Fluffy, buttery, and delicious, these are the most perfect Buttermilk Pancakes. Ditch the store-bought mix and make your own pancakes from scratch!
Our Favorite Buttermilk Pancakes Recipe
Pancakes are the hero of the breakfast table, and these Buttermilk Pancakes get high marks and rave reviews for being one of the most delicious pancake recipes. 🥞 I promise you, they are.
I think pancakes are the most absolute perfect recipe for a Monday because on this day we still wish it was Sunday, and nothing feels more like a Sunday than a tall stack of soft, fluffy, pillowy pancakes.
Why Homemade Buttermilk Pancakes are THE BEST!
Do you know that people like a boxed mix to make buttermilk pancakes? I get it – it LOOKS easier; stir and go. But homemade pancakes are the best. I promise.
- Freshness: Homemade pancakes are made and eaten fresh, often resulting in a better taste and texture than pre-packaged or mixed pancakes.
- Quality of Ingredients: When you make pancakes at home, you have control over the quality and type of ingredients used. This means you can use organic or locally-sourced ingredients if you choose.
- Customization: You can easily adjust a homemade recipe to cater to dietary needs or taste preferences, such as making them gluten-free or dairy-free or adding things like blueberries or chocolate chips.
- No Preservatives or Additives: Store-bought pancake mixes often contain preservatives and other additives to extend their shelf life. Homemade pancakes are free from these.
Tips for Making the Best Pancakes
- Have ingredients at room temperature.
- Use a heavy nonstick griddle or cast-iron skillet for even heat distribution.
- Heat the griddle or pan over medium heat until a drop of water skitters across the surface.
- Lightly grease the pan with oil or clarified butter. Regular butter will burn.
- Use a measuring cup to evenly portion out the batter.
- Turn over the pancake when it’s dry around the edges and bubbles have formed over the top and popped.
- If your pancake is burned on the outside and raw on the inside, turn down the heat.
- I always throw out the first 2, maybe even 3 pancakes, while trying to find the perfect cooking temperature. That’s my truth. 😬
Ingredients For Pancakes
- All-Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: Combining these two will result in fluffy pancakes.
- Buttermilk: The acidity in the buttermilk triggers the baking soda, leading to taller pancakes.
- Butter
- Sugar, Salt, Ground Cinnamon, & Pure Vanilla Extract
How To Make Buttermilk Pancakes
- Beat eggs until frothy, then add buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
- Combine both mixtures until just blended. Let the batter rest for 5 minutes.
- Heat a greased skillet over high heat, then reduce to medium-high.
- Pour 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake, cooking until bubbles form on top and the pancake is golden underneath. Flip and cook for about 1 more minute.
- Repeat with the remaining batter.
Common Questions About Homemade Pancakes
Don’t panic! Just use my tried-and-true buttermilk substitute recipe. All you need are milk and white vinegar or lemon juice. Begin by pouring 3 tablespoons of white vinegar or lemon juice into a sizeable measuring cup. Next, add milk until the total volume is up to the 2-cup mark. Stir it well and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Stir again, and it’s ready!
That’s probably due to overmixing your batter, which can lead to flat, heavy, or even chewy pancakes. Be gentle when combining your wet and dry ingredients. Use a spatula or a spoon and mix until the ingredients are just blended, and don’t worry if you see a few flecks of flour.
Yes! If you need to make a smaller batch, cut the recipe in half.
You can add about 1 cup of blueberries, chocolate chips, or other fruits and nuts to your pancake batter. You can also top the pancakes with whipped cream and fruity sauces like strawberry sauce, caramel sauce, or hot fudge sauce.
Storing Pancakes
- Place leftover pancakes in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. Reheat them quickly in the microwave or toaster oven.
- To freeze pancakes, spread the pancakes out on a large baking sheet and pop them in the freezer. Let them firm up for around 30 minutes, then store them in a freezer-safe container or bag. They can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Now that you have all the ins and outs I’ve learned, please comment and let me know your best tips for the perfect pancakes!
Quick Breakfast Recipes
ENJOY!
Buttermilk Pancakes
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature (you can also use low-fat buttermilk)
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, OR whole wheat pastry flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, or clarified butter, or you can also use nonstick cooking spray
Instructions
- In your mixer’s bowl beat eggs on medium speed until frothy.
- Add buttermilk, melted butter and vanilla; continue to beat until just blended. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; whisk until thoroughly incorporated.
- Add the flour mixture to the buttermilk mixture and, using a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula, mix just enough to combine; batter should be creamy, but lumpy. DO NOT OVERMIX.
