pancake to cook.

PRO TIP: It’s important to preheat the pan or the griddle first, before cooking the pancakes. Preheat it over medium heat and then lower it a little bit before adding pancake batter.

Storing and Reheating Recommendation

Make sure to store cooled pancakes! You can store leftover strawberry pancakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Strawberry pancakes are so easy to reheat! Just pop them in the microwave for 15-20 seconds at a time until warmed all the way through. You can use a toaster oven if preferred, just note that it’s easier to dry them out and overheat them with this method.

Freezing Instructions

I love making strawberry pancakes ahead of time and freezing them for later! That way, I can enjoy them on a lazy summer morning when I don’t feel like cooking.

Make sure your pancakes are totally cooled to room temperature before freezing. Then, freeze the whole batch in a single layer on a tray for about an hour. Once frozen, you can stack them with a single square of parchment paper between each individual pancake. This will help keep them from sticking together!

Place them (in batches if needed) in a large zip-top freezer bag. Strawberry pancakes freeze well for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy them again, simply reheat them in the microwave for 20-30 seconds each! If they’re small enough, you can even pop them in a toaster.

Tips for the Best Strawberry Pancakes

• Let the batter sit. Once you mix the strawberry pancake batter, let it sit for about 10 minutes or so while the pan heats up. This gives the baking powder enough time to activate.
• Preheat the pan first – take time while batter is resting to preheat the pan. It’s important to preheat the pan or the griddle first, before cooking the pancakes. Preheat it over medium heat and then lower it a little bit before adding pancake batter. Each stove is different and so as electric heat vs gas fire. You will learn the exact setting for your stove but it should be somewhere between medium and medium-low. 
• Keep the pan greased. If you notice the oil starting to disappear after cooking your first few strawberry pancakes, don’t be afraid to add a little more as needed.
• Don’t touch the pancake before flipping. To make sure each strawberry pancake cooks efficiently, do not move it around or peak at the other side as it cooks!
• Wait for the bubbles! Wait for the bubbles to appear all over the top, that is your indication that pancakes are ready to flip. 
• Flip using quick wrist motion – Use a spatula to slide all the way under the pancake, lift it off, and use your wrist to quickly flip. It’s all about practice so if you didn’t get it right the first time, don’t get discouraged. Keep practicing!

More Pancake Recipes To Try

• Classic Pancakes Recipe
• Single Serving Banana Pancakes
• Pumpkin Pancakes
• Pumpkin Pancakes with Cinnamon Pecan Syrup
• Apple Pie Pancakes

All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.