Make this weekend extra special by kicking it off with a gorgeous stack of Strawberry Pancakes. They're light, fluffy, and bursting with sweet, juicy strawberries in every bite. These pancakes are colorful, sweet, and an absolute delight to eat.
They're perfect for spring and summer when berries are at their peak. Serve with whipped cream and drizzle them with our instant strawberry syrup for an unforgettable breakfast treat. These pancakes have been a weekend tradition in my kitchen for years. They're a favorite for slow weekend mornings and Mother's Day brunch, right alongside classics like brioche French toast or a plate of homemade breakfast sausage for a full breakfast spread.
Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
We took our classic vanilla pancake recipe — tested and perfected over the last 15 years in my home kitchen — and gave it a fresh, juicy twist. These pancakes have been a weekend (and weekday) tradition since my girls were little. This recipe makes the lightest, fluffiest pancakes ever. When I say these pancakes are keepers, I mean it.
Just like my cinnamon roll pancake recipe, I kept the pancake base the same for this recipe — why mess with perfection?! But I added a touch more sugar to highlight the strawberries' natural sweetness.
Simple Ingredients, Big Strawberry Flavor
- All-Purpose Flour | This flour provides structure and serves as the base for the pancakes. Do not sub in other types of flour.
- Sugar | Adds sweetness to the pancake mix and also helps with browning. Stick with granulated sugar for this recipe.
- Baking Powder | Not to be confused with baking soda, this is the ingredient that makes your pancakes perfectly light and fluffy.
- Salt | Fine sea salt enhances all the other flavors of these strawberry pancakes.
- Buttermilk | Adds a barely-there tang, but most importantly, helps these pancakes rise and keeps them super tender. If you don't have buttermilk, sub in regular milk and the juice of half a lemon.
- Egg | Binds the batter together.
- Butter | Adds great flavor and makes these pancakes extra tender and soft. If you don't have butter, feel free to use avocado or canola oil.
- Vanilla Extract | Adds great flavor, enhances sweetness, and perfectly complements the strawberries.
- Strawberries | Diced, fresh strawberries add a juicy pop of color and flavor in every bite. Fresh strawberries make all the difference in from-scratch recipes, whether it's a breakfast food like this recipe or a dessert like our crowd-pleasing strawberry trifle, strawberry shortcake cupcakes, or strawberry pound cake.
How to Make Strawberry Pancakes
To make strawberry pancakes, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Combine eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla, then mix with the dry ingredients. Fold in diced strawberries and cook the batter on a greased skillet until golden and fluffy.
Mix Dry Ingredients | In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until well combined.
Mix Wet Ingredients | In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and buttermilk.
Combine Dry + Wet Ingredients | Add the dry mix to the buttermilk-egg mixture and gently stir until mostly combined.
Add Butter (or Oil) | Then, drizzle in the melted butter (or oil), whisking until fully incorporated.
Fold in Strawberries | Heat a lightly greased skillet or griddle over medium heat. Once the pan is ready, fold the strawberries into the pancake batter.
Cook Pancakes | Pour about ⅓ cup of batter for each pancake. Cook for 2-3 minutes until bubbles form on the surface and the edges look set. Use a fork to hold the edge of the pancake in place, then slide a thin spatula underneath, and flip. Cook for another 1-2 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.
Serve + Enjoy! | Serve warm with your favorite toppings and enjoy!
And if you love strawberry breakfast recipes, be sure to check out strawberry shortcake biscuits and strawberry scones!
The Secret Sauce: My Instant Strawberry Pancake Syrup
If you don't want to go through the trouble of whipping up a strawberry syrup or compote from scratch, I've got you! This strawberry syrup is not to be confused with our go-to strawberry syrup for cocktails. They are not the same!
How to Make Instant Strawberry Syrup
- Combine ¾ cup of strawberry jam or preserves, 2 tablespoons of water, and the juice of half a lemon in a 2-cup measuring pitcher.
- Cover it with plastic wrap and microwave it for about one minute.
- Carefully remove the measuring pitcher from the microwave and stir until combined. It'll be hot, so take care not to spill on yourself.
