In a medium bowl add the flour, baking powder, and sugar. Use a whisk to mix together. If using cinnamon add now.
Heat the cooking oil in a skillet or griddle over medium heat. The skillet should be about 375°. You can check the temperature using a digital thermometer.
In a separate bowl mix the egg, vanilla extract, milk, and melted butter.
Slowly add the liquid mixture to the dry mix. Use a fork or spoon to combine the ingredients. Don't overmix, the batter should be slightly lumpy and not perfectly smooth.
If making two larger pancakes you will need to cook one pancake at a time. Pour 1/2 for two pancakes or 1/3 of the batter for three pancakes onto the hot griddle. Transferring the batter to a measuring cup makes it easy to get the right amount of batter onto the griddle.
Cook until bubbles form and start to break usually about 2-3 minutes. The underside of the pancake should now be a nice golden brown. Use a large spatula to flip the pancake and cook for about one more minute.
Place the cooked pancake on a warmed plate and repeat for the next pancake.
Serve with butter and syrup, or fresh fruit and whipped cream!
Notes
Spoon the flour into the measuring cup.
Cook the pancakes on medium heat. If you cook them on too high of a heat, they will be burnt on the outside but not cooked through in the middle.
Flip them at the right time. Don’t flip the pancakes until they are ready – when they start to form small bubbles on the surface, they are ready to flip.