Perfect Buttermilk Pancake Recipe
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Make these classic Buttermilk Pancakes from scratch in minutes – even if you’re out of buttermilk! Fluffy, buttery, delicious, and perfect pancakes with this easy recipe!
Enjoy a hot, buttery stack of buttermilk pancakes in less than 20 minutes with ingredients you most likely have in your kitchen with this easy recipe! Follow my simple yet time-tested tips for the perfect buttermilk pancakes for breakfast, brunch, or “breakfast for dinner” anytime!
Why We Love This Recipe
Made from scratch! These pancakes are so quick and easy that you can have them ready in minutes!
Simple yet scrumptious. This recipe uses simple ingredients you most likely already have in your pantry and refrigerator and yields the most perfect and delicious pancakes!
Great to make ahead. Sometimes, we need breakfast recipes that we can grab from the freezer and reheat for busy mornings. This is one of those recipes we turn to time and again!
Easily scalable. This recipe is just right for four people but can easily be scaled up or down to serve less or more!
Ingredients
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, notes, and estimated nutritional information.
Flour – Use all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour, if you prefer. You can also do a blend of all-purpose and whole wheat based on your preferences. I have also substituted gluten-free flour with great success.
Sugar – Granulated sugar is the default sugar to use in this recipe.
Baking Powder – You will use baking powder and baking soda in this recipe. The combination makes for delicious, fluffy buttermilk pancakes.
Baking Soda – You’ll also use baking soda since these are buttermilk pancakes, and the acid in the buttermilk combined with the baking soda ensures the fluffiest pancakes!
Salt – The salt in this recipe helps to balance the sweetness and give additional flavor. If you use salted butter, you may want to reduce the salt called for in the recipe to 3/4 teaspoon.
Buttermilk – You’ll want to be sure to use buttermilk for this recipe. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can easily make your own buttermilk with the ingredients you have on hand!
Resource: How to Make Buttermilk Substitute
Eggs – This recipe uses two fresh eggs. If you need to substitute the eggs, I recommend a commercial egg replacer. I’ve found that flax eggs can cause pancakes to be a bit heavy and dense, and applesauce causes the batter to become too thin. You may need to test to reach your desired final replacement.
Vanilla Extract – The vanilla extract adds so much flavor to this recipe! If you’ve not added it to your pancakes in the past, believe me when I say it makes such a difference!
Butter – You will use melted butter in the batter as to coat your griddle or skillet for cooking.
Buttermilk Pancake Variations
Egg-free Pancakes – Use an egg replacer such as Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer.
Dairy-free Pancakes – Use plant-based milk, such as oat, almond, or cashew milk, and dairy-free butter, in place of the dairy called for in the recipe. And yes, you can even make dairy-free buttermilk substitute!
Resource: How to Make Oat Milk
Gluten-Free Pancakes – Use your favorite gluten-free flour. I’ve made these many times using gluten-free flour substitutes.
How to Make Perfect Buttermilk Pancakes
Combine the dry ingredients – Whisk the dry ingredients in a medium bowl after combining.
Mix the wet ingredients – Whisk wet ingredients together in a large bowl.
Combine wet with dry ingredients – Pour the buttermilk mixture slowly into the flour mixture, stirring to combine as you pour. Allow pato rest for at least 5 minutes for the fluffiest buttermilk pancakes.
Add butter griddle and heat – Heat griddle or skillet over medium-low heat. Add butter to the griddle or skillet to make sure well coated.
Cook the pancakes – Scoop batter onto prepared griddle or skillet and cook according to recipe instructions.
Serve warm – Remove from griddle or skillet and serve warm or place on a sheet pan in the oven to keep warm for serving.
Since these are ready in just a few minutes, it’s not hard to get everyone to the breakfast table when they know these babies are waiting for them. Light, fluffy, and so delicious, you’ll get requests for these all the time. I promise!
Make Ahead and Storage Tips
To Make Ahead:
- Up to 30 Minutes Make Ahead – Place the pancakes onto a parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer. Then hold the pancakes in a 200º F oven for up to 30 minutes.
- Up to 2 Days Ahead – Allow the baked pancakes to cool completely. Place into a zip-top bag and into the refrigerator for up to 2 days. To reheat, place in a 350º F oven for 5 minutes.
To Freeze: These pancakes freeze beautifully.
- Place them in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet in the freezer for 30 minutes.
