There’s nothing quite like a stack of warm, fluffy Homemade Buttermilk Pancakes to start your day! This recipe is simple and delicious, using basic ingredients like flour, eggs, and buttermilk. Perfect for breakfast or brunch, they’re sure to become a favorite of everyone at the table!
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When I was a kid, Homemade Buttermilk Pancakes weren't one of the breakfast recipes we had on our usual menu, so as a grown-up I just couldn't get the hang of making good pancakes. Box mix or made from scratch, all of my pancakes were burnt, or raw, or a bizarre combination of both.
After a lot of recipe testing, to the joy of my taste-testers, I can finally say I make the best pancakes! I developed an easy to make batter and discovered foolproof techniques that bring me light and fluffy pancakes every time. Now I can add the perfect pancakes to my family's breakfast and brunch menu with pride.
Time-saving Tip: In a hurry? Forget the store-bought mix! Keep a large batch of my Simple Pancake Mix in your pantry and cut your prep time in half! Just add milk, egg, and butter and you'll have amazing pancakes ready in no time!
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Ingredients & Substitutions
Simple ingredients are all you need to make this easy pancake recipe. Below is a bit of info on each one and a few swap outs you can make in a pinch.
- All-purpose flour I've seen some complicated pancake recipes that call for bread flour, or pastry flour, or even cake flour, but for me all-purpose flour makes perfect buttermilk pancakes. If you have self-rising flour leftover from making my cream biscuits, you can use that. Just eliminate the baking powder and salt, as it is included in this flour.
- Sugar You can reduce the sugar to one or two tablespoons, but you should have at least one tablespoon to get the moisture and browning that you want.
- Baking powder and baking soda These rising agents give you the lift you need to be able to call these fluffy, otherwise you're making homemade crepes, which is great, but not this.
- Buttermilk Need a buttermilk substitute? You can substitute with milk if you like and leave out the baking soda (see recipe notes), or try my yogurt pancake recipe, if that's what you have on hand.
- Eggs Two eggs are just enough to give the pancakes structure and help them rise, without making them custardy.
- Butter I love the flavor that butter brings to pancakes, but you can replace half, or all of the butter with your preferred neutral oil. If using salted butter, reduce added salt by half.
For full recipe, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Short on time or ingredients? Shortcut your way to pancakes with my 3-Ingredient Pancakes! Made with self-rising flour, eggs, and sweetened condensed milk, they are unbelievably fluffy and delicious!
Variations
One of my favorite things about pancakes is they practically beg for you to add to them. Here are a few ways we love to play with our pancakes:
- Kid friendly - Forget the kids, my in-laws will knock you down trying to be the first in line for pancakes loaded with chocolate chips! Use the leftover chips to make my chocolate chip yogurt muffins!
- Citrus - My Lemon Ricotta Pancakes are melt-in-your-mouth delicious, with a nice tang from fresh lemon juice and zest. Add blueberries or your favorite fresh fruit for a bright pop of flavor.
- Fuss free - For the simplest homemade pancakes, try making my Strawberry Sheet Pan Pancakes that bake all in one pan, for easy cleanup, and no stove time!
Instructions
Don't fear the pancake. Follow my simple instructions and great pancakes are practically guaranteed.
- To start, melt 4 tablespoons of butter and set aside to cool. If your eggs and buttermilk are not at room temperature, place your eggs in a cup of warm water for 10 minutes and microwave your buttermilk for 30 seconds.
Step 1: In a medium bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together; flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, or a large measuring cup, whisk the buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla extract.
Step 2: Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and fold together until mostly combined.
Step 3: Finish mixing while drizzling in your melted and cooled butter. You should still see some small lumps. Set aside to rest for 15 minutes.
Step 4: Heat a large skillet, or electric griddle, over medium-low heat. When warm, add a teaspoon or so of butter or oil. Drop ¼ cup scoops of pancake batter into the melted butter. It will spread out a bit. After 2 to 3 minutes, bubbles will start to form and pop on the surface of the pancake.
Step 5: When the bubbles on the edges look dry and airy, use a thin spatula to gently lift one side and peek underneath. If the pancake is golden brown, flip and cook on the other side for another 2 to 2 ½ minutes, or until the bottom of the pancake is golden brown.
Step 6: Stack them up and serve with butter, warm pure maple syrup, or your favorite pancake toppings.
Tip: This is a thicker batter that makes nice fluffy pancakes. If you prefer a thinner batter, add a couple more tablespoons of buttermilk, up to ¼ cup, until you get the consistency you prefer.
Tips for flawless pancakes
- Use a nonstick pan - I wanted to be like my Grandma and make flapjacks in an iron skillet, but alas, that dream was squashed when I could only get the top half of my pancakes out of the pan most of the time. I'm a total convert to using a nonstick pan to ensure I can actually get my pancakes onto a plate.
- Watch your heat - I used to think "the hotter the better", but then I also used to make black on the outside/raw on the inside pancakes 😕 Low and slow gets you beautifully golden brown pancakes that are fully cooked and fluffy inside. Medium-low is the way to go!
- Use the right spatula - Some nonstick pans can handle metal utensils, but I prefer a flexible plastic pancake spatula to get underneath the pancakes. The face of the spatula is wider, to allow all of the pancake to go for a ride, and the handle is shorter, giving you more control over your flip.
- Nonstick spray - It might sound silly, but before placing it under my pancakes I spray both sides of my spatula with nonstick spray, because sometimes the edges of your pancakes try to cling when you're flipping them. Silly or not, it works!
- Show no fear - Don't hesitate when flipping your pancakes. Take your spatula and quickly slide it under the pancake (I always whisper the word "SCOOP" like I'm some kind of pancake ninja), and flip it, all in one smooth motion. It might take you practicing on the first pancake, but everyone knows the first pancake is like your first child; that's where you get to make all your mistakes 😂!
