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IHOP Pancakes Recipe
IHOP Pancakes
By Todd Wilbur

Recipe Type: Breakfast
Calories: 350
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Recipe Rating: 4.8 (76 reviews)
 

Even though the early press runs of the first book, Top Secret Recipes, excluded buttermilk in this recipe - a very important ingredient if you really want pourable batter - many figured out the missing ingredient on their own and the error was quickly corrected in later copies. Now we just like to call those copies of the book the "Collectors Editions." For any of you who were lucky enough to get one of the "Collectors Editions" we'd liked to say "Congratulations!" Now here's the recipe, in its entirety, to make pancakes just like those served every day at IHOP.

Nonstick Spray
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 egg
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 heaping teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup cooking oil
pinch of salt

1. Preheat a skillet over medium heat. Use a pan with a nonstick surface or apply a little nonstick spray.

2. In a blender or with a mixer, combine all of the remaining ingredients until smooth.

3. Laddle approximately 1/3 cup of the batter into the hot skillet, forming 5-inch circles.

4. When the edges appear to harden, after a minute or two, flip the pancakes. They should be golden brown.

5. Cook pancakes on the other side for same amount of time, until golden brown.

Makes 8 to 10 pancakes.

        
Chasity  
Submitted on 03/19/13
I followed this recipe exactly. It was just ok. I didn't even finish them. Definitely not the Ihop version. Has a funny aftertaste as well. Its an ok homemade recipe but I've had better. Will keep looking for an Ihop recipe.
MILLY  
Submitted on 03/17/13
THE RECIPE DIDN'T WORK - THE PANCAKES BECAME STUCK TO THE PAN AND IT WOULD NOT COME OF SO I HAD TO THROW IT AWAY! THIS RECIPE MADE ME LOSE 20 QUID. YOU'LL HAVE TO PAY FOR IT. I AM A SINGLE MUM AND I CAN'T PAY SO WE HAD TO DO WITHOUT. DON'T TRY THIS RECIPE.
jake  
Submitted on 03/16/13
sssssssssssssssssssssssooooooooooooooooooooooooo gggggggggggggggoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooodddddddddddddddddddddddddd
John  
Submitted on 03/15/13
This is the best recipe I had ever tried. They are as good if not better than IHOP. The secret is IHOP also add semolina flour in the mix. Try it and thank me too for it. LOL
Celestial Fitness  
Submitted on 02/24/13
I used lactose intolerance skim milk and coconut oil. Eliminated the buttermilk and regular oil and they were great:)
Sam  
Submitted on 02/22/13
These pancakes were extremely delicious! I used a previous commenter's suggestion and substituted the buttermilk with milk and vinegar-couldn't tell the difference!! These were perfect!!!!!
 
