These Thick and Fluffy Silver Dollar Pancakes are the BEST mini pancake recipe out there! It's the crispy edges that make these little guys stand out. The size of a silver dollar, they are easy to skewer and completely bite sized!
These mini silver dollar pancakes are one of my most popular recipes for good reason. My Starbucks Copycat Egg Bites are another morning favorite!
"Silver dollar" pancakes are called silver dollar because they are simply SMALLER pancakes! Smaller sized pancakes can also be called hotcakes, flapjacks, griddlecakes or mini pancakes. They are often served stacked on top of one another especially in diners.
If you're looking for a fun breakfast idea, get your griddles ready because these mini pancake stacks are not only fun to eat but so tasty! Mini, fluffy and crispy on the edges...what more could the kid in us want?
Have you tried my mini custard tartlets yet? They are a delicious brunch treat!
Expert Tips
I have tested these mini silver dollars over and over and OVER again. Little did I know how temperamental pancake batter was! But have no fear, they are not difficult to make. Just follow my tips are they will turn out perfectly every time!
- Use butter and don't be stingy!! I don't think people understand how much butter is used for those yummy 'diner pancakes' we all have come to love. Butter will make your pancakes delicious period. Don't skimp. The more fat in your pan, the CRISPIER the edges. (You can always use olive oil if you want to cut down on the fat.)
- Start your skillet on medium low heat! High heat is never smart. The pancake will burn before the inside cooks!
- Use a non-stick skillet to prevent your little pancakes from sticking!
- Be patient. Don't mess with your small pancakes until they're ready to flip! Wait until you see little bubbles in your pancakes. This means they are ready to flip!
- Use a THIN METAL spatula or a little spatula. I find the big plastic spatulas to be too thick. They do not slip underneath the pancake as easily and will mess up your perfect mini pancakes!
- Don't overcook them. They will become dry. After you flip them, they should not take much longer to cook through. Just run a knife through the center to check if they're done!
- Do not over-mix your batter! When you over-mix flour based batters, you create gluten which causes chewier, tougher food, not light and airy like we want. When you add your ingredients to a bowl, mix gently with a whisk! Little lumps of flour in your batter are OKAY.
- Measure your ingredients precisely! When it comes to batters, precision matters. Level out your flour and baking powder! Use an accurate measuring cup for your milk. It WILL make a difference. You want a thicker batter for THICK pancakes!
- Use a mini ice cream scoop! Scooping just a tablespoon of batter will give you perfectly round and consistent cute little pancakes every time! If you don't have this, use a TABLESPOON measure instead!
- Do not use cooking spray! Cooking spray will only lightly coat your pan. In order to get crispy edges, you will need a nice layer of butter or oil on the bottom of your skillet. (1-2 tbsp)
Silver Dollar vs. Regular
What is the different between a "regular pancake" and a silver dollar pancake?
Silver dollar pancakes are simply made smaller in size, usually about 2"-3" in diameter whereas, regular pancakes are at least 6" in diameter.
Stack & Skewer Them!
Once you have your silver dollar pancakes, you want to stack those babies! It makes for a cute presentation especially if serving brunch or trying to keep them warm. I like to do this and pop them in the oven on warm heat until guests arrive.
Try to make sure you pancakes are the same size. To do this, I recommend using an ice cream scoop to measure. This will make sure each pancake is the perfect size!
Pancake Skewers
To skewer your pancakes properly, I would use one of the follow items:
Reusable Bamboo Appetizer Forks
Substitutions
Pancakes are SO versatile! As long as you keep the batter fairly the same, adding a few additional ingredients will help "flavorize" your mini pancakes even more bringing them to another level!
Add more:
- vanilla extract
- melted butter
Substitute:
- Buttermilk or cream for your milk if you want a richer pancake.
- Brown sugar for white sugar for a deeper flavor.
- Gluten free flour if you wish.
- Vegan butter or coconut oil for the butter.
Other Add-Ins:
- maple syrup (my favorite thing to do)
- cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
- chocolate chips
- strawberries
- blueberries
- bananas
- nuts
FAQ's
Pancakes need a leavening agent to help them rise and fluff up! This could be baking powder, baking soda, eggs or a combination of all. Without at least one of these, your pancakes will not be thick or fluffy. If you used baking soda or baking powder and your pancakes are STILL turning out thin, check the EXPIRATION DATES on both! Baking soda and baking powder can go stale after 6 months to a year so make sure they are not expired!
Its also important not to PAT DOWN your pancakes. A lot of chefs press them down which is fine...if you like your pancakes thin. =
You need to add more butter to your pan and SWIRL! The edges need fat to get crispy.
Think about using a nonstick skillet. If you don't have one, use plenty of butter and a thin spatula to flip them. Wait until they brown slightly on the edges before you flip them.
Serving Your Pancakes
Although I could eat these cute little pancakes ANY time of day, I love them in the mornings since our family is always on the go. My little ones love them because they don't need forks or even maple syrup to enjoy them.