- Keep warm - Place cooked pancakes in a pancake or tortilla warmer, or on a plate with a large bowl turned upside down over the top, while you cook the rest of the pancakes.
- Clean up - Between each batch of pancakes, wipe out your pan with a paper towel. You might not notice it, but the residual butter or oil left from each pancake will start to burn. This could lead to your later pancakes tasting bitter.
The perfect side! For the perfect accompaniment to this buttermilk pancake recipe, try my sweet and spicy Millionaire's Bacon or my Crispy Oven Bacon!
Recipe FAQs
If you prefer a thinner batter, add a couple more tablespoons of buttermilk, up to ¼ cup, until you get the consistency you prefer.
If you have leftover pancakes, congratulations. You are stronger than I am. Moisture is the enemy of pancakes, so be sure to allow pancakes to cool completely then place in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Let cool completely before individually wrapping each pancake in plastic wrap. Store in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.
If frozen, allow to thaw in the refrigerator overnight, or on the counter for 30 minutes. Reheat in the microwave for 1 minute, or until warm, or try popping them in the toaster for a crispy outside, fluffy inside treat.
Did you try this recipe?
Write a note with a ⭐️ rating below to tell me all about it! And don't forget to tag me @butfirst_webrunch on Instagram!
I appreciate you!
-Cynthia
📖 Recipe
Fluffy Homemade Buttermilk Pancakes
Equipment
- Nonstick pan ~OR~
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup (180 g) all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons (36 g) sugar
- 2 teaspoon (8 g) baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups (360 g) buttermilk room temperature
- 2 (100 g) large eggs room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 4 tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter melted and cooled
Instructions
- Melt 4 tablespoons of butter and set aside to cool. If your eggs and buttermilk are not at room temperature, place your eggs in a cup of warm water for 10 minutes and microwave your buttermilk for 30 seconds.
- Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. In a large measuring cup, whisk the buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and fold together until mostly combined. Finish mixing while drizzling in your melted and cooled butter. Set aside to rest for 15 minutes.
- Heat a large nonstick skillet, or electric griddle, over medium-low heat. When warm, add a teaspoon or so of butter or oil. Drop ¼ cup scoops of pancake batter into pan. It will spread out a bit. After 2-3 minutes, bubbles will start to form and pop on the surface of the pancake.
- When the bubbles on the edges look dry and airy, use a thin pancake spatula to gently lift one side and peek underneath. If the pancake is golden brown, flip and cook on the other side for 2 to 2 ½ minutes, or until the bottom of the pancake is golden brown.
- Serve with butter and warm maple syrup or your favorite toppings
Save This Recipe! 💌
I'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later, plus you'll get great new recipes from me every week!
Laura says
OMG! Gorgeous! I can't wait to try this recipe!
Cynthia says
I hope you love it as much as we do!!
annie says
hi there- just to confirm, is it one-tablespoon or one-teaspoon of baking powder?
Cynthia says
It’s one tablespoon. I was wondering if I should write out all the measurements, like teaspoon and tablespoon, in my recipes. Maybe I’ll do that moving forward! Thanks for the question!
Cynthia says
I’ve actually revised the recipe to make it 2 teaspoons. I felt I could taste the baking powder, and this is just the right amount fur fluff and taste!
Barbara Kern says
Every cook should learn the difference between w tisp - tsp-teaspoon and a tibble- tbs - tablespoon. I was fortunate to have a mother who was and excellent cook with a sense of humor!
Cynthia Christensen says
You’re so right!
kelsey c says
this recipe is seriously awesome. i've never made such fluffy and delicious pancakes before in my life!! instant classic recipe.
Cynthia says
Yay! I’m glad you like it!
Kaila says
The best pancakes! This knocked my previous go-to recipe off this pedestal. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Cynthia says
Thank you so much! I’m so thrilled you like them!
kelsey says
just made this recipe again and subbed out the buttermilk for oat milk (all i had on hand) and my god they are GREAT! this recipe is spectacular. i've never had such soft homemade pancakes in my life, they feel like suede or something. i'd like a pillowcase made of these pancakes please.
Cynthia says
Oh wow that’s fantastic! I think the pillow case idea might be a little sticky, but I appreciate your enthusiasm!
Sarah says
So delicious and fluffy!! I love the addition of vanilla, makes for a melt in your mouth flavor
Cynthia says
Thank you! I feel like vanilla gives you that authentic diner/IHOP taste of a pancake!
Kristen says
These are delicious! I found the batter unevenly thin in some places and lumpy in others so they were super ugly but I’m pretty sure that’s something wrong with my mixing technique and it at fault with the recipe. Ugly delicious pancakes > pretty bland ones any day though!
Cynthia says
I’m sure you just need to mix the batter more until the consistency is even. There will be lumps but they will hydrate as you let the batter sit.
Laurence says
I love this recipe. Just a question , can I make the batter in advance and let it sit overnight in the fridge
Cynthia says
You can but take it out of the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature for about 15 to 30 minutes before making pancakes. They might not rise quite as much as it would fresh made, but the baking powder should get you a nice rise anyway.
Sarah says
Way better than the Test Kitchen pancakes I usually make. These have more flavor and fluffiness 🤩.
Cynthia says
Wow! Huge compliment! Thank you 😊
Visha Shah says
I’m trying these out today and so excited! Question - could I substitute whole wheat flour for the all purpose?
Cynthia Christensen says
Yes, you can! Let me know how it comes out!
Visha Shah says
It turned out really good! I did 1 c. All purpose and 1/2 whole wheat. I also topped it with homemade granola and bananas. Family was obsessed!
Cynthia Christensen says
What a great idea! I’m so glad they were such a hit ❤️