Best Buttermilk Pancake Recipe

This is the Best Buttermilk Pancake Recipe that beats each and every pancake mix hands down. These pancakes are light and fluffy and couldn’t be simpler to make. All you need to finish is a little slab of butter, some maple syrup, and voila—the perfect breakfast!

Once you go homemade, you’ll never be happy with a box mix ever again. These babies are perfectly fluffy and can be on the table in less than 30 minutes.

The best buttermilk pancakes stacked on a white plate and topped with butter and syrup.

There is really no better way to enjoy a cozy weekend morning than with a tall stack of warm buttermilk pancakes smothered in butter, maple syrup, or your favorite toppings. If you’re a fan of those fluffy IHOP buttermilk pancakes, then you will not be disappointed with our version. Luckily, you probably have all of the ingredients you need to make them from scratch right at home.

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Want blueberry or chocolate chip pancakes? Go nuts! We’ve also got recipes for Lemon Ricotta Pancakes, Pumpkin Pancakes, Whole Wheat Pancakes, or Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes. Serve with your favorite berries, toasted pecans, or fresh whipped cream.

Key Ingredients

All-Purpose Flour – all-purpose flour has a perfect amount of gluten for making fluffy pancakes. If you want to make these gluten-free you can substitute your favorite gluten free flour mix.
Baking Powder & Baking Soda – these help the batter rise, and keeps them nice and fluffy.
Eggs – any kind of large eggs will work great. They hold the batter together and give the pancakes a little flavor.
Buttermilk – this adds a characteristic tangy flavor, helps the baking powder activate, and makes pancakes extra fluffy. If you are out of buttermilk, read our instructions above on how to easily make your own. The best buttermilk substitute in pancakes is using 1 part Greek yogurt to 2 parts whole milk.
Butter – this should be melted before adding to the batter.

Homemade buttermilk pancakes stacked on a plate with syrup and butter on top.

Some Of My Favorite Pancake Toppings

There isn’t anything better than homemade pancakes on a lazy weekend. Here are some of my favorite toppings for this easy breakfast recipe.

How to Make Buttermilk Pancakes From Scratch

Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt and whisk to combine.
Whisk the wet ingredients. In a large measuring cup, combine the eggs, buttermilk, melted butter and vanilla extract and whisk to break up the eggs.
Combine the pancake batter. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and gently mix the batter together until well-combined and set aside. (Note: You don’t want to overmix – the mixture should still be a little lumpy.)
Cook the pancakes. Heat a large skillet over medium low heat, then melt 1 tablespoon of butter to grease the pan. Pour about 1/3 cup batter onto the griddle and let it spread out into a 4″ round pancake. Allow the pancakes to cook until bubbles appear on the surface and the edges are beginning to look cooked, or about 1-2 minutes. Flip the pancakes, using a spatula, and continue to cook the other side until golden and cooked through, or about 1-2 minutes more.
Serve. Serve pancakes with butter, syrup or your favorite toppings. Enjoy!

batter for homemade buttermilk pancake recipe in a glass bowl.

How to Make Buttermilk At Home

It’s incredibly simple to make your own buttermilk. It won’t be quite as thick as the buttermilk that you are used to buying, but it will do the trick. All you need to do is:

Mix 3 cups whole milk with 3 tablespoons of either lemon juice or white vinegar.
Make sure they are well combined, then let sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, it should look slightly curdled. You can whisk the entire thing, then measure out 3 cups that you need and use in place of store-bought buttermilk.

Recipe Tips

You’ve probably made pancakes that were either too thick and don’t cook all the way through, or too thin and slightly rubbery. This recipe makes them just right every time. These tips will help get you started:

The less you mix the batter, the fluffier they will be. Trust me—few small lumps are ok!
Let your batter rest for a few minutes before cooking. This gives the baking powder a little time to do it’s thing, and gives all of the ingredients a chance to sort of mesh.
Measure carefully! A little too much flour or a little too much buttermilk can cause the pancake batter to get either too thick or too thin.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I freeze Pancakes?

Yes! After you have cooked them, let them cool completely and then transfer to a freezer bag. They can be stored, frozen, for up to 3 months.

When you are ready to eat them, you can either microwave an individual serving to warm them, or else pull them and let them come to room temperature, then cover with foil and warm in a low 300 degree oven until warmed through.

What does buttermilk do for pancakes?

Buttermilk is used in pancakes because it helps break down the strands of gluten, giving it the fine and tender pancakes we all love. It also interacts with baking soda and makes pancakes extra fluffy. Another thing to love about buttermilk in pancakes is the extra tang it gives them. It’s the perfect balance of tang and sweet when topped with smooth butter and your favorite sweet syrup.

How can I thicken pancake batter?

If you are wondering how to thicken pancake batter, you can add a tablespoon of flour at a time. Mix until combined. Likewise, to thin the batter down, add a tablespoon of milk at a time and whisk in.

What can I substitute for buttermilk in pancakes?

While you could substitute plain milk for the buttermilk in this recipe, I highly recommend making your own buttermilk if you are out instead. The tangy buttermilk helps the baking powder to activate, therefore giving you even fluffier pancakes. Plus, it adds such a great flavor.

Above, we have given you instructions on how to make your own buttermilk. Or, you can whisk together 3 parts sour cream or plain Greek yogurt with 1 part milk if you have either of those around.

More Favorite Breakfast Recipes

This simple Buttermilk Pancake recipe is light, fluffy and tastes so delicious with a little slab of butter and some maple syrup. You’ll never want to use box mix again!

Categories:

Breakfast, Fall Recipes, Nut-Free, Pancakes, Spring Recipes, Summer Recipes, Vegetarian, Winter Recipes,

Perfect Buttermilk Pancakes Recipe