Other special occasions I have served them at are:
For Brunch!
Brunch is one of my most favorite meals of the day! Pancakes for brunch is encouraged so why not serve these with some bagels, these healthy banana walnut muffins and some fresh fruit!
At A Bridal or Baby Shower!
Serving Tip* Make your mini pancakes ahead of time and add them to a chafing dish or an electric food warmer to keep them warm throughout the entire party!
Slumber Parties!
Slumber parties are so fun but can be hectic! Make these mini pancakes with the kids and keep them warm for a late night snack or serve these in the morning with some whipped cream and fruit!
Freezing Tips
These mini pancakes freeze VERY well!
Once your pancakes are fully cooked, add them to a large freezer bag or Tupperware container and freeze them for up to 6 weeks.
- Make sure to squeeze out as much air as you can to prevent from freezer burn.
- FLASH freeze your mini pancakes so they do not stick to one another. This is super helpful when your in a rush in the mornings!
Reheating Tips
You can reheat your pancakes one of THREE ways:
- microwave
- pan
- oven
I highly recommend using the microwave especially if your in a hurry. They come out delicious and take about 1 minute of reheating.
Done and done! 🙂
If you want to "RE-CRISP" them, add a pad of butter to a hot skillet and toss them around a bit. You just want to warm them through, not dry them out.
The oven is useful if your reheating them in LARGE batches and if you want to maintain those crispy edges. This is ideal if your hosting a brunch party for a crowd. Oh and don't forget to serve with some butter, fresh fruit and/or maple syrup drizzled over the top of each pancake stack.
Here are some other fun breakfast bites:
Puff Pastry Breakfast Cups With Honey Dijon Sauce
Crescent Roll Blueberry Cream Cheese Danish
Fruit Sticks w/ Coconut Yogurt Dip
Starbucks Copycat Egg Bites (in the oven)
Thick and Fluffy Silver Dollar Pancakes (Mini)
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Flour
- ¼ Cup Sugar
- 1½ Tsp. Baking Powder
- ¼ Tsp. Salt
- ¾ Cup Milk ((or substitute nut milk))
- 1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
- 6 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine your dry ingredients.
- Add in ¾ cup milk, 2 tablespoons melted butter, 1 tsp. vanilla and using a whisk, mix until JUST combined. DO NOT OVER-MIX! Lumps are OKAY!**The consistency of your batter is important. If your batter is too thin, your pancakes will turn out thin and be hard to flip. If your batter is too thick, you can add 1 tablespoon more of milk at a time until it thins out.
- Add 1-2 tablespoon of butter to a skillet and turn heat to medium-low. When butter is melted, pour about 1 tablespoon of batter into your skillet leaving about an inch between each pancake. (I suggest using a mini ice cream scoop for perfectly round, evenly sized pancakes).
- If you want super crispy edges, it is important that you use the handle of the pan to help move the butter AROUND the edges of each pancake! You want the perimeter of each pancake to be nicely coated in the butter! *Use more butter if your pan is larger.
- Once you start to see tiny bubbles coming through each pancake, or the edges start to brown, take a flat metal spatula (they work best) and quickly flip each pancake over and leave them alone! The time will differ depending upon your heat. It is always better to start the heat lower and adjust as needed!!
- It is also important to add another tbsp. of butter to the pan when you flip them. You do NOT want your pan to dry up. The pancakes should be able to freely move or slip around the pan when you shake it. If they do not, you need more butter.
- After you flip, they will be ready in another minute or two. You want to make sure the inside is cooked before you remove your pancakes but do not over-cook them or they will be dry.
- Enjoy as is or with desired toppings!
Recipe Notes
- These freeze VERY well! Make a large batch, let them cool and throw them in a large Ziploc bag or Tupperware container and reheat for 30-60 seconds in the microwave!
- Feel free to adjust the heat on your pancakes. You do not want the heat too high or they will burn before they cook inside! It is always better to start off with lower heat.
- Use a mini ice cream scoop to help make your pancakes the same size!
- If you're gluten-free, use GF flour!
- If you're vegan, substitute milk with choice of nut milk and butter with coconut oil.
If I am using for a bridal brunch can I make the day before and store in fridge then serve at room temperature?
Hi Marianne! You can definitely make these the day before however I wouldn't recommend serving them at room temp. They should be warmed up using a chafing dish or crock pot. Skewer them in stacks of three and serve them flat in a chafing dish so guests can grab and go. Then have syrup and berries on the side 🙂 Also tag me in photos! I would love to see how they turn out. 🙂
Hi there!
Making a bunch today and plan to freeze/ reheat for Christmas morning brunch.
Would I need to DEFROST the pancakes before I reheat if I plan on putting a tray of stacks in a warm oven (covered with foil so they don’t dry out?) Or slow cooker perhaps?
Microwaving a few at a time wouldn’t be practical, so suggestions are appreciated! Merry Christmas!
thanks!
