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Buttermilk Pancakes are the fluffy, golden weekend breakfast my girls come running for, with tender centers, crisp edges, and that signature tangy buttermilk flavor. I make a big batch on *slow Sunday mornings* while the coffee brews, and we pile them high with butter and syrup at the kitchen table. They are just as cozy as our crescent roll cinnamon rolls.
The secret to the fluffiest stack is a thick batter and a gentle hand, so you never overmix.
Buttermilk Pancakes Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 5 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 5 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 10 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 8 pancakes
- ⚡ Calories: 169kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Tangy buttermilk, warm vanilla, lightly sweet
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, a perfect first recipe right up there with our banana nut muffins
Quick Answer
Whisk the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another, then gently stir them together until just combined, leaving a few lumps. Scoop quarter cup portions onto a buttered skillet over medium heat and cook until bubbles form and burst, then flip and cook until golden.
Jump to:
- Buttermilk Pancakes Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Buttermilk Pancakes
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Buttermilk Pancakes FAQs
- Other Recommended Breakfast Recipes
- The Best Buttermilk Pancakes
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Real buttermilk makes them tangy and tender. The acid in buttermilk reacts with the baking powder for extra lift and gives the pancakes that classic, slightly tangy flavor box mixes cannot match.
- A thick batter means fluffy pancakes. Keeping the batter on the thicker side helps the pancakes rise tall instead of spreading thin and flat on the skillet.
- Not overmixing keeps them light. Stirring just until combined, lumps and all, prevents the gluten from developing too much, which is what keeps the crumb soft and airy.
- Medium heat cooks them evenly. A steady medium heat lets the centers cook through before the outsides get too dark, giving you golden edges and a fluffy middle.
- Melted butter adds richness. Stirring melted butter right into the batter gives every bite a rich, buttery flavor and helps the edges crisp up nicely.
- One bowl of dry, one of wet, done. The simple two bowl method comes together in minutes with pantry staples, so this is an easy recipe even brand new cooks can nail.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They are fluffy, tangy, and miles better than any boxed mix.
- The whole batch comes together in about ten minutes with pantry staples.
- They freeze beautifully for quick weekday breakfasts, just like our banana nut muffins.
Key Ingredients
Just eight simple pantry staples make the fluffiest pancakes. Here is what each one does.
- Buttermilk: the star of the show, adding tang and reacting with the baking powder for a tall, tender rise.
- All purpose flour: the sturdy base that gives the pancakes structure without being heavy.
- Baking powder: the lift that makes them fluffy and light. Make sure yours is fresh.
- Melted butter: adds rich flavor and helps the edges crisp up golden.
- Vanilla and sugar: a touch of warmth and sweetness, perfect with a drizzle of blueberry simple syrup.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
Dress up your stack with one of these easy ideas.
- Fold a handful of fresh blueberries or chocolate chips into the batter before cooking.
- Add a pinch of cinnamon or a little lemon zest for a flavor twist.
- Make them silver dollar size for fun, kid friendly mini pancakes.
- Skip the maple and top them with homemade blueberry simple syrup instead.
- No buttermilk? Stir one tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar into regular milk and let it sit five minutes.
How to Make Buttermilk Pancakes
- Combine the dry ingredients. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar to a large bowl.
- Whisk the dry ingredients together until evenly combined.
- Whisk the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla until smooth.
- Combine wet and dry. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir gently until just combined. Do not overmix, a few lumps are perfect.
- Heat the skillet and scoop. Warm a nonstick skillet over medium heat and spray lightly. Scoop about a quarter cup of batter per pancake and spread gently.
- Cook and flip. Cook about three to four minutes until bubbles form and burst, then flip and cook the other side until golden. Serve with butter and syrup.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Do not overmix the batter. Stir just until combined and leave the lumps. Overmixing makes tough, flat pancakes.
- Let the batter rest for five minutes before cooking so the flour hydrates and the pancakes turn out extra fluffy.
- Wait for the bubbles. Flip only once the surface is dotted with bubbles that have burst, which means the bottom is set and golden.
- Keep the heat at medium. Too hot and the outsides burn before the centers cook through.
- Make a double batch and freeze extras for quick breakfasts, just like our baked donut holes.
- Keep cooked pancakes warm on a sheet pan in a 200 degree oven while you finish the rest.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Stack these high with butter and warm maple syrup for the classic treatment, or drizzle them with our blueberry simple syrup for a fruity twist. A dusting of powdered sugar and a handful of berries never hurts either.
Round out a big weekend breakfast with our breakfast bagel sandwiches or a batch of banana nut muffins so there is a little of everything on the table.
Going lighter? Serve a short stack alongside our smoothie bowls and fresh fruit for a bright, balanced morning.
Buttermilk Pancakes FAQs
The most common reasons are overmixing the batter or using old baking powder. Stir just until combined, leave a few lumps, and make sure your baking powder is fresh for the tallest, fluffiest pancakes.
Yes. Make a quick substitute by stirring one tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar into one cup of regular milk and letting it sit five minutes. It will not be quite as tangy, but it works in a pinch.
Pancake batter is best used fresh since the baking powder starts working right away. You can mix the dry ingredients ahead and whisk in the wet just before cooking for a faster morning.
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. Reheat in a toaster, oven, or microwave until warmed through.
Absolutely. Cool them completely, then freeze in a single layer before transferring to a freezer bag for up to two months. Reheat straight from frozen in the toaster or oven.
Place cooked pancakes on a sheet pan in a single layer in a 200 degree oven. They will stay warm and soft while you finish cooking the rest of the batch.
For another cozy morning treat, try our crescent roll cinnamon rolls next.
The Best Buttermilk Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 ¼ cups buttermilk
- 1 egg beaten
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a large bowl add the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
- Whisk together until combined.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla extract until combined.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir it together until combined, make sure that you do not overmix. You can add another tablespoon of buttermilk if the batter seems a little thick, then let the batter rest for 5 minutes.
- Place a nonstick skillet on the stovetop over medium heat and spray lightly with cooking spray.
- Scoop about 1/4th cup of the pancake batter onto the skillet. Gently spreading it out.
- Cook on each side for about 3-4 minutes until bubbles start to form on the surface and burst. Flip on the other side until golden brown. Repeat with the remaining batter.
- Serve with butter and syrup and enjoy!
Notes
- Make sure you do not overmix the batter, it is ok that there are lumps.
- Other additions can be added to the batter to change the flavor, see above for some ideas.
- These can be made larger or smaller.
- Easily double the recipe to make more if you desire.
- You can make your own buttermilk at home if you do not have any on hand.
Nutrition
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