Here's One Reason Your Pancakes Turned Out Flat, And 2 Ways To Fix It

Pancake batter is one of the easiest things to whip up in the kitchen, yet it often leads to some of the most disappointing results. When you want a tall stack of thick, fluffy, diner-style pancakes, it can be heartbreaking to watch them turn out flat, each one flopping off the pan more lifeless than the last. Fortunately, there's a simple fix, especially if the problem lies in the batter's liquid ratios.

Most often, the cause of flat pancakes can be pinpointed to a batter that's overly thin, which is typically the result of too much liquid in the mixture. Don't worry, this may not be your fault. As it turns out, eggs can be different sizes, and some types of milk are thinner than others, which may contribute to the issue. But either way, if your batter looks a bit wet, you need to add more dry ingredients to counteract it.

Simply spoon in a few tablespoons of flour, no more than ¼ cup, and about ½ teaspoon of baking powder and lightly mix. The batter should be the consistency of custard or cake batter when you're finished. If you're struggling to get it right, try weighing the ingredients out instead of measuring by volume, and make sure your baking powder isn't expired. If you are measuring by volume, spoon the dry mix instead of scooping for better results. But there's one other way to save your batter...

If you've overdone it and the batter ends up becoming too thick, you can always use it to make waffles instead. Pancakes and waffles contain many of the same ingredients, and it's easy to convert pancake mix into waffle mix. The main difference between the two is that waffles are slightly richer, with more butter and eggs, and the batter is thicker as a result. There's usually some sugar in there too, which helps the exterior of the waffles crisp up.

A typical ​​easy pancake recipe calls for about one cup of flour, one cup of milk, an egg, and a tablespoon of melted butter. It's recommended to double the amount of fat if you're turning it into waffle batter, so you'd use two tablespoons of melted butter instead of one. Or, just add in a few spoons of coconut oil.

The same goes for ready-made pancake mix. If the type you bought is leading to flat pancakes, all you have to do to transform them into waffles is add water, an egg, and a few tablespoons of oil. For additional help, be sure to follow the instructions on the box. If you're looking for some recommendations, here are the best pancake mixes of 2025.