Hi Cathy! That sounds delicious! My suggestion is to first make sure they cool fully then seal them really well so they do not get freezer burn.
As for heating, I recommend using the oven. If you want to keep them warm for longer than 20 minutes, set your oven at the lowest setting possible. No more than 200 degrees F so they do not dry out. If you want to reheat them and serve them as quickly as possible, set it to 350F and pop them in for about 5-7 minutes. They shouldn't take too long to warm up! Make sure to let me know how they turn out! 🙂
Thanks so much for the quick reply!
I still don’t know if I need to defrost the pancakes from the freezer before I warm them up in the oven...or do they go in frozen?
Nope, no need to defrost before reheating! Happy Holidays!!
I love this recipe!!!
Hi Aleka - I think the serving size is off? I think this makes four servings v. four pancakes? But this was a great recipe!!
Hi Jachary! Thanks for pointing that out! Yes that is off. I removed that since it says the serving size and yield in the recipe card. I'm glad you liked them! Please rate them too if you get a chance! 🙂
These pancakes are to die for. They were sent straight from the breakfast gods. I cannot get enough of them. My boyfriend took his first few bites of them and said, “babe, you need to save this recipe”. No need. I have it memorized. The flavor is perfect. Don’t adjust any of the ingredient amounts. Yes, use that much vanilla extract. And make sure to adhere to the rule of not over mixing. Also, I don’t personally think they reheat very well but that’s most foods.
Thank you Betsy! I am so happy to hear comments like these! 🙂 I agree that adjusting ingredients and over-mixing will ruin the pancakes so thank you for confirming that!!
Good!
Thank you! 🙂
I tried these this morning and OMG they were a huge hit! And my boys even said they are so good they don’t need syrup! Mom win!
I am going to use this recipe for my 2 year olds pancake and pajama party next weekend. If I made them a couple days before can I just store them in the fridge until I reheat them in the oven the morning of the party?
Thanks so much!!
Hi Ashlyn! Thanks so much for your comment!! 🙂 I am so happy your boys loved them! My two year old loves them too! 🙂 As for your question, you CAN but they actually freeze better so I highly recommending freezing your pancakes instead, then thaw/reheat in the oven. (I actually have never reheated them using the oven so I'm curious if that helps keep those crispy edges!!
My husband doesn't eat pancakes and even a small or half recipe was too much for one. Since I have started freezing and re-heating, I am having pancakes again! Happy dance here! Can't wait to make these because I love the crispy edges and I can have more with silver-dollar sized ones!
Yay, I'm so glad you enjoyed them!!!! I totally agree! Lol! Thanks so much for the feedback! 🙂
These were great! I used oil to coat the pan and it came out really good.
I'm so glad you liked these pancakes! Thanks for your comment! 🙂
Love your fluffy bite sized pancakes Aleka, I only cook breakfast on Sundays and can't wait to try them, my family will love them!
Thanks Patty! Hope you like them!!
What a time saver for the weekday mornings! My kids will love these silver dollar pancakes! Thanks for sharing
I hope they like them!!
These are the cutest things ever, Aleka! Love how you've plated them and can't wait to bite into one! Yum!
Thanks Lesli!!
They look superb, I love the idea of having breakfast ready to roll when I get up!
Thanks Brian!
I have 3 kids and getting them all out the door in the morning is a nightmare at best! having easy but yummy breakfast options are a huge deal for us! I cant wait to try these!
I can totally relate!! Freeze them in a ziplock baggie and they will last weeks!
I love a good thick and fluffy pancake. I'll have to try your recipe. I've not made a pancake without eggs before!
I know I was skeptical too but def try it!!!
What a cute photo! Tempting too 🙂 I have found a lot of tasty looking pancake recipes in blog land and will someday have a whole pancake-blog-marathon 🙂
lol thanks Mary!
This is so picture perfect. Love the presentation to it. They look super delicious . This is the best breakfast I could ever have.
Thanks so much Veena!
Delicious recipe! Love all the tips on how to make the perfect pancakes!
Thank you!!
These pancakes are great! My husband loves them so I’ve been making these often. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks so much for your sweet comment Janelle! I am so glad you both love them!! 🙂
I don't think I've ever tried making pancakes without eggs but the tips are all very helpful and these look great!
Yes you should try it! Trust me, you will NOT miss them in this recipe!
These pancakes look so deliciously light and fluffy! I always made a huge batch of pancakes, waffles or french toast when my kids were in school, so they had a good breakfast!
It's the only way to survive the mornings! Lol
These look great, and yes to crispy edged pancakes! I'm so curious about maple syrup in the batter, can't wait to try it!
Oh yes you have to try it! If you're looking to cut down on refined sugars, this is a great alternative!
Oh my! These pancakes do look perfectly fluffy! I didn't know what could help with that! I want a big batch for breakfast!
Thank you Julie!!
I couldn't agree more with you when you say that mornings are the craziest time, and this super yummy and delicious recipe will solve the issue. Thanks for sharing.
Sure thing! I hope you like them!! 🙂