Buttermilk Pancakes Recipe from Scratch

Next time try these amazing homemade waffles.

Jump to:

• ❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
• 🔪 Instructions
• 🥄 Equipment
• 🥫 Storage
• 👩🏻‍🍳 Frequently asked questions
• 📖 Variations
• 💭 Tips for success
• 📚 Related recipes
• 📞 The last word
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

❤️ Why you'll love this recipe

• Light, fluffy pancakes every time!
• No more box mix
• Made with real stuff - no more weird additives

There's a secret to the light, fluffy texture in the perfect pancake and I'm sharing it today!

Buttermilk pancakes stacked high on a plate, still steaming from the griddle, with a pat of golden butter slowly dribbling down the sides as it melts... is there any other breakfast that pulls you in to a big old bear hug as much as this?

If you like yours light and fluffy you'll love this is the best pancake recipe ever!! It's packed with old fashioned, country breakfast flavor - just add some sausage, butter, and maple syrup!

🔪 Instructions

You'll find the full instructions in the recipe card below.

Step one

1. Lightly brush the griddle with vegetable oil.

Step two

2. Whisk the flour, sugar, and salt together in a large bowl - set aside.
3. Whisk the buttermilk and the eggs in a medium bowl until well blended.
4. Beat in the melted butter.
5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients - blend gently. There will be streaks of flour in the batter - that's ok.
6. Set aside and let batter rest for 10 minutes.

Step three

7. Blend the baking powder and baking soda with a little water until dissolved - gently stir into the batter.
8. Heat the griddle until a drop of water bounces across it - about 375°.
9. Ladle about ¼ cup batter on the griddle in a circle. Repeat with remaining batter.

Step four

10. When tiny bubbles break on the surface, the edges have a dull shine and a golden brown color go ahead and flip the pancakes.
11. Remove from the griddle, place on a rimmed baking sheet, and keep warm in a 200° oven until it's time to serve.

🥄 Equipment

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You'll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.

• Measuring cup
• Measuring spoons
• Whisk
• Mixing bowls
• Large cast iron skillet

🥫 Storage

You can refrigerate leftover pancakes tightly covered for about 2 to 3 days.

Freeze in an airtight container for longer storage.

👩🏻‍🍳 Frequently asked questions

Here are the answers to the most frequently asked questions about buttermilk pancakes and how to make them.

📖 Variations

So here's the great thing about buttermilk pancakes - you can stir in almost anything you want and make them even better. Here are some of my favorites.

• Fresh blueberries - the easiest way to add these is to sprinkle them on the top of the pancake just before flipping. That way there's no raw batter around the berries - especially if they are frozen.
• Dried cherries - these give the pancakes a sweet-tart burst of flavor.
• Crispy bacon - bacon goes in everything and pancakes are extra yummy with crumbled bacon added.
• Sprinkles - sprinkles make everything a party!
• Chocolate chips - who's not going to love the idea of chocolate for breakfast?
• Raisins - add extra sweetness to the pancakes.
• Unsweetened Kool Aid - sprinkle some in the batter and stir it in to add fruity flavors to your pancakes - but use a fruit syrup ... maple syrup is not great with these.
• Chopped strawberries - bring a fresh, sweet berry flavor but go easy on them. Too many will mess up the batter.
• Use part Red Velvet cake mix for part of the flour.

💭 Tips for success

Fluffy buttermilk pancakes are really easy to make but there are certain things... certain little tips that experienced pancake makers know that maybe you don't... Well, now you do.

• Check the baking soda and baking powder for freshness. The pancakes won't rise if the leavening is old and weak.
• If you don't have buttermilk you can use buttermilk powder.
• If you live in a high altitude you'll need to make adjustments - this is a good article about high altitude cooking.
• If you have time hold the leavening out of the mixture but add everything else. Let it stand for 10 minutes to allow the gluten to relax - then mix the baking powder and baking soda with about a tablespoon of water until dissolved. Add it in to the batter, stirring well and cook immediately.
• Do not use a milk + vinegar or milk + lemon juice or another buttermilk substitute. Use real buttermilk. Please.
• Don't over-mix the batter - it should be lumpy.
• Make sure the griddle is very hot. A few drops of water will "dance" across it. Please note... this is figurative... if you're expecting the cha-cha you're going to be disappointed.
• Set the burner to medium heat.
• Once the edges are dull looking and bubbles are breaking on the top flip the pancake - this takes a little practice to get it just right.
• Only flip the pancakes once.
• Keep warm in the oven until you've got them all done.

📚 Related recipes

I love breakfast! Here are some of my favorite breakfast recipes here on Restless Chipotle.

• Oreo Banana Bread has all the sweetness of banana bread with the unexpected flavor or Oreos. I love it!
• Blueberry Blue Cornmeal Pancakes are not only sweet and nutty but they are such a pretty blue!
• Gingerbread Waffles are perfect for cozy autumn breakfasts.
• Monte Cristo Casserole is one of my favorite breakfast casseroles! They're just so easy!
• Lemon blueberry scones are so flakey and buttery with pump, juicy blueberries in each crumbly bite. Add my mock Devonshire cream and pretend you're having tea at Downton Abbey!
• Pumpkin Scones with Maple Glaze are good any time of the day!

📞 The last word

There's just something about a big stack of homemade buttermilk pancakes, isn't there?

Everyone has their own kinds of memories but for me pancakes will forever be associated with the beach.

Whenever we went to the beach when I was a kid we'd stay at this one scrungy (a word I made up) hotel across the street from the beach... and next door was an equally scrungy diner that had the most heavenly pancakes on Earth.

Maybe in the entire universe - I'm not sure. I haven't been everywhere... yet.

Anyway, the pancakes were stacked high and there were at least 9017 syrups to choose from. Again - my memory may be causing me to exaggerate a tiny bit - it was a long time ago.

From that time until now every pancake molecule that has gone into my mouth has been judged against those fluffy stacks of buttermilk pancakes. And, my friends, this is as close as it gets.

Gather the family around the table and have a big family breakfast one day a month or as often as you can. Relax, talk, sip coffee, and just enjoy being together and eating stacks of these fluffy pancakes!

📖 Recipe

First published June 18, 2019. Last updated July 23, 2021 for better readability and more faqs.