Dennys Pancake Recipe (Copycat Denny’s Pancakes)

What is the secret to Denny’s pancakes? Dennys pancakes are soft and fluffy pancakes with a rich buttermilk flavor. In this Denny’s pancake recipe copycat, you’ll learn to make the best diner pancakes at home. Get my secret tips and tricks for pillowy golden pancakes made with basic pantry staples. You’ll save money on gas and breakfast when you make this Dennys pancake recipe.

Making copycat Denny’s pancakes is easier than you might think! If you’re craving that delicious buttermilk pancakes taste, this recipe is for you!

Jump to:

• 🥞 What kind of pancakes do Denny’s have?
• 🔪 How to Make Denny’s Pancakes Recipe
• 🧑‍⚕️ Denny’s Pancakes Nutrition
• ️️🌡️ How to Reheat Denny’s Pancakes
• 🍳 ️ What to Serve with Denny’s Pancakes
• 📋 Denny’s Pancakes Calories
• 💭 Expert Tips from a Dietitian
• Recipe FAQ
• 👩🏻‍🍳 More Copycat Recipes
• The Disclaimer…
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

🥞 What kind of pancakes do Denny’s have?

Denny’s pancakes flavors vary by season. (Luckily, you can replicate any of your favorite Denny’s pancake flavors when you make them at home!) Here is the current Denny’s pancakes menu:

• Denny’s Pumpkin Pancakes: Buttermilk pancakes with pumpkin pie filling, glazed pecans, and white chocolate chips. They are topped with pecan pie sauce.
• Cinnamon Roll Pancakes: Buttermilk pancakes cooked with cinnamon roll crumb topping and topped with cream cheese icing.
• Double Berry Banana Pancake Breakfast: Blueberry pancakes topped with fresh seasonal berries and bananas. (These are also buttermilk pancakes.)
• Hearty 9-Grain Pancakes: Multigrain wheat pancakes made with flaxseeds, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Please note that Denny’s is not offering whole wheat pancakes at the present time, and has these multigrain pancakes instead.
• Choconana Pancakes: The choconana pancake breakfast includes buttermilk chocolate chip pancakes topped with bananas and more chocolate chips.
• Berry Vanilla Crepe Breakfast: This crepe has been folded with vanilla cream and topped with fresh berries, strawberry sauce, and powdered sugar.

Keep an eye out for other flavors, such as the popular Denny’s salted caramel pancakes. Availability may vary by location.

Does Denny’s have buttermilk pancakes?

Yes, Denny’s is an American diner well-known for their tasty buttermilk pancakes. You can get your pancakes plain with butter and maple syrup as part of an Everyday Value Slam. Alternatively, you can get flavored buttermilk pancakes with one of the options above.

Are Denny’s pancakes frozen?

According to a Denny’s Facebook page, Denny’s buttermilk pancakes are fresh, never frozen. In 2016, Denny’s changed their pancake recipe from a powdered mix to one with fresh buttermilk and eggs (source). The change cost restaurants $5 million more, but resulted in 50% fluffier pancakes.

🔪 How to Make Denny’s Pancakes Recipe

Making this Denny’s pancakes copycat follows the same general rules for making any good pancake. Here are the step-by-step instructions on how to make Dennys pancakes:

1. Measure out 120 grams of all-purpose flour using a food scale. Weighing dry ingredients will help you get consistent results in baking and cooking.

2. Separate the white and yolk of one large egg. Beat the egg white with an electric hand mixer for 3-4 minutes until stiff peaks form. (This is my secret ingredient to get extra fluffy pancakes.)

3. Stir the flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and a pinch of salt together in a large bowl. Gently stir in ⅔ cup buttermilk, the egg yolk, and 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Don’t overmix if you want fluffy pancakes! Let the batter rest for 5 minutes.

4. After the rest period, fold in the beaten egg white. Spray a griddle with cooking spray, and heat it up over medium heat. I like to use my two-burner griddle to save time.

5. Measure out ¼ cup batter per pancake and pour onto the griddle. Larger pancakes can be difficult to flip.

6. Cook the pancakes for 3-4 minutes per side. Small bubbles form around the edges of the pancake can indicate when it is time to flip. For the fluffiest pancakes, don’t press them down with a spatula.

7. Serve the pancakes with a pat of butter, maple syrup, or your favorite toppings.

Denny’s Pancake Ingredients

Denny’s has an allergen guide and nutrition facts information online, but they don’t provide ingredients lists. Here are the ingredients needed for my copycat recipe, as well as most basic buttermilk pancake recipes:

• All-purpose flour (AKA white flour)
• Egg
• Baking soda
• Sugar
• Salt
• Buttermilk
• Melted butter
• Cooking oil spray

You can make a buttermilk substitute with regular milk and fresh lemon juice. For each cup of buttermilk, mix 1 tablespoon of lemon juice into 1 cup of milk. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes before adding to your recipe.

Do Denny’s pancakes have eggs?

According to the Denny’s allergen guide, all of their pancakes contain eggs (source). This includes the buttermilk pancakes as well as the hearty 9-grain pancakes.