Submitted on 02/09/13
The best, never will go to store to buy those ready ones. This recipe is great.
Babs  
Submitted on 02/07/13
This is the best pancake recipe ever! They turned out light and fluffy and sooo good!
alex wilson  
Submitted on 01/13/13
Living in the UK an 8 hour flight from my nearest IHOP I can enjoy a short stack of their famous pancakes here at home. One tip is to get the pancake griddle really hot before starting to cook. The first time I made these I mesed up a few pancakes by not having my griddle hot enough
K Williams  
Submitted on 12/30/12
These were good, but the texture is not as fluffy & soft as are those at my local IHOP and the taste has a slight metallic element. They are more like a Denny's or other diner type pancake. They taste slightly better with only 2-1/2 tsp. of sugar.
Jeremy Shadbolt  
Submitted on 10/15/11
Try butter flavored oil instead of plain cooking oil. I have a pretty good idea that will make it just right..... Lol I ought to know......
Eddie  
Submitted on 09/29/11
I'm seriously shocked, these pancakes were flat out amazing! As a kid growing up if Mom made pancakes they were from store bought mixes like Bisquick; so now at 29 I come across this recipe for homemade IHOP Pancakes and decided to try them - thank God I did cause the family loved them. I also gave the recipe to my Mom and after making them herself she apologized for ever using Bisquick. lol .. Make your pancakes from scratch. Follow these directions to the letter.
Obeh  
Submitted on 07/21/11
I think this smells exactly like the pancakes and taste really good but... I tasted the egg so I took out the egg at put 2 white and it was beautiful love it !! and taste good without vanilla but it taste good with it to :)
Ashley Seman  
Submitted on 03/13/11
The batter was pretty good and they turned out well but they were a little too fluffy. More than IHOP makes them otherwise as close as you can get for homemade.
Maddy and Anna  
Submitted on 06/02/10
Great recipe, and as said below, you can make buttermilk with regular milk and lemon juice/vinegar. Our only problem was the first time we made it we had to put 2 cups of flour in... but that was not really a problem.
Jonathan  
Submitted on 02/17/10
This is by far the best pancake recipe out there! I will no longer buy pancake mix from a box again. I know alot of people say add vanilla but honestly.. this recipe taste superb without it. Pancakes are my favorite food in the whole world and this tastes exactly like the pancakes they serve at restaurants.I'm now just having a hard time finding the IHOP syrup but now I just use generic brands.:) Thanks soo much for this recipe.
Don B.  
Submitted on 02/15/10
This is one of our families favorite breakfast items. Top with some butter and homemade maple syrup and WOW, that's good eatin'!!!
Jennifer  
Submitted on 11/24/09
LOVE this recipe! This was a big hit for me with my family. It really tastes like Ihop's pancakes. I added the vanilla, and I think that makes a big difference in the taste. This is a keeper!
Anonymous  
Submitted on 07/27/09
Add 1 tsp. of vanilla. Awesome!
Josie  
Submitted on 07/13/09
I'm usually not a pancake person, but I still thought these were AMAZING! If you don't have buttermilk lying around, you can substitute half milk and half unflavored yogurt or let the milk and a tablespoon or so of vinegar sit for a few minutes. I also added a capful of vanilla extract. Best pancakes I have ever made!
GG!  
Submitted on 03/15/09
These were very good. Light and fluffy. I doubled the recipe and added 2 caps of vanilla extract. My husband thought they were delicious. I don't usually eat pancakes but tried these and thought they were delicious. We had these for our dinner last night, which was a big change.
Michael  
Submitted on 02/07/09
OMG! this recipe is incredible! My mom told me to add just 1 cap-full of Vanilla Essence to it and i nearly cried. thats how good they are.
evelyn  
Submitted on 01/11/09
I wasn't a big pancake fan until I made these. They are so light and fluffy. I will never use a box pancake mix again! My husband and kids request pancakes all the time now, even for dinner. I like them with lots of butter and warm syrup.
urbanadave  
Submitted on 01/02/09
They are very good pancakes compared to Bisquick or any other box mix but they are still not IHOP Restaurant pancakes. You just can't do it the same at home.
Emma  
Submitted on 11/28/08
These pancakes are a regular Sunday morning feature in our house now. We visited IHOP last year while on holiday in the US and whilst some here say they taste different they certainly transported all of us us back to the USA! Fab with a good blueberry jam.
ally  
Submitted on 08/23/08
I'm sorry but I just don't think this recipe tastes anything like I HOP pancakces. This is still a fairly good pancake recipe in general but I love I-HOP pancakes and these just don't compare.
Linda  
Submitted on 06/05/08
We love this recipe. I grind my own wheat to use for flour and these pancakes come out so light and fluffy.
Kalinda R. Jones  
Submitted on 02/05/08
Excellent! I love the sweet flavor of this recipe which makes it different than other pancake recipes but very similar to IHOP's. I put the batter in the refrigerator and use it cold. This was great for those of us who love really thick pancakes.
Laura  
Submitted on 12/23/07
These were great! The look on my sister's face when I told her she was eating IHOP pancaks was priceless. This will definitely be the recipe we use from now on.
MrTGardenCook  
Submitted on 12/10/07
The wife of 32 years gave this a 5....lathered up with whipped cream and a couple dollops of blueberry compote and she was in Heaven.
Doug  
Submitted on 11/18/07
I think everyone should have this recipe in their books. This is the best pancake recipe that I have every come across. I have never had IHOP pancakes so I can't compare. When I mad these for my family I was King for the night, I couldn't make them fast enough. I used 1 1/4 teaspoons vineager instead of buttermilk (this method was mentioned by a previouse review). I added some vanilla and a pinch of something secret. This is a recipe that you can hand down the generations. Thanks for making this one free.
Irene  
Submitted on 09/29/07
This is an awesome, awesome recipe, this is the only one I will make now.
Kelley  
Submitted on 09/24/07
We love these pancakes! We add a little extra water to the buttermilk for a thinner batter.
Dorrey  
Submitted on 02/23/07
Wow. I made this for my boyfriend and his brothers (19 and 9 yrs old)... and they loved it. I followed Valerie's hint to add vinegar in the milk as a sub for buttermilk. Worked fine (I used white vinegar). Also, used 1% milk and mixed it all in my blender, dry ingredients first. Will be a staple in my house!
Valerie  
Submitted on 02/08/07
Loved it! Folks have most ingredients to make this recipe on hand; with the exception of the buttermilk. A substitute for the buttermilk can be made by whisking 1 teaspoon vinegar(the orange color cider vinegar works best)into 1 cup of milk. This recipe calls for 1 1/4 cups of milk so add 1 1/4 teaspoons vinegar to the milk. Who wants to run to the store for buttermilk?
Kathie  
Submitted on 01/02/07
Great recipe & just about as easy as any box mix. Just have to remember to bring home buttermilk... :-) Great recipe!
Tanya  
Submitted on 12/10/06
I made these pancakes for my boyfriend this morning and he said they were just as good as IHOP pancakes. I don't think we will be going there for breakfast anymore...that's a good thing!
kathy  
Submitted on 11/11/06
I've never had IHOP pancakes but this is the recipe I use all the time.
 
