Start your morning off right with a big stack of these fluffy and melt in your mouth Buttermilk Pancakes. This old-fashioned recipe is so easy, tastes way better than a boxed mix, and gives you pancakes with the most perfectly crisp edges and soft fluffy centers.
This is one of my Breakfast recipes I know you’ll want to keep on hand!
Let’s talk breakfast… the most important meal of the day right? Well, who knows for sure, but all I know is that breakfast food is ah-mazing!
Donuts, scrambled eggs, omelettes, biscuits, gravy, bacon, french toast… I could go on all day. But probably one of the most iconic breakfast foods is good ol’ pancakes!
Now I don’t know about you, but I usually don’t eat much for actual breakfast. A cup of tea and a granola bar or bowl of cereal, and I’m good to go.
But I crave breakfast food pretty much all other times of the day! Breakfast for dinner (Brinner) is one of my family’s favorite meals, especially if I’m serving up a big stack of these buttermilk pancakes! 🙂
This recipe has been hanging around here on the site for about 6 years, but it’s been republished with updated photos and more helpful information. The recipe has not been changed.
How to make homemade buttermilk pancakes?
This is just an overview; the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.
- Mix dry ingredients. This is the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Mix wet ingredients. This is the buttermilk, vanilla, cinnamon, egg and butter.
- Stir the wet into the dry. Be careful not to over-mix, so just stir them together until you don’t see any more streaks of flour. Lumps are okay.
- Heat griddle or skillet. The secret to great pancakes is to be patient. You want the heat set at MED LOW. Add a bit of butter to griddle/skillet.
- Ladle batter onto griddle. I like to use a 1/4 or 1/3 cup measuring cup, so the pancakes are equal in size.
- Cook. Let the pancake cook about 2-3 minutes. Watch for a lot of bubbles popping up on the batter side of the pancake, and for the edges to appear set.
- Flip. Flip the pancake over and cook another 2 minutes.
- Enjoy!
Helpful Tip!
Go easy on the whisking. Pancake batter is easy to over-mix, which means your pancakes won’t be as fluffy and soft as they should be. When whisking the dry and wet ingredients together, just stir until you don’t see streaks of flour. Lumps are perfectly fine; you don’t need to whisk those out.
Variations of this recipe
- Buttermilk substitute – if you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can make your own! Add 2 Tbsp of lemon juice or white vinegar to a liquid measuring cup. Pour in enough whole milk to reach 2 cups. Stir and let it sit about 10 minutes. It may look a bit curdled, but that’s okay. Stir and use in the recipe.
- Regular milk – alternately, you could just use regular whole milk, although we really prefer the flavor and texture of the buttermilk pancakes.
- Chocolate – semi-sweet chocolate chips are a classic stir-in idea, but other flavors of chocolate are great too.
- Fruit – sliced bananas, blueberries, sliced strawberries, etc are all great in these pancakes.
- Nuts – try adding some chopped pecans or walnuts to the batter!
- Flavors – you can omit the vanilla/cinnamon if you’re not a fan, but alternately, you could try adding some lemon juice (especially if you’ll be stirring in, or topping the pancake with some berries).
How to tell when a pancake is ready to flip?
This is a common question, so if you’ve been wondering and not sure how to ask… I’ve got you covered.
There are two main things I look for when deciding if I should flip my pancakes.
- Bubbles. As the pancakes cook, bubbles form and rise to the surface. When those bubbles have come through and popped, it’s a good sign the pancake is ready.
- Edges. The edges of the pancake will start off looking very wet, and as it cooks, they’ll dry out and appear set.
FAQ’s
Buttermilk does two main things in this pancake recipe. First, it adds a beautiful slight tang to the flavor of the pancakes. Secondly, it reacts with the leavening agents in the batter (the baking powder and baking soda) to help the pancakes rise and get nice and fluffy.
You definitely want to use non-expired baking powder for this recipe, or your pancakes won’t puff up. To test your baking powder, add a bit to hot water. If it bubbles and fizzes, you’re good to go! However, if your baking powder is older than 6 months, it’s best to just get a new can. The older one can still be used for cleaning purposes!
Butter is a classic, and what I use most of the time. However, for the best crispy edges and boost of flavor, try using a bit of bacon drippings!
Making buttermilk pancakes ahead of time
Unfortunately making the batter ahead of time doesn’t work very well, since the leavening agent (the baking powder), will start activating as soon as the ingredients are mixed.
This means when the pancakes are cooked, they won’t rise and turn into fluffy goodness.