Do Denny’s pancakes have dairy?

According to the Denny’s allergen guide, all of their pancakes contain dairy as well (source). This includes the buttermilk pancakes as well as the hearty 9-grain pancakes.

Denny’s Pancakes vs IHOP- what's the difference?

Some describe Denny’s pancakes as having a more classic fluffy pancake taste and texture, while IHOP pancakes are more cake-like. Taste is subjective, so the answer to which one is better will really be a personal decision.

🧑‍⚕️ Denny’s Pancakes Nutrition

Here is the nutrition info for Denny’s pancakes (source):

Nutrition	Buttermilk Pancakes (2)	9-Grain Pancakes (2)	Choconana Pancakes (2)	Cinnamon Roll Pancakes (2)	Double Berry Banana Pancakes (2)
Calories	450	410	830	990	490	190
Fat (g)	11	11	25	23	7	7
Saturated Fat (g)	3.5	4	13	10	2.5	2
Cholesterol (mg)	60	40	60	60	60	25
Sodium (mg)	1390	880	1360	1660	1360	550
Carbohydrates (g)	77	68	149	185	97	29
Fiber (g)	2	5	9	4	6	1
Protein (g)	10	10	14	10	11	4
Sugar (g)	20	21	72	125	32	8

None of the Denny’s pancake flavors are low carb, keto, or gluten free.

️️🌡️ How to Reheat Denny’s Pancakes

You can reheat Denny’s pancakes without toppings for 30-60 seconds on high in the microwave. An alternative is to reheat them in an oven preheated to 350F (177C) for 5 minutes.

Leftover copycat Denny’s pancakes can be kept in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Freeze pancakes with no toppings in a single layer on a baking sheet covered with freezer paper. Once frozen, they can be stored in a freezer bag that has the air pressed out.

🍳 ️ What to Serve with Denny’s Pancakes

Denny’s pancakes are served with eggs, home fries, plus bacon strips or sausage links. You also get butter and syrup with your pancakes (of course). Here are some breakfast side dishes to try:

• Fried Eggs in Air Fryer
• Frozen Diced Hash Browns in Air Fryer
• Air Fryer Turkey Bacon

You can also enjoy Denny’s pancakes with ice cream or fried chicken (like chicken and waffles, except with pancakes).

📋 Denny’s Pancakes Calories

One serving of Denny’s pancakes ranges from 410-990 calories, depending on the flavor you choose. This calorie count doesn’t include eggs, hash browns, and the sausage or bacon that comes with the meal. My Denny’s copycat pancakes are 137 calories each (or 274 calories for two).

How big are Denny’s pancakes?

Denny’s pancakes measure six inches in diameter (source), i.e., 15 cm.

💭 Expert Tips from a Dietitian

This is a level 3 recipe (weight maintenance and active lifestyles). Are Denny’s pancakes healthy? In short, I wouldn’t consider Denny’s pancakes a great choice by general nutrition standards. They're loaded with white flour, added sugar and added fat.

Denny’s cinnamon roll pancakes have some particularly wild nutrition stats. Two pancakes come to nearly 1000 calories with 185 grams of carbs and 125 grams of sugar (!).

The AHA recommends limiting added sugars to 25 grams per day for women and 36 grams per day for men. The cinnamon roll pancakes offer 3-5 times the daily limit in two pancakes. I’d definitely think of them more like an indulgent dessert than a healthy breakfast food.

The healthiest pancakes at Denny’s are the plain buttermilk pancakes or the 9-grain pancakes. If you’d like one of the flavored pancakes, the double berry banana pancakes are your best bet. These options are all under 500 calories and much lower in sugar than the other Denny’s pancakes.

Like many restaurant foods, the pancakes at Denny’s are fairly high in sodium. One of the benefits of homemade is you can skip the salt if you are on a low sodium diet. You could also swap the sugar for a low carb sugar and use sugar-free maple syrup to make your pancakes no sugar added.

To increase the fiber in your pancakes, replace half the white flour with whole wheat flour. Other ways to make a healthier pancake include using nut butter and fresh fruit for toppings (instead of syrup and butter) and adding nutritious mix-ins like flax seeds.

Recipe FAQ

👩🏻‍🍳 More Copycat Recipes

Want more copycat recipe goodness? Don’t miss these:

• Taco Bell Beefy 5 Layer Burrito Copycat
• Chick Fil A Kale Crunch Salad Copycat
• Spicy Southwest Salad Chick Fil A Copycat
• EPIC Bar Copycat Recipe

If you’re a pancake fan, you might enjoy my Mug Pancakes too!

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The Disclaimer…

All recipes on this website may or may not be appropriate for you, depending on your medical needs and personal preferences. Consult with a registered dietitian or your physician if you need help determining the dietary pattern that may be best for you.

The nutrition information is an estimate provided as a courtesy. It will differ depending on the specific brands and ingredients that you use. Calorie information on food labels may be wildly inaccurate, so please don't sweat the numbers too much.

For more information on how the three recipe levels may help with a weight management goal, refer to my overnight oats no sugar post. Let's get cooking!

📖 Recipe