Submitted on 11/04/06
I had hated pancakes my entire life until an IHOP restaurant opened up near our home and I fell in love. This recipe is it! The only thing I added was a teaspoon of vanilla flavoring. Also, these freeze extremely well. Just individually wrap in plastic wrap and place in a large freezer bag. When time is short and you crave pancakes, just unwrap a couple and microwave for about a minute. Great job on this recipe.
Gloria  
Submitted on 08/11/06
I have been trying to immitate this recipe since first visiting IHOP 4 years ago. Now I have the recipe and we had them for breakfast this morning. Awesome! Delicious!
Jorinde  
Submitted on 06/13/06
Hey everyone, I loved the pancakes at ihop when I was over in the states (I'm from Belgium) and was looking for a recipe when I saw this one. Jamie Oliver, the British chef, usually tells you to beat the egg white first and then mix it with the rest of the dough. You'll find that the pancakes become very fluffy.
Pamperedliz  
Submitted on 05/27/06
Almost like IHOP. My buttermilk was a little old and the pancakes weren't as fluffy as IHOPS - but they were pretty darn close.
mailgirl  
Submitted on 04/15/06
Excellent. !!! I add one peeled and grated apple and a few dashes of cinnamon to the recipe. EVERYONE loooooves them. Thanks for a terrific recipe. Can't say if they are anything like IHOP's since we don't have the chain here in Canada but they're better then our local chain(Golden Griddle).
Sophia G.  
Submitted on 04/10/06
Awesome recipe. I make these almost every Sunday. I use Splenda instead of sugar and they are just as great. When they are to thick, I add a little water. My husband loves these.
nancy  
Submitted on 03/27/06
Had to add a little more buttermilk the mix came out a little thick otherwise nice taste and texture.
Lilly and Marcela from Costa Rica  
Submitted on 03/04/06
They are great.. We love this recipe! We bring them to the office to have a nice breakfast on Saturdays. Just add some strawberries and bananas in the same plate.
Marlene  
Submitted on 02/21/06
This is a very good recipe. But I had to add about 1/4 cup extra flour, as the batter seemed too runny. I also added 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Otherwise they were light and fluffy and very tasty!!!
ldybug170  
Submitted on 02/21/06
This recipe is awesome!!! My husband never would eat pancakes from home...only when we went to IHOP. He ate three when I made this recipe!! Even my son who hates pancakes, had one!! Thanks so much!!!
teresa  
Submitted on 02/07/06
These are wonderful. Hard to stop eating them. Add a bit of cocoa and you have chocolate pancakes. Add a bit of choc. chips and whip cream and you have a wonderful breakfast or dinner. My teens love them and they are very PICKY.
Lindsey  
Submitted on 01/22/06
These were so good they didn't need anything on them. They were almost like cake. Great recipe.
linda  
Submitted on 01/08/06
This recipe is amazing. Absolutely the best!!!!
This Recipe Rocks!  
Submitted on 01/06/06
I tried this, after using mix after mix, and it is by far the best recipe that I have ever heard of!
Jane  
Submitted on 01/04/06
Made this recipe one long weekend for 8 people on a camping trip... they ALL said they were the best pancakes. My boyfriend, who said that he normally does not like pancakes, LOVED these!
Vessa from Norway  
Submitted on 01/02/06
Theee cloned pancakes LOOK and taste like American Pancakes should! I have tried so many recipes on American Pancakes, but they never become thick enough or taste right. Also, these taste DELICIOUS topped with Pancake syrup! I can't wait to serve these to my family and guests! Thank you a million for this recipe!!!
Anonymous  
Submitted on 12/19/05
Yum, awesome pancake recipe. And if you think about it, not any more work than using a baking mix. Can't wait to try the apple pancake now, love that too!!!
Delores  
Submitted on 12/13/05
I didn't think they tasted like IHOP pankcakes at all. Although the recipe is good, it isn't IHOP. I think Krusteaz buttermilk box pancakes are a closer match and a lot less hassle.