Freezing
If you end up with way too many pancakes leftover, you can freeze them!
Just make sure they’ve completely cooled down, then add the pieces to a wax paper lined baking sheet. Place the whole thing in the freezer for 1-2 hours, until the pancakes are hard.
Add the pancakes to a freezer container, label it with the date, and freeze for up to 3 months.
Thaw in the refrigerator and warm up in whichever way you like best.
Storage
Leftover pancakes should be refrigerated in an airtight container and eaten within 3-4 days.
Other Great Breakfast Recipes:
My Favorite Spatula!
I love this brand of silicone coated spatulas, since they’re all heat safe, easy to clean and hold up really well! This one is larger and makes getting that perfect pancake flip super easy!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 Tbsp white sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup melted butter
Instructions
- Melt the butter and set aside to cool down slightly.
- To a mixing bowl, add the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Use a whisk to combine all dry ingredients well.
- In a separate bowl, combine buttermilk, vanilla, ground cinnamon and egg. Whisk to combine. Add melted butter and whisk again.
- Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, whisking and stirring to mix it all together. Once it’s combined, stop mixing. If you over-mix, your pancakes won’t be light and fluffy.
- Set pancake batter aside and heat up a large skillet or griddle over MED-LOW heat. Add a bit of butter to the preheated griddle and spread it out.
- Use a 1/4 or 1/3 cup measuring cup to scoop the pancake batter onto the griddle or skillet. Slowly pour it onto the surface, circling outwards to make a nice circle.
- Let the pancake cook about 2-3 minutes. You'll notice bubbles popping up on the surface of the pancake, if the edges look set, carefully flip the pancake over. Cook another 2 minutes on the other side.
- Remove to a plate and cover with a kitchen towel. Alternatively, you can place the pancakes on a baking sheet and keep it in a low heat oven (175-200 degrees), until you’re ready to serve.
Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!
Chef Tips
- 1. Please note that the amount of flour may vary, as things such as humidity, brand of flour and the way you measure your flour will effect how things turn out. For reference, I use Gold Medal all purpose flour and measure it by spooning it into my measuring cup, then leveling off with the back of a butter knife.
- A dash of nutmeg is also a great addition to these pancakes.
- Feel free to adjust the amount of vanilla and cinnamon to your liking.
- If you leave out the vanilla and cinnamon, you have a great basic buttermilk pancake recipe.
- This recipe makes enough for 4 people, so feel free to double the recipe in order to feed more people or to freeze some.
Video
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Any nutritional information shared is an estimate, and is automatically calculated through a program. If calorie count is important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
The Chunky Chef is not a nutritionist and doesn’t provide full nutritional information for recipes as there is a potential for error and we wouldn’t want to potentially and/or unknowingly pass along incorrect information.
Jay says
Great airy pancakes, 4 was enough for me.
😋
Jessica says
I’ve made these pancakes a few different times now, and they are the BEST! Thick and fluffy, just like they should be! I plan to never use a mix again. Thank you!
Katie says
Best pancake recipe EVER! This has been my only pancake recipe for a couple years now! Do you have any suggestions for how to make it waffle iron friendly? My husband and son are waffle guys and I’d love to make a breakfast they love too. Thank you!
The Chunky Chef says
I’m so happy you love this recipe! Without further recipe testing, I can’t say for certain, but I *think* it would work, mostly as is… but I would add a couple tablespoons of vegetable oil, and a touch more sugar. Most waffle recipes have more fat and sugar than pancake recipes do.
Katie says
Waffle Iron – After a little research & experimenting I’ve found that adding 2 extra tbsp butter (total 6) and 3 extra tbsp sugar (total 6) works great. They come out fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside! Thank you again for all the awesome recipes you share!
The Chunky Chef says
I’m so happy to hear you found a combo that works great for you! 🙂
Ashley says
I made these this morning and oh my goodness these were amazing! The batter was very thick and I had to scoop into the pan, although they cooked up beautifully. This is my new go to recipe for life! My family loved them so much.
Sharon says
I have been making your pancakes for two years now and let me tell you…my husband and I went to ” the pancake place with the blue roof” over the Christmas weekend and he said “I like your pancakes better! These taste funny…” Girlfriend, you have a winner in this recipe! I make them about once per 8 weeks and they do NOT last long at all. I’m making some tomorrow morning and had to look up the recipe because I got my copy wet. It took for ever to find but here I am. Great job on this recipe!
Rita says
Serving size question
Are 4 pancakes equaling one serving?