- Then, remove them from the baking sheet, and place them into a freezer-safe, zip-top bag, and freeze for up to 1 month.
- To reheat, allow them to defrost and then heat them in a 350º F oven for 5 minutes and serve warm.
Tips for Perfect Buttermilk Pancakes
- Let the mixed pancake batter sit for about 5 minutes for the fluffiest pancakes!
- When cooking the pancakes, allow the pancake batter to cook until the edges have lost their sheen and bubbles have formed in the center of the top of the pancake, about 2-3 minutes. Then, flip the pancake to cook the other side.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Make my easy buttermilk substitute and use just as you use regular buttermilk.
These pancakes are great to freeze and reheat on busy mornings. Follow the instructions to freeze in the recipe notes.
More Favorite Breakfast and Brunch Recipes
Here is my Buttermilk Pancakes Recipe. I hope you love it as much as my family does!
Perfect Buttermilk Pancake Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Griddle
- Baking Sheet Optional for make-ahead and freezer use.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons (36 g) granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (6 g) baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoon (6 g) baking soda
- 1 teaspoon (2.6 g) kosher salt
- 2 1/2 cups (613 g) buttermilk
- 2 large (100 g) eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (7 g) vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup (57 g) melted butter
- butter for griddle or skillet
Instructions
- Whisk dry ingredients together. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
- Whisk wet ingredients together. Whisk together buttermilk, eggs, vanilla extract, and melted butter or cooking oil in a large bowl.
- Combine. Pour buttermilk mixture slowly into the flour mixture, stirring to combine as you pour. Allow to rest for at least 5 minutes to thicken for the fluffiest pancakes.
- Cook. Heat griddle or skillet over medium-low heat. Add butter to griddle or skillet to make sure well coated. Scoop pancake batter onto prepared griddle or skillet by about 1/3 cup. Allow to cook until the edges of the pancake have lost their sheen and bubbles have formed in the center of the top of the pancake, about 2-3 minutes. Flip the pancake and allow to cook about 2-3 minutes on the other side.
- Serve. Remove from griddle or skillet and serve warm or place on a rimmed sheet pan in a 200º F oven to keep warm for serving.
Notes
- Up to 30 Minutes Make Ahead – Place the pancakes in a single layer onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Then hold the pancakes in a 200º F oven for up to 30 minutes.
- Up to 2 Days Ahead – Allow the baked pancakes to cool completely. Place into a zip-top bag and into the refrigerator for up to 2 days. To reheat, place in a 350º F oven for 5 minutes.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
How do you fit 2.5 cups of butter milk in a 2 cup container? Way too much liquid for the mixture.
Baker TO, thank you for finding that. I had typed in the wrong size container.
I used whole soft white wheat instead of all purpose flour and subbed half of the buttermilk for plain kefir. The batter turned out a little thin for most people’s taste but I think they were fantastic.
First, I love this recipe. It’s absolutely delicious. I also froze most of them and ate off of them throughout the week, and the recipe is right: they do freeze beautifully. I do have a question, though: how many pancakes per serving are there supposed to be? I halved the recipe since I was the only one who was going to be eating them and, as a shorter person (5’0″ / 152.4cm), I don’t need to eat as much as an average-height person. I was looking at the nutritional information at the bottom of the recipe for the calorie count, but it also doesn’t give a serving size. I just made my best guess and halved the calories and only ate two pancakes each time, but I don’t know if that’s right or not. I got six pancakes and a very small pancake out of halving the recipe, but since it is supposed to serve 4 people originally, does that mean a serving is 3 pancakes?
At any rate, I’m still going to be making this recipe again. It’s perfectly and stunningly delicious and I’ve never been more happy with pancakes in my life. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Emma, I”m so glad you liked these pancakes. The serving size for this pancake recipe is three.
Hi, I’m going to try these since they look delicious, but I was wondering if I add a cup of chopped pecans do I need to add additional buttermilk?
Debbie, you may not need to add more buttermilk but if the batter looks too thick, just add a tablespoon of buttermilk at a time to the consistency you want.
We loved these thick and delicious pancakes. I saved the recipe for the future.
Thanks, Rachelle. I’m so glad you loved these pancakes. They have been a favorite around my house for years.
The pancake recipe was a big hit with my family. They were soo delicious & easy to make.
Thanks, Mauriann. I love that these pancakes were a hit with your family.