Waking up is hard to do, but it gets easier when you know you have a stack of McDonald’s pancakes waiting for you. So light and fluffy with just a touch of sweetness, you’ll set your alarm a few minutes earlier to give yourself extra time to enjoy them!
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What makes McDonald’s Hotcakes so craveable?
A tender stack of pancakes from McDonald’s is a great way to start the day. These fall-apart hotcakes with just a hint of maple flavor in each bite have been pretty much a breakfast staple for millions of people since the late 70s.
Whether you order them alone, with sausage patties, or as part of the Big Breakfast, you know you won’t be disappointed. Now, you can easily recreate the nostalgic taste at home with this McDonald’s Hotcake recipe using fresh and healthy ingredients.
Why you’ll love this recipe
Boxed pancake mix just doesn’t cut it when you want the best, and this McDonald’s Hotcakes recipe beats them all hands down. Sure, pancakes from McDonald’s taste amazing, but what really sets these pancakes apart is their tenderness.
That perfect consistency is thanks to the corn flour in the recipe. Since corn flour is gluten-free, these pancakes have a fluffy texture and practically melt in your mouth!
McDonald’s Pancakes Ingredients
You probably have most of the ingredients in your fridge and pantry. But here’s a handy list to look over. The measurements can be found in the printable recipe card below.
For the McDonald’s Hotcakes recipe, you’ll need:
- All-purpose flour
- Corn flour
- Sugar
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Eggs
- Water
- Vegetable oil
- Imitation maple flavor (optional)
Make sure you use corn flour and not cornmeal in this recipe.
Although optional, the imitation maple flavor introduces a lot of flavor to the batter, ensuring each bite of the pancake has that incredible maple taste.
For the Hotcake Syrup, you’ll need:
- Granulated sugar
- Water
- Dark corn syrup
- Imitation maple flavor
- Imitation butter flavor
How to make them
Here are the simple steps for making this McDonald’s pancake recipe:
To prepare the hotcake syrup:
- Add the sugar and water to a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- Whisk in the dark corn syrup, imitation maple flavor, and imitation butter flavor.
- Continue to slowly whisk until the syrup thickens slightly, about a minute or two. Since the syrup will thicken even more when it cools, do not over-reduce it on the stove.
- Remove the saucepan from the stove, stir it a few more times, and allow it to cool.
To prepare the pancake batter:
- Sift together the flour and corn flour into a large mixing bowl.
- Stir in the sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, water, vegetable oil, and maple flavoring (if using).
- While mixing, pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients in a small, steady stream. Mix until you can’t see patches of dry ingredients–small lumps are okay.
- Cover the bowl and let the prepared batter chill for at least 15 minutes, but allowing the dough to rest in the fridge for 30 to 45 minutes is better. While the batter is resting, you can make the Hotcake Syrup.
To cook the pancakes:
- Heat a griddle or thick-bottomed non-stick skillet over medium-low heat.
- Once preheated, ideally between 350 and 375 degrees Fahrenheit, lightly grease the cooking surface with oil or melted butter. Using a non-stick cooking spray makes it easy.
- Pour a quarter-cup of batter onto the cooking surface per pancake.
- Once the edges start to dry out and the tiny bubbles form, flip them over.
- Cook the other side until golden brown–it will take less time, so don’t wander too far.
- Serve or transfer the pancakes to a baking tray in an oven set to WARM.
- Repeat with the rest of the batter.
What to serve with copycat McDonald’s Pancakes
Going with classic breakfast sides is best here:
- Bacon. Everyone loves bacon, and it’s easy to make in bulk in the oven. If you want to be a little more fancy, try this copycat recipe for Snackin’ Bacon from Dunkin’.
- Sausage: Choose chorizo links for heat or breakfast sausage patties for a classic pairing.
- Eggs. Any style will do, but fluffy, a pan of perfectly cooked scrambled eggs is a great option when you have to feed a crowd.
And you can add some tasty toppings:
- Fruit – blueberries and bananas are popular ones
- Chips – chocolate chips and peanut butter chips
- Whipped Cream
- Funfetti sprinkles – great for birthdays
- Real maple syrup
How to store copycat McDonald’s Hotcakes
These pancakes keep well in the fridge, but the leftovers are absolute freezer stars:
- Let the pancakes come down to room temperature.
- Pancakes that are headed for the fridge can all go in a single airtight container. Placing a piece of wax paper between stacked pancakes makes separating them more manageable.
- If you plan to store your extras in the freezer, it’s best to lay them out on a baking tray and freeze them that way. Once they are frozen, you can transfer them to a freezer-safe container or plastic freezer bag without worrying about them sticking to each other.
How can you make these ahead of time and use them for meal prep?
Since these hotcakes freeze beautifully, they are a great choice if you love to batch cook in advance. Just prepare the pancakes according to the recipe and freeze them as above. They will last a month or more in the freezer. If you just need to prep them just a day ahead, you can keep them in the fridge for up to two days.
What is the best way to reheat it?
Believe it or not, McDonald’s Pancakes reheat perfectly in the microwave:
- Place a stack of two or three pancakes on a microwave-safe plate and cover with a damp paper towel.
- Microwave refrigerated pancakes for 25 seconds or go with 45 seconds if frozen.
More copycat McDonald’s breakfast recipes
- Breakfast Burrito
- Egg White Delight
- Fruit and Maple Oatmeal
- McGriddle
- McMuffin
- Sausage McMuffin
- Steak Egg and Cheese Bagel
Popular pancake recipes
- Alton Brown Pancakes
- Chocolate Pancakes
- Dunkin Pancake Wake Up Wrap
- IHOP Cupcake Pancakes
- IHOP Protein Pancakes
- Red Velvet Pancakes
Check out more of my easy recipes for breakfast and the best McDonald’s copycat recipes on CopyKat!
McDonald’s Hotcakes
Ingredients
Hotcakes
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup corn flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups water
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil plus extra for the skillet
- 2 teaspoons imitation maple flavor optional
Syrup (makes about 1 cup)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1/3 cup dark corn syrup
- 4 teaspoons imitation maple flavor
- 2 teaspoons imitation butter flavor
Instructions
- Sift the all-purpose flour and corn flour into a large bowl. Add the sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix until well combined.
- In a small bowl, beat the eggs until well blended. Whisk in the water, vegetable oil, and maple flavor.
- Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture in a slow, steady stream, mixing as you pour. Stir until just combined. Do not overmix—it’s OK if there are some small flour pockets. Let the mixture stand for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, to make the syrup, combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat. When the sugar is dissolved, add the dark corn syrup, imitation maple flavor, and imitation butter flavor. Simmer until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the mixture from the heat and set aside. It will continue to thicken as it cools.
- Heat a skillet or griddle over medium-low heat and brush with vegetable oil. When it is hot, pour the pancake batter onto the skillet 1/4 cup at a time. When the pancakes begin to show tiny bubbles on top, flip them over. Continue to cook until golden brown on both sides. Serve warm with syrup and butter, if desired.
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