V  
Submitted on 12/12/05
This is the only pancake recipe I will ever use! I loved it and I can not wait to share this with everyone! Thank you so much!
Liza  
Submitted on 12/06/05
Got this recipe from one of your books. This is my staple pancake recipe, I don't add as much liquid (I like a thicker pancake), but any way you make it is great.
ashes  
Submitted on 11/29/05
THESE ARE THE BEST PANCAKES I'VE EVER TASTED IN MY LIFE!!! NOT EVEN JOKING....YOU SHOULD ALL TRY THIS WONDERFUL RECIPE:)
Melissa  
Submitted on 11/23/05
OMFG THESE ARE THE BEST THINGS EVER INVENTED BY MAN!!!!!!! (always put their strawberry syrup on them....) i am obsessed with these pancakes....i've been there 3 times a day once just to have the pancakes!!!!!! EVERYONE SHOULD EAT THEM!!!!!!!!! I LOVE IHOP!!!!!
Tania  
Submitted on 11/21/05
I got this recipe from the website years ago and it is my staple pancake recipe on a well used piece of paper. WE LOVE IT!!! Thanks for putting out the great recipes!
Elizabeth Golden  
Submitted on 10/30/05
These are the best pancakes...just like IHOP. I even found strawberry syrup which made them even better!!! Thanks!!!
Teresa  
Submitted on 10/22/05
Out of this world, to say the least! No pancake mix can compare-we make up several of these "mixes", except for the milk/oil and even take them camping. Delicious!
Ellen  
Submitted on 09/19/05
I didn't know anyone could make pumpkin pancakes. I can't wait for the holiday season to start because I now know I can go to IHOP and have delicious pumpkin pancakes. They are fluffy and have such a great taste.
Stephanie  
Submitted on 09/15/05
This recipe was soooo wonderful. I never knew pancakes could be so good!
Chrissy  
Submitted on 09/08/05
My family owned an IHOP... here is the other part of the secret.. Do not try to get out all the lumps. mix it gently until moistened.. then let the batter rest for an hour or so. When making the pancakes.. poor the batter on a medium-hot griddle and when many bubbles form and the edges begin to get dry looking flip gentley and DO NOT PAT DOWN
Amber  
Submitted on 09/06/05
I have always had trouble making great pancakes but not anymore! These are great pancakes!
Lisa  
Submitted on 08/30/05
I make these a lot for years, they are the best. I like my pancakes a little thinner so I add an extra 1/4 cup of buttermilk, other than that they are the BEST!!!!
Maggie Hall  
Submitted on 08/28/05
I used to ba manager at IHOP so I can vouch for this one... this is about as close as you can get. While I was working there I got sick of eating pancakes and actually lost weight. But since I've left, I missed them terribly. Now I can have them anytime I want. Yay me!!! By the way, IHOP uses Old Fashioned Maple Syrup. I don't know who produced it for them, but if you find a brand that calls it Old Fashioned, chances are you'll be pretty close. Here's another little hint, They are awesome with extra butter and with HOT syrup instead of cold or room temperature syrup. Happy Weight gaining all!!!
I.H.O.P. FANATIC  
Submitted on 08/25/05
Love love love these pancakes, they are sooo good. I love I.H.O.P. so much and these are just like 'em. All I need now is to know what syrup they use cuz Aunt Jemimah just doesn't cut it.
Julie Smith  
Submitted on 08/02/05
Huge hit! Yummy! I make them always the night before... I also add a 1/2 tsp. of almond exctract as well as 1/2 tsp of vanilla! I also throw in a bag of frozen blueberries! Yum-yum-yum!
Erica  
Submitted on 08/02/05
My daughter and I make these pancakes almost every morning they are the best!
Eileen  
Submitted on 07/31/05
My favorite pancake recipe! Light, fluffy and delicious!
Anonymous  
Submitted on 07/22/05
they were real good. Everybody should try them! Real fluffy! Great Job !
Kathy Moore  
Submitted on 07/20/05
My daughter wants these constantly... This is the best pancake recipe in the world.
Sammy  
Submitted on 07/19/05
These are the greatest - I've used this recipe for several years and everyone loves them. Thanks!