The first one burned.
The second one folded in half when i tried to flip it with the wrong spatula.
The third one? mae said it “tasted like saturday,” and that was enough to keep going.
She doesn’t usually eat breakfast. not real breakfast. maybe toast. maybe a cold slice of yesterday’s something. but she came down the stairs that morning—barefoot, tangled hair, hoodie sleeves covering her hands—and said, “are you making pancakes?”
Like it meant something.
I hadn’t planned to. but her voice pulled the pan out of the cupboard before i even answered.
What the Original Looked Like
Martha’s pancakes are the kind you learn once and keep in your head forever.
One cup flour. one cup milk. egg, butter, powder, salt. it’s not fussy. not even a little smug. just… steady.
She suggests jam and confectioners’ sugar, but the photo looks like a maple syrup ad—golden stack, no drips, not even one lopsided edge.
Her Highness keeps them neat. mine were something else.
What I Did Differently
I used oil instead of butter, because the butter had a weird smell i didn’t trust.
I added a splash more milk. not on purpose. the cap slipped.
And i didn’t bother warming the oven. we ate them straight off the pan, leaning over the counter, maple syrup pooling in the cracks.
The Way It Happened in My Kitchen
Flour everywhere. the cat tried to lick the mixing bowl. mae got powdered sugar on her eyebrow. i dropped the oil cap into the batter and fished it out with a spoon.
We laughed. i didn’t mean to laugh that morning. hadn’t felt like it.
The pan took too long to heat up and then suddenly too fast. the first pancake crisped too hard. i said a word i probably shouldn’t have. mae raised an eyebrow. i said sorry.
She stirred the next batch while i buttered the pan again.
“How do you know when to flip it?” she asked.
“When it smells like it’s thinking about burning,” i said.
That made her laugh.
A Few Things I Learned
The lumps don’t matter.
The shape doesn’t matter.
The only thing that matters is who eats them.
And when.
What I Did With the Extras
There weren’t any.
I made seven. she ate four. i had two. the dog got one bite of the edge that fell off the spatula.
No leftovers. just syrup on the counter and quiet chewing.
Would I Make It Again?
Yes.
Especially if she asks without asking, the way she did that day.
That’s As Much As I Remember
The pan cooled down. the morning slowed. she rinsed the bowl without me asking.
Felt like something we hadn’t done in a while—something soft.
Why I Used Oil Instead of Butter
Because the butter smelled off. not bad. just off.
The oil worked fine—less flavor, but lighter.
They didn’t brown as deeply, but they flipped easier.
Sometimes the thing you don’t plan works better.
If you’re after something warmer, I did a leek thing last December that hit harder. different mood. same pan.
FAQs
Yeah. i have. oat milk too. they come out a little thinner, but still good.
Then you’re making flatcakes, not pancakes—but honestly, not terrible with jam.
When the bubbles pop and the edges stop looking wet. or when you smell toast and panic.
I’ve done it. it separates a bit, but a quick whisk brings it back.
Whatever’s open. mae swears by whipped cream and honey. i’m a butter-and-syrup purist.
Check out More Recipes:
- Martha Stewart Potato Pancakes
- Martha Stewart Fluffy Pancakes
- Martha Stewart Old Fashioned Pancakes
- Martha Stewart Dutch Pancake
Martha Stewart Easy Basic Pancakes Recipe
Description
Soft, fast, and sweet enough to hold a conversation over.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Whisk the dry stuff in one bowl. the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt—nothing complicated. then the wet things in another. egg, milk, oil. mix gently. no need to impress the batter. lumps are part of the charm.
- Heat your skillet until a flick of water sizzles, then rub a little oil on with a folded paper towel like Martha says (she’s right about this part). spoon the batter in—2 or 3 tablespoons per cake. wait for bubbles to form and the edges to firm up. flip.
- Cook until both sides are golden and soft.
- Stack if you want. serve if you must. eat as you go if you’re like us.