- Allow the batter to rest for 5 minutes.
- Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet or griddle over high heat.
- Lightly grease the skillet with vegetable oil or nonstick cooking spray.
- Lower the heat to medium-high and pour about 1/4 cup of batter into the skillet for each pancake – make sure there is enough space between the pancakes because they will expand during cooking.
- Cook pancakes for about 2 minutes, or until batter is set and bubbles cover the top while the bottom is golden brown. If the pancakes are cooking too fast on the outside but still doughy on the inside, lower the heat to medium.
- Flip the pancakes and continue to cook for 1 minute or until golden brown on the bottom.
- Repeat with remaining batter, adding more oil to pan as necessary.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
-
- Have all your ingredients at room temperature.
- Use a heavy nonstick griddle or cast-iron skillet for even heat distribution.
- Heat the griddle or pan over medium heat until a drop of water skitters across the surface.
- Lightly grease the pan with vegetable oil or clarified butter. Regular butter will burn.
- Use a measuring cup to portion out the batter.
- Turn over the pancake when it’s dry around the edges and bubbles have formed over the top and popped.
- If the pancakes look burnt on the outside but raw on the inside, turn down the heat.
- Serve with spreads, jams, butter, maple syrup, strawberry syrup, fruit compotes, etc.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
I halved the recipe-the BEST pancakes ever!
I’m very happy you loved it! Thank YOU! 🙂
These turned out really good and were delicious
You need to always use 2 c buttermilk in your recipes and always 2-3 tsp baking powder and always between 4-6 T melted butter in the recipe and of course all the other ingredients also excellent high quality pancakes!!!! Thank you!!!
Made these this morning for the family and they were a big a big hit. They were so tasty and buttery 👍🏻
That’s wonderful! I’m very glad you and your family enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
This is hands down the BEST pancake recipe. Made them this morning and added blueberries. Light, fluffy and yummy!
Thank YOU! I’m very glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
I tried to recipe this morning. Much to my husband‘s dismay he said why don’t you just make them out of a box mix. Then he tried them he said he had never tasted such great pancakes. Thank you for the recipe you have sold him on from scratch recipe’s thank you so much have a wonderful Thanksgiving and Christmas.
That’s great! I’m very glad you and your husband enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
The recipe is super easy and the pancakes turned out great.
That’s great! I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
I needed to use leftover buttermilk and these were the perfect solution! They were light, fluffy and extra delicious with bananas and cinnamon chips added. Thank you!
That’s great! I am very glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for chiming in! 🙂
Is this 8 points for 1 pancake?
Hi! No, that was the old Smart Points. It’s 5 Freestyle Points per pancake. I updated it in my recipe, too. Thank you so much for bringing it to my attention. 🤗
Hi, Kate! They look quite fluffy and make the perfect breakfast for V-day!
Thank you Denise! 🙂
Hi! Pancakes look great. I am trying to convert to WW points, so I notice you don’t have points listed or the the number of servings. How many pancakes does this recipe make?
German potato pancakes are a real treat and something Germans miss when they move away. Eating freshly made potato pancakes with applesauce in the out-of-doors at a weekly market or carneval is a wonderful way to do indulge,
Those pancakes look perfect! Thomas would love these!!
Pass me the pancakes! These are perfection!
The perfect classic breakfast. I haven’t had a chance to make any pancakes for a while and this is really calling my name. I try to make them soon!
I can’t get over how perfect these pancakes are! They look wonderful!
Taking the extra ingredients to make buttermilk pancakes is totally worth it!
Those look so pillowy, I’m ready for that entire stack!
YUM! I’m a sucker for homemade pancakes, and I can see us making these this weekend as a special treat. And adding peanut butter? One of my favorite options for pancakes! I’d never tried those as a kid until I went on a choir tour, and our host family introduced us to it. It’s soooooooo good!
K: personal requet – I’m having a party for 14 DO YOU HAVE A RECIPE FOR GREEK MEATBALLS OR RECIPE FOR GYROS
GYROS COST TOO MUCH TO GET AT MY GREEK SHOP AND I THING I CAN MAKE A GOOD SUBSTITUTE.
THANKS
Hi Janet!! I don’t have a recipe for gyros, buuuuut! How about my Grilled Mediterranean Turkey Meatballs? They are SOOO good! And you can play around with the ingredients.
Here’s the link: https://diethood.com/grilled-mediterranean-turkey-meatballs-skewers/
Let me know! Hope you have a great time!! XOXO
The pancakes look delicious.
Thank YOU!!! ♥