Silver Dollar Pancakes

Mini Buttermilk Pancakes

A stack of silver dollar pancakes is the cutest! These adorable pancakes are simply mini buttermilk pancakes, and are a popular menu item at IHOP and other pancake restaurants. Making them from scratch at home is going to put you on rock star level parent status.

Why are they called silver dollar pancakes? Silver dollar pancakes are said to originate in the United States, back in the 1800s. They’re roughly the same size as a silver dollar (through 1979), about 1 ½ inches in diameter. Mini pancakes are usually eaten in stacks of seven to ten pancakes!

Silver Dollar Pancakes

Flavorful and crispy. This recipe is adapted slightly from my buttermilk pancake recipe. The pancakes are buttery, light, and fluffy with slightly crispy edges and a golden brown finish. Because they are so small, they have a lot of crispy edges.

Easy to fry up. You can cook a whole bunch of these pancakes on the griddle at once. Small pancakes are easier to flip than large pancakes, too.

Great for little fingers. Homemade mini pancakes are great for toddlers and young kids for breakfast but they’re also a great snack to pack in school lunches. Stack ’em up and keep them together with a skewer or toothpick for easy handling.

Ingredient Notes

• Unsalted Butter – Melted butter is used for the pancake batter as well as the nonstick surface for the pan. Be generous with the butter in the pan for these pancakes. They taste and look best with plenty of butter.
• Buttermilk – A slightly sour, thick rich milk that adds moisture. The acid reacts with the leavening agents to create thick and fluffy pancakes.
• Large Egg – You’ll need one beaten egg for a batch of these pancakes.
• Pure Vanilla Extract – A subtle hint of vanilla flavor pairs so well with the buttermilk, butter, and sugar.
• All-Purpose Flour – I usually use regular flour for these pancakes but you can certainly choose to make them with whole wheat flour or a combination of flours.
• Granulated Sugar – The pancake batter isn’t heavily sweetened but a touch of sugar enhances their flavor.
• Baking Powder & Baking Soda – Leavening agents that are an essential ingredient in most quick breads.
• Salt – A small amount of salt ensures that the pancakes won’t taste flat or bland.

How to Make Silver Dollar Pancakes

Mix wet ingredients. Add the melted butter to a large mixing bowl. Slowly drizzle in the buttermilk while whisking. Then, whisk in the egg and vanilla extract.

Add dry ingredients. On top of the wet ingredients, add flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gently mix the dry ingredients before whisking everything all together until just combined. Do not over mix. Set the batter aside while the griddle preheats.

Fry pancakes. Preheat your griddle over medium heat. When it’s heated, add 1 tablespoon of butter. Once the butter is melted, make the pancakes by scooping small portions of batter onto the griddle, about 1 to 2 tablespoons each. Cook for 1 to 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and cooked through.

Repeat. Add more butter to the pan for the next batch as needed. I’ve found that frying the pancakes with lots of butter gives them great flavor and a nice crisp exterior. Repeat until all the batter is used.

Serving Ideas

• Topping ideas: Classic maple syrup is always a great choice. For variation, try topping these pancakes with chocolate syrup, blueberry sauce, or caramel sauce. Warm applesauce and cinnamon is a hit with my family. For the holidays, try melting gingerbread butter or orange honey butter on top! Warm peanut butter or almond butter is a great choice, too.
• Make a mini breakfast! Have fun by serving these on mini plates, with mini forks, mini napkins, and mini glasses of juice too! Use a cookie cutter to cut mini shapes from easy sheet pan eggs. Serve with tiny slices of ham.
• Stack ’em. Make silver dollar pancake sandwich stacks, layered with deli ham or turkey and slices of cheese, and skewered with a toothpick.
• Brunch appetizer: Present the pancakes on a platter topped with a different savory topping, such as whipped feta, smoked salmon, bacon jam, marinated tomatoes, spreadable cream cheese, and so on.
• Dessert ideas: Serve the mini pancakes with a little scoop of ice cream on top. Then drizzle your favorite fruit sauce, hot fudge sauce, or a dollop of whipped cream or yogurt. A side of fried apples is always a good idea!

Refrigerate/freeze: Any leftover pancakes can be saved the same way you would regular pancakes. Store them in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge. To freeze them, transfer them to a freezer-friendly bag and keep layers separated by parchment paper to ensure that they don’t freeze in a clump.

Reheat: Silver dollar pancakes are too small to fit in your toaster without getting lost! Use the microwave to reheat them in 20-second intervals.

• Add the melted butter to a large mixing bowl. Slowly drizzle in the buttermilk while whisking. Whisk in milk, egg and vanilla.

  2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, 1 cup buttermilk, 1 large egg, beaten, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• Add flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and gently mix together on top of the wet ingredients before whisking it all together, until just mixed. If batter seems too thick, add regular milk, a tablespoon at a time, until it’s the right consistency. Set batter aside to rest while you preheat the griddle.

  1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt

• Preheat griddle over medium heat. When the griddle is hot, add 1 tablespoon of butter to melt.

• When butter is melted, scoop pancake batter by 1 to 2 tablespoon portions onto the griddle. Cook pancakes for 1 to 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and cooked through.

• Add more butter to pan for the next batch as needed, repeating until all batter is used.

• Tip: Be generous with the butter in the pan for these pancakes. They taste and look best with plenty of butter. Nutrition information does not include extra butter for frying.
• Serving a crowd: Make a double batch of pancake batter. Keep pancakes warm until ready to serve. Preheat your oven to 200-250°F. Place a wire rack on a sheet pan; arrange pancakes on the wire rack and keep them warm in the oven until ready to serve. It’s best not to cover them because condensation will form and the pancakes will get too soft.

Serving: 5pancakes, Calories: 187kcal, Carbohydrates: 24g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 55mg, Sodium: 419mg, Potassium: 108mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 273IU, Calcium: 137mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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