Orange Pancakes

These orange pancakes are light, fluffy, and full of bright citrus flavor, making them a fun change from regular pancakes. They're easy to make with simple ingredients, and the fresh orange juice and zest give every bite a sweet, sunny taste. This is a great breakfast recipe for weekends, holidays, or any morning when you want something a little special without a lot of extra work.

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Why this is the best orange pancakes recipe

It's a simple recipe. These easy orange pancakes use basic ingredients like flour, sugar, baking powder, eggs, milk, orange juice, and orange zest, so everything is easy to find at your local grocery store.

It's very easy. All you have to do is mix the pancake batter, pour it onto a hot griddle or skillet, and cook until the pancakes are golden brown on both sides and soft in the middle.

It tastes amazing! The fresh orange juice and zest give the pancakes a bright citrus flavor, while the fluffy texture and lightly crisp edges make them taste like a sweet homemade breakfast.

It's great for busy mornings, weekend breakfasts, brunch, holidays, and feeding hungry kids. These orange pancakes are easy to serve with maple syrup, butter, powdered sugar, fresh fruit, whipped cream, or your favorite pancake toppings.

Orange pancakes can be easy to customize. You can add vanilla, cinnamon, mini chocolate chips, cranberries, blueberries, or a simple orange glaze to change the flavor and make them feel extra special.

What you'll need to make the best orange pancakes recipe

Equipment

• Microplane grater - This is to zest the orange. I don't know how to zest an orange without a microplane grater or zester but you may be able to find a trick on YouTube.
• Electric griddle or flat bottom pan or nonstick skillet

Ingredients

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See the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page for all measurements and nutritional information.

Flour: only all purpose flour has been tested, but I believe a cup-for-cup gluten-free baking mix would also work just fine.

Sugar: only granulated sugar has been tested, but I believe granulated monk fruit would also work well.

Baking powder: do not reduce. This is essential to fluffy pancakes. This recipe does not use baking soda.

Vegetable oil: you may replace this with canola oil if you do not have vegetable oil, but I do not recommend olive oil as that will give your pancakes a weird flavor.

Milk: Whole milk and almond milk were both tested, and both work well in this recipe. Low fat milk will probably also work well but I do not recommend skim milk.

Vinegar: Do not omit. This is needed to make the 'buttermilk,' which gives your pancakes their unique pancake flavor.

Orange Juice: This helps give a hint of orange flavor. Store-bought orange juice was tested, not freshly squeezed.

Orange Zest: This is where most of the orange flavor comes from. You can add it to the batter or only sprinkle it on top of the pancakes, depending on your preference.

How to make easy orange pancakes

1. Add the vinegar to the milk and let it sit for 5 minutes. Set it aside while you continue to make the pancake batter.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the vegetable oil, orange juice, and milk and vinegar mixture with half of the orange zest.
   In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and baking powder.
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   Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir with a spatula or wooden spoon until just combined. Let the batter rest for 5 minutes before cooking.
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3. Heat the griddle over medium-low heat (300-325ºF). Once the griddle is hot, melt unsalted butter if desired, and add about ⅓ cup of the batter. Cook for 1-3 minutes, or until bubbles start to appear on top and the bottom is golden and firm.
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   Flip the pancake over and cook for an additional 1-3 minutes, or until the bottom is golden.
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4. Repeat for the rest of the pancakes.
5. Sprinkle pancakes with remaining orange zest and drizzle with warm maple syrup.
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Cook's tips and tricks for the best homemade pancake recipe

Be sure to give the milk and vinegar at least 5 minutes to mix together before adding to the batter. This combination makes an easy substitute for buttermilk.

Make sure the wet ingredients, especially the eggs, are well mixed before adding the dry ingredients. I suggest you use a whisk to mix the wet ingredients. You can use a dry fork to blend the dry ingredients and then whisk them into the wet.

Keep the heat on 300ºF or medium-low the whole time to ensure the pancakes achieve a golden color. If the griddle is too hot, they will burn before they finish cooking, and if it's too low, they'll stay a cream color even when cooked all the way through.

Variations and substitutions

You can change the citrus flavor. Use lemon juice and lemon zest for lemon pancakes, or try a mix of orange and lemon if you want a brighter citrus taste.

You can add mix-ins. Try mini chocolate chips, blueberries, cranberries, chopped pecans, or a little cinnamon to make the pancakes feel different each time.

You can make them sweeter. Add a simple orange glaze, raspberry syrup, lemon syrup, or strawberry syrup; a sprinkle of powdered sugar; a dollop of whipped cream; or a drizzle of honey if you want these orange pancakes to feel more like a special brunch treat.

How to store leftover orange pancakes

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Let them cool completely before storing so they do not get soggy. Reheat them in the microwave, toaster, air fryer, or a warm skillet until heated through. See these tips on reheating pancakes.

You can also freeze pancakes really easily. Place squares of parchment between each one and store in an airtight container of plastic freezer bag in the freezer up to a month. There is no need to thaw in the fridge before reheating.

More delicious pancake recipes

• Homemade Orange Cranberry Sauce
• Homemade Chocolate Orange Cheesecake
• Mandarin Orange Fluff Jello Salad
• The Best Orange Creamsicle Cake
• Orange Creamsicle Fluff with Cottage Cheese

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