I’ve got breakfast covered today with my classic Buttermilk Pancakes recipe — made completely from scratch (and tips to make them if you don’t have buttermilk, too!)! I’ll be showing you how to make thick, fluffy pancakes that can be ready in under 15 minutes! Recipe includes a how-to video!
The Best Pancake Recipe
Buttermilk pancakes are an American classic breakfast food, but despite their unfussy ingredient list, too often people grab for the box mix because it’s just “easier”. Too many home bakers have struggled with dense, flat, or rubbery pancakes, or ones that have charred exteriors, raw centers, or are just all-around lacking in flavor. Today we’re going to fix that with my favorite, fool-proof buttermilk pancake recipe.
While you’d be hard-pressed to find a truly complicated buttermilk pancake recipe, many recipes sadly leave out important tips and tricks that can make or break your breakfast. Do you know the right time to flip? The right heat for your stovetop? Which substitutions are acceptable and which definitely aren’t? How to make buttermilk pancakes if you don’t even have buttermilk?
My recipe has not only been carefully perfected to yield fat, fluffy, and super flavorful pancakes (the cousin to my paper-thin crepes), but I’m also answering all of these questions and sharing my super simple tips and tricks so you’ll never reach for that box mix ever again.
Grab your (preferably non-stick) skillet and get ready for perfect, golden pancakes every time. Let’d do this.
What You Need for Perfect Pancakes
This recipe is easy and uses pantry staples, but let’s talk about a handful of the ingredients before we get started:
- Buttermilk: When combined with the baking soda, this gives the pancakes a nice lift, making them thick and fluffy. It’s purpose isn’t only a chemical one, though, it also gives buttermilk pancakes a great flavor with a classic but subtle tang. See my FAQ section below to make this recipe if you don’t have buttermilk.
- Eggs. Ideally these should be room temperature. Ideally all your ingredients should be so that the batter combines easily but I’m realistic about the fact that most people aren’t going to wake up two hours early to set their buttermilk out to come to room temperature and I’d never ask you to do something I don’t do myself. Fortunately, this recipe is fairly resilient.
- Butter. This should be melted. Do this first so it has time to cool a bit before you add it to your buttermilk.
- Baking powder and baking soda. The combination of these two leaveners give the pancakes the perfect fluffiness and lift.
- Flour. I recommend using all-purpose flour. You can experiment with substituting some of the flour with whole wheat flour, but since that is a much thirstier flour you might need a bit more buttermilk to keep the batter from being too thick. Self rising flour is not recommended as the baking powder and salt are already accounted for.
This is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Buttermilk Pancakes
- Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Whisk together buttermilk, egg, and vanilla separately and drizzle the melted butter into the mixture while whisking. Add to the dry ingredients.
- Very gently fold together the wet and dry ingredients until almost completely combined. Don’t overdo it or your pancakes will be flat and dense rather than fluffy.
- Cook on medium heat until golden brown on each side. Don’t crank up the heat, this will yield pancakes with burnt outsides and raw centers, and that’s just sad 🙁
SAM’S TIP: You can tell your buttermilk pancakes are ready to flip when the edges begin to look set and the bubbles in the batter begin to burst. At this point you should easily be able to flip a spatula underneath to gently lift up an edge and take a peek: look for a golden brown color!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Zach and I often make a half batch of buttermilk pancakes for breakfast, it divides easily and results are exactly the same! For the buttermilk, you would use 1 cup + 2 Tablespoons.
You can use my buttermilk substitute recipe instead (you only need milk and vinegar or lemon juice). Pour 2 Tablespoons + ¾ teaspoon of white vinegar or lemon juice into a large measuring cup then add milk until you have the 2 ¼ cup called for. Stir.
However you should know that “homemade” buttermilk is thinner than the real thing. You may not need to use the full 2 ¼ cup called for, it could make your batter runny and your pancakes too thin. If using the substitute, set aside about ½ cup of your buttermilk (so only use 1 ½ cups) and use the recipe as indicated. If the batter seems too thick, gradually add more of the buttermilk substitute as needed.