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Rita 🙂 The amount of pancakes you’ll get out of this recipe depends on how big you make them, so I’ve never really sat down and counted the exact amount… I just know it’s enough to feed my family of 4. I would say 3-4 pancakes per serving is a good guesstimate though 🙂
Haley says
These came out great! Thanks for the recipe ?
ยูฟ่าเบท says
These cakes so awesome.
I think I must learn for a cooking now.
Camryn says
These were good except they take forever to cook all the way and I had leftover batter which turned a bluish purple like I put blueberries in them. Are they still good to cook and eat the next day?
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Camryn 🙂 Yes, thick pancakes do take a little longer to cook all the way though. Leftover batter probably won’t turn out right, as the leavening agents (baking powder and baking soda) start working as soon as the ingredients are mixed.
Denise Vuono says
Tried these this morning for breakfast with a friend and they were delicious. I didn’t have any buttermilk on hand so I added some lemon juice to the 2% milk I had on hand. These will definitely be a repeat in my house. Thanks for sharing.
Marianne says
Third time we’ve made it. This time with buttermilk (last time it was a mixture of acidulated whipping cream and half n half) and my hubs loves you. I think I love you, too! I did add a little half n half to thin it out. Anyway. Thank you thank you thank!!!
Marianne says
You win Best Pancakes award in my house! The only thing I had to change was I had no buttermilk so I used one cup whipping cream and one cup half n half with two Tbs lemon juice instead. My husband was able to eat three without feeling overly full like he does with my passed down from grams recipe. You recipe is the best!! Sorry, Grams. Her recipe doesn’t call for baking soda and I was using too high of heat. It’s just the two of us so I froze the rest for his breakfasts at work. Thank you! If you have a good banana bread recipe as well, please share!
Linda Irving says
Too much flour added about a cup more of buttermilk to a doubled recipe so it would pour better kids loved it!
Sharon says
I made these this morning, delish. Fluffy and flavorful. Made them exactly as the recipe said. I let the batter rest for 30 minutes. I knew they were going to be fluffy because the batter had risen. This will be my all-star recipe. Thank you.
Sharon says
I was so excited to try this recipe. The flavor was amazing but, after following the recipe, the batter was very thick and so dense that they were almost burned before they were cooked all the way through.
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Sharon, I’m sorry to hear this didn’t turn out well for you. As noted in the recipe notes section right below the recipe, the amount of flour will vary from person to person, so if your batter is way too thick, you can always add a splash more liquid to thin it out due to the flour.
Kristen says
Yummy yummy yummy! For those saying batter was too thick they might have had too much flour. A trick for any baking is to lightly spoon your flour into your measuring cup and using the flat edge of a butter knife scrape off the excess. I didn’t have enough buttermilk, I had about 1 cup and then used milk for the rest. I added chocolate chips. A trick if adding chocolate chips to any baking is to mix them in with your dry ingredients. Mixing them with flour helps them not sink to the bottom. We also had homemade buttermilk syrup. I baked on a big flat griddle, 1/4 C batter made about 12 pancakes. These were great for dinner! I will be going back to this recipe for sure. Thank you for sharing!
Lettie says
Thank you for this great recipe! I made these yesterday and they turned out sooo good. Definitely will be my go to recipe for pancakes. Can’t wait to make them again.
Evy says
I’m making a batch of this pancake and it’s the best pancakes I’ve ever made! The batter was a bit runny so it spread out more when I poured it into the pan but that’s fine. Next time I might grate some orange zest into the batter. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Linda Allen says
Hi! This may sound like a stupid question but did you pack your flour when measuring? Thanks!
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Linda 🙂 Not a stupid question at all! I spoon my flour into the measuring cup and then level it off with the back of a knife 🙂
Diane Reagan says
Your link to the “best griddle” -especially since you specifically stated you used cast iron-took me to a NordicWare griddle for $19.95 made of cast aluminum ! Yuck !
Oh, and never buy cast iorn made in China
The Chunky Chef says
Yes, I used cast iron, but I also use a griddle sometimes, which is why I linked to it. Not everyone has a cast iron pan. Just because I link to something, that doesn’t mean you have to buy it. You’re free to buy whatever you’d like… and my cast iron pans are not from china, just fyi.
Karen says
I have been cooking for over 20 years. I have made some of the most difficult, elaborate recipes, but I have never been able to properly cook pancakes! Until today. This recipe and its instruction is great! I feel so accomplished (and full)! Thank you so much!