This instant strawberry syrup is so easy to make and adds fresh, bright flavor to your strawberry pancakes in no time!
Pancakes have always been a weekend ritual in our home, and the strawberry version becomes a favorite every spring when berry season rolls around. Fresh strawberries give these pancakes natural, sweetness, and color while keeping them light and fluffy. Our family loves them and I'm sure yours will too.
Tips for Perfect Strawberry Pancakes
- Dice strawberries small so they cook evenly
- Do not overmix the batter
- Cook pancakes over medium heat
- Flip when bubbles appear on the surface
How to Store and Freeze Pancakes
Store | Store leftover pancakes a gallon-sized zip-top bag separated by sheets of wax paper or parchment paper for up to three days. The wax paper keeps the pancakes from sticking together.
Freeze | To freeze strawberry pancakes let the pancakes cool completely, then stack them with parchment or wax paper between each pancake and transfer to a freezer-safe, gallon-sized zip-top bag. Freeze your pancakes for up to two months. Reheat in the microwave covered with a damp paper towel at 20-second intervals until warmed to your liking.
Strawberry Pancake FAQs
Yes. Dice the strawberries small and gently fold them into the batter just before cooking.
Fresh strawberries are best, but frozen strawberries work if thawed and drained well.
Large pieces of strawberries release excess moisture. This is why dicing the berries small helps to prevent that.
No. It is not necessary to cook the strawberries before pancakes.
To keep pancakes fluffy, avoid overmixing the batter and cook them over medium heat. It is best if your batter is slightly lumpy since overmixing develops the gluten and makes pancakes dense.
Yes! Strawberry pancakes freeze very well. Let the pancakes cool completely, then stack them with parchment or wax paper between each pancake and transfer to a freezer-safe gallon-sized ziptop bag. Freeze your pancakes for up to two months.
Strawberry pancakes pair beautifully with butter, maple syrup, whipped cream or powdered sugar. Extra strawberries on the side are a bonus. If you want to make your strawberry pancakes extra decadent, drizzle them with strawberry syrup and a pinch of lemon zest to brighten up the flavor.
You'll want to opt for fresh, ripe strawberries for pancakes. Choose berries that are bright red and fragrant.
5 More Breakfast Recipes You’ll Love
- Baked Eggs | Made with fresh eggs, creamy cheese, and flavorful seasonings, this oven-baked dish comes together in minutes and delivers perfectly cooked eggs every time.
- Breakfast Tacos | Loaded with fluffy scrambled eggs, crispy bacon or sausage, melty cheese, and fresh toppings, these tacos are customizable, satisfying, and perfect for busy mornings or weekend brunch.
- Stuffed French Toast | Thick slices of golden, buttery bread are filled with a sweet, creamy filling and cooked to perfection, then topped with fresh fruit, syrup, or powdered sugar.
- Lemon Muffins | Moist, fluffy, and filled with a luscious lemony surprise, these muffins strike the perfect balance between tangy and sweet.
- Chocolate Croissants | Flaky, golden croissant dough is filled with melty chocolate for a bakery-style treat that’s perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert.
Strawberry Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ¼ cup buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled (or avocado or canola oil)
- 1 ½ cups diced strawberries (cut into ½-inch pieces)
- Topping ideas: whipped cream, sliced strawberries, strawberry or maple syrup
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until well combined.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and buttermilk. Add the dry mix to the buttermilk-egg mixture and gently stir until mostly combined. Then drizzle in the and melted butter (or oil), whisking until fully incorporated.
- Heat a lightly greased skillet or griddle over medium heat.
- Once the pan is ready, fold the strawberries into the pancake batter.
- Pour about ⅓ cup of batter for each pancake. Cook for 2-3 minutes until bubbles form on the surface and the edges look set. Use a fork to hold the edge of the pancake in place, then slide a thin spatula underneath, and flip. Cook for another 1-2 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.
- Makes about 8 pancakes. Serve warm with your favorite toppings and enjoy!
Philip Anthony says
This worked exactly as written, thanks!