Most likely this is a result of over-mixing the batter, this can yield flat, dense, or even rubbery pancakes. Do not over-mix your pancake batter — I can not overstate how important this is. When combining your wet and dry ingredients, gently fold together with a spoon or spatula until just combined. A few flour streaks remaining in the batter is actually a good thing!
Absolutely! You can add up to a cup of add-ins to your buttermilk pancake batter. Because you want to avoid over-mixing your batter, it is best to fold these in when your flour is halfway incorporated rather than waiting until you’ve already mostly combined your wet and dry ingredients.
You can also skip the mix-ins and instead top off your pancakes with whipped cream or blueberry sauce, instead. Or do mix-ins and fancy toppings, I don’t judge!
Yes you can! While I have a waffle recipe that I love and would recommend, my buttermilk pancake batter actually makes delicious waffles, too.
These are great with simple butter and syrup, but sometimes I like to get fancy and add whipped cream, strawberry sauce, blueberry sauce, caramel sauce, chocolate gravy, or hot fudge sauce!
Have you ever tried a pancake sundae before with ice cream and toppings? Not health food, but so good!
Alright, I think that pretty much covers it! I hope you’ll try these out and please let me know what you think!!
Enjoy!
Other Breakfast Recipes You Might Like:
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! Make sure to check out the how-to VIDEO in the recipe card!
Best Buttermilk Pancakes Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (250g)
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 ¼ cups buttermilk¹ (530ml)
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten, room temperature preferred
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled (57g)
Recommended Equipment
- Non-stick skillet
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, until well-combined.
- In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together buttermilk,, eggs, and vanilla extract.
- Take your melted butter and slowly drizzle it into your wet ingredients while whisking, stirring until well-combined (the butter may separate and curdle if your other ingredients are cold, this is OK, just whisk to combine).
- Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and use a wooden spoon to stir until just combined — do not overmix your pancake batter or your pancakes will be flat. Use a light hand when stirring, and a few flour streaks in the batter are fine.
- Spray a non-stick skillet with cooking spray or lightly brush with canola oil and place on burner on medium-low heat.
- Allow skillet to preheat before adding batter (about 5 minutes, it's good for your pancake batter to sit several minutes as well, which is why you prepared that before preheating your pan), and once skillet is heated (I usually test this by hovering my hand several inches above the pan and making sure I can feel the heat radiating from it) scoop pancake batter into pan (I use about ½-⅔ cup of batter per pancake).
- Allow pancake to cook until edges begin to appear cooked and bubbles in batter begin to burst. Using a pancake spatula, carefully flip pancake and continue to cook several more minutes until pancake is golden brown.
- Repeat until all batter is used — I recommend spraying or brushing the pan between each batch of pancakes.
- Serve warm topped with salted butter and maple syrup!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Buttermilk Pancake recipe originally published 01/29/2018, updated just in time for Fat Tuesday! Recipe is unchanged but additional tips have been added and a video is now included!
Tina G.
Great recipe! My grandchildren ask me always when visiting to make my “special” pancakes.❤️
Sugar Spun Run
I am so happy to hear that the pancakes have become a family favorite, Tina! Thanks for trying my recipe. 🙂
Daniela
LOVE this recipe. I’ve made it a few times. Will this recipe/batter work for waffles?? Has anyone tried it?
Sam
Yes it will! Enjoy! 🙂
Nma
With more time on our hands, we decided to make these pancakes for breakfast. No need to have a rushed breakfast.
We all thoroughly enjoyed it…wish i doubled the recipe(I would next time).
Thanks. I loved that it was mildly sweet.
The only thing I’ll change is the skillet I used.😂😂😂
Thanks Sam
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that everyone enjoyed them and including the mildly sweet flavor. Thank you so much for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Blair
I don’t want to sound stalkerish…but we are kind of obsessed with your recipes! I already had a “perfect pancake” recipe. But after making your amazing biscuits and pizza dough, I just HAD to try your pancakes.
