Homemade Bacon Pancakes

Making breakfast fun on lazy weekend mornings can be tricky, especially when you want something special but don’t have hours to spend in the kitchen. Between getting the kids fed and trying to make something everyone will actually eat, weekend breakfast can quickly turn into a stressful situation instead of the relaxing family time you were hoping for.

Thankfully, these bacon pancakes solve all those problems: they’re easy to make with ingredients you probably already have, kids absolutely love them, and they turn regular pancakes into something that feels like a real treat without any extra work.

What Kind of Bacon Should I Use?

For bacon pancakes, thick-cut bacon is really the way to go since it holds up better during cooking and gives you those nice, chunky pieces throughout your pancakes. Regular bacon will work too, but it tends to get a bit crispy and break apart more easily when you fold it into the batter. You can use any type you prefer – applewood smoked, hickory, or even turkey bacon if that’s your thing. Just make sure to cook it until it’s crispy but not burnt, since you’ll be chopping it up and mixing it right into the pancake batter where it needs to hold its shape.

Options for Substitutions

These bacon pancakes are pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps, so here’s what you can do:

• Thick cut bacon: Regular bacon works fine too, just cook it a bit less since it’s thinner. You could also try turkey bacon or even cooked sausage crumbles for a different twist.
• Buttermilk: No buttermilk? Mix 1 cup regular milk with 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar and let it sit for 5 minutes. You’ll get that same tangy flavor.
• Sour cream: Greek yogurt makes a great substitute here – use the same amount. If you don’t have either, just add an extra ¼ cup of buttermilk to keep the batter moist.
• Brown sugar: White sugar works just fine, though you’ll lose that slight molasses flavor. You could also try maple syrup – just reduce the buttermilk by 1-2 tablespoons.
• All purpose flour: You can use whole wheat flour for half the amount if you want heartier pancakes, but stick with all-purpose for the fluffiest results.
• Baking soda: If you’re out of baking soda, you can use an extra ½ teaspoon of baking powder, though the pancakes might be slightly less fluffy.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake people make with bacon pancakes is cooking the bacon and pancakes at the same temperature, which leads to either burnt bacon or undercooked pancakes – cook your bacon first over medium heat until crispy, then reduce to medium-low for the pancakes.

Another common error is adding hot bacon grease directly to your batter, which can scramble the eggs and create lumpy pancakes, so let that rendered fat cool for a few minutes before mixing it in.

Don’t overmix your pancake batter once you add the wet ingredients to the dry ones – a few lumps are perfectly fine and will disappear during cooking, while overmixing creates tough, chewy pancakes.

Finally, resist the urge to press down on your pancakes with the spatula while they’re cooking, as this squeezes out all the fluffy air bubbles you worked so hard to create with the baking powder and baking soda.

What to Serve With Bacon Pancakes?

Since these pancakes already have bacon cooked right in, you’re pretty much set for a complete breakfast! I love serving them with a side of scrambled or fried eggs to make it even more filling, plus the runny yolk from a fried egg tastes amazing when it mixes with the maple syrup. Fresh fruit like sliced strawberries, blueberries, or banana slices help balance out all that rich, salty bacon flavor. You could also add a dollop of whipped cream or Greek yogurt on top if you want something creamy, or keep it simple with just extra butter and warm maple syrup.

Storage Instructions

Refrigerate: Leftover bacon pancakes keep really well in the fridge for up to 4 days. Just stack them with a piece of parchment paper between each pancake and store in an airtight container. They make breakfast so much easier during busy weekdays when you can just grab and reheat!

Freeze: These pancakes are perfect for freezing! Let them cool completely, then place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze for about an hour. Once frozen solid, transfer to a freezer bag and they’ll keep for up to 3 months.

Warm Up: To enjoy your stored pancakes, just pop them in the toaster or toaster oven until heated through and slightly crispy on the outside. You can also microwave them for about 30 seconds, but the toaster method gives you that nice texture back. Serve with warm maple syrup and butter just like fresh ones!

Preparation Time	10-15 minutes
Cooking Time	15-20 minutes
Total Time	25-35 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Easy

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1200-1400
• Protein: 30-40 g
• Fat: 70-80 g
• Carbohydrates: 130-150 g

Ingredients

For the dry mix:

• 2 tbsp brown sugar (packed)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (I use King Arthur all-purpose flour)

For the wet mix:

• 2 eggs (room temperature)
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 cup buttermilk (room temperature for better blending)

For the add-ins:

• 8 slices thick-cut bacon (cooked until crispy, then crumbled into 1/4-inch pieces)

For serving:

• Salted butter (I like Kerrygold for richness)
• Maple syrup (pure maple syrup preferred for best flavor)

Step 1: Cook and Prepare the Bacon

• 8 slices thick-cut bacon

Cook the thick-cut bacon slices in a large skillet over medium heat for 4-5 minutes per side until crispy and golden brown.

Transfer the cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

Once cooled slightly, crumble the bacon into roughly 1/4-inch pieces.

Reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the pan for cooking the pancakes—this fat is liquid gold for flavor and will be essential for getting a beautiful golden crust on each pancake.

Step 2: Combine Dry Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt.

Make sure to break up any lumps in the brown sugar as you whisk so the sweetness distributes evenly throughout the pancakes.

This dry mixture can be prepared while the bacon cooks, which keeps your workflow efficient.

Step 3: Prepare the Wet Ingredients

• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 eggs

In a separate bowl, whisk together the room-temperature buttermilk, sour cream, and eggs until completely combined and smooth.

Using room-temperature ingredients helps them blend more smoothly and creates a more uniform batter.

The sour cream adds tang and richness while helping the pancakes stay moist and fluffy.

Step 4: Make the Pancake Batter

• dry ingredient mixture from Step 2
• wet ingredient mixture from Step 3
• crumbled bacon from Step 1

Pour the wet ingredient mixture from Step 3 into the bowl with the dry ingredients from Step 2, and gently fold them together with a spatula until just combined.

The batter should be slightly lumpy—overmixing develops gluten and creates tough, dense pancakes.

I find that folding rather than stirring vigorously gives the best texture.

Fold in the crumbled bacon from Step 1, distributing it evenly throughout the batter.

Step 5: Cook the Pancakes

• pancake batter from Step 4
• 2 tbsp reserved bacon fat from Step 1

Place the skillet with the reserved bacon fat over medium heat and allow it to warm until shimmering, about 1-2 minutes.

Pour 1/2 cup of batter into the pan for each pancake, spacing them so they don’t touch.

Cook for 3-4 minutes until the edges look set and you see bubbles forming on the surface and popping, then carefully flip and cook the other side for another 2-3 minutes until golden brown.

I like to let the pancakes cook undisturbed on the first side—flipping too early breaks them apart.

Work in batches if needed, keeping finished pancakes warm on a plate.

Step 6: Plate and Serve

• cooked pancakes from Step 5
• Salted butter
• Maple syrup

Stack the warm pancakes from Step 5 on serving plates and top each stack with a generous pat of salted butter, allowing it to melt into the warm pancakes.

Drizzle pure maple syrup over the top and serve immediately.

The butter and syrup complement the smoky, salty bacon perfectly.