I’ve never made buttermilk before, but your recipe for that fixed my problem and was super simple.
Umm…just wow. Your recipe blew my other one out the window! Both my daughters insisted I comment and that we throw the other recipe away. My husband’s belly was so happy and full, he went back to bed. If you ever need a taste-tester, I would happily volunteer for free!
Thank you, again, for another fantastic recipe!
Sam
I’ve gotta tell you, this comment made my day, Blair!! Thank you so much for writing and letting me know how you enjoyed the recipe!! I really appreciate you following along with the blog! <3
LaViva Celeste
This recipe was super easy to make and turned out absolutely delicious! We are enjoying making a big deal out of breakfast during this time here in LA. I added a little extra salt, some brown sugar and cinnamon. They were off the hook this morning!
Sugar Spun Run
I love that you have been spending your morning making a big breakfast at this time, LaViva! I happy that your family enjoyed this recipe. I have some other favorites that you may like to give a shot as well: homemade biscuits and sausage gravy, french toast casserole, cinnamon rolls, and french toast.
Stay Safe and Enjoy!
Giuseppina
I like this recipe the only thing I would say is it could have used a little more salt and a little more sugar but for the most part it was very good. I don’t know if substituting 2 tablespoons of salted butter would have done the trick or just by adding a pinch of salt more. I will have to try it again.
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you for trying my recipe, Giuseppina! I appreciate the feedback. 🙂
Alley
Very easy to throw together and so fluffy and yummy!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed them, Alley! Thanks so much for trying my recipe! 🙂
Lily
I’m gonna be honest I’ve only commented on like one other post. I had to post something on this recipe, and let me tell you, These pancakes came out SOOOO GOOD!!! Best pancakes I’ve ever had hands down! Great Job!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment, Lily, I am so glad that you enjoyed them! 🙂
Adrian
Absolutely the best pancakes I have ever had! Thanks for sharing!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed them, Adrian! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Ron
Excellent, thick and fluffy yet slightly crispy on the edges. Thank you.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the pancakes, Ron! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Teal
Loved your buttermilk pie recipe!! I plan on trying this one, and I had a couple of questions: First, why do you only lightly beat the eggs before adding the buttermilk? Is it possible to over beat them? Second, have you ever tried skipping the resting step and cooking the pancakes right after mixing the batter? Do they come out flatter in your experience? I was comparing your recipe and method to Oh, Sweet Basil, and they’re very similar except for the resting step.
Sam
Hi! I do it to make it easier to combine them into the batter. It’s unlikely you could overbeat them just with the mixing required in this recipe. Skipping the resting would result in flatter pancakes. I hope that helps, and I hope you let me know how you like the pancakes 🙂
Jane
These make such a wonderful Sunday breakfast for the family. They are so thick and fluffy. My mom had a similar recipe and this reminds me of relaxed mornings enjoying a delicious breakfast. Thanks for all the good tips, room temperature ingredients, etc. I love mine with blueberries!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that your family enjoyed the pancakes, Jane! They are my favorite Sunday morning breakfast too. 🙂
Marianna
I’m the manager at a hotel and I served your pancakes for breakfast. It is a hit. Thanks
Sugar Spun Run
That is wonderful to hear, Marianna! I am so glad that they are enjoyed by your guests. Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Brooke
Yummy!
Sugar Spun Run
Thanks, Brooke! I am so glad that you enjoyed the pancakes. 🙂
Tonya
I’m pretty terrible at making pancakes, but these were AMAZING! This is now my go-to pancake recipe. Thank you!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed, Tonya!! Thank you for commenting 🙂
Krystle
My family has been using this recipe for a while now. We always get perfect, fluffy but crisp pancakes. For a family of 5 we always have to double because they cant get enough. The only twist we made, is I add a tablespoon of French vanilla coffee creamer per normal batch size. (So usually two tablepsoons) It adds a slightly creamier sweeter taste to them I think.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that this recipe has become a family favorite of yours, Krystle! Thank you for sharing your secret tip with us. Sounds delicious! Enjoy! 🙂