This delicious Buttermilk Pancakes recipe produces light and fluffy pancakes that are so easy to make from scratch!
Nothing beats a stack of fluffy pancakes for breakfast and this homemade buttermilk pancakes recipe is as good as it gets. These airy, thick and fluffy pancakes have the perfect balance of sweet and tangy flavours and are so easy to make from scratch!
No buttermilk? No problem. I have a kitchen hack for making your own buttermilk if you don’t have any.
With my tips, you can whip up the best buttermilk pancakes in your kitchen using simple ingredients you likely already have. Oh, and you only need 20 minutes to do it!
So skip the box mix and start your Sunday morning off right with the ultimate pancake recipe that will satisfy that craving for fluffy, carby goodness.
What if I don’t have buttermilk?
They won’t be buttermilk pancakes without buttermilk. But wait? Didn’t I say that you can make your own buttermilk? Yes I did because there’s an easy way to make a substitution with ingredients you likely already have.
If you don’t have buttermilk in your fridge, simply mix 1 1/2 tablespoons of lemon juice with 1 cup milk (you can use whole milk, 2% or whatever you have on hand, preferably with some fat content) and let it sit for 5 minutes. After about 5 minutes you’ll notice the milk begins to curdle a bit and gets slightly thicker. This homemade “buttermilk” can be used in this recipe and provides a similar flavour to the real deal.
I have used this method often and it doesn’t sacrifice in flavour. You will still end up with the best pancakes!
Ingredients in my Buttermilk Pancakes Recipe
- All-purpose flour
- Sugar
- Baking powder & baking soda: Help to create lift for fluffy pancakes.
- Salt
- Buttermilk: Provides that signature tang that makes buttermilk pancakes so good! If you don’t have buttermilk at home, you can use the substitution mentioned above and in my recipe card instead. To be honest, I often use this substitution myself.
- Butter: melted butter is mixed into the batter + more is used for greasing the pan/griddle.
- Vanilla extract
- Eggs: In my recipe, you will use 2 whole egg but the egg yolks and whites are separated. This is one of my tricks for creating the fluffiest pancakes. The egg whites get whipped until they form stiff peaks and then get folded into the pancake batter. This helps create the ultimate pancakes! Room temperature eggs are preferable.
Note: Ingredient quantities and full instructions are in the recipe card at the end of this post.
How to Make Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes
- Separate the eggs: In two bowls, separate the egg yolks and the egg whites. Set aside. (I recommend using a medium bowl for the egg whites to allow you to whip them up easily).
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, make the dry mix combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and whisk together.
- Add the wet ingredients: To the dry ingredients, add the buttermilk, melted butter, vanilla extract and egg yolks. Whisk them together to form a batter.
- Whip the egg whites: In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. [I use a hand mixer for this as it is quicker and easier but it can be done by hand.]
- Fold them in: Gently fold the egg whites into the buttermilk mixture until incorporated. Be gentle when folding them in so as not to deflate them. [The egg whites help achieve thick, fluffy pancakes.]
- Cook: Heat a griddle or pan at medium heat and add a bit of butter to prevent sticking. Pour batter (about 1/3 cup-1/2 cup batter for each pancake) onto the hot griddle or pan. Cook for a couple of minutes on the first side until bubbles begin to form and then flip the pancakes and cook for another couple of minutes. If you find your pancakes are browning too quickly and raw in the middle, reduce the temperature to medium-low heat.
Tips for making the perfect fluffy pancakes
- Whip your egg whites separately. One of the reasons I make my pancakes by separating the egg whites is because by whipping them separately, you are able to add significant lift to your pancakes. The batter, and therefore the pancake, becomes lighter and fluffier as a result of this step.
- Don’t over mix your batter. As with most batters, over mixing will produce denser results. Mix only until the ingredients are incorporated and then let it be.
- Cook them gently. As tempting as it is to crank up the heat and cook up that stack faster, it won’t produce the best results. More likely, you’ll end up with pancakes that are burning on the outside while the inside is still raw batter. I cook mine on medium heat and adjust the temperature as needed while they cook.
- Look for bubbles before flipping. The trick to knowing when to flip your pancake is to watch for the bubbles that form on the batter. Once I see a few bubbles form and then pop, I know its time to flip and cook the other side.
- Want crispy, golden brown edges on your pancakes? Use lots of butter in your pan. I know people are divided on this topic- some like crispy edges on their pancakes and others don’t. I LOVE a crispy edge and pretty much consider a pancake that doesn’t have them a failure. If you’re like me, the way to getting those crispy edges comes down to the butter in your pan. For the crispiest edges I use a pan, not a griddle and add a good dollop of butter to it. Once the butter is melted and sizzling, I add my batter to it. The butter sizzling along those edges helps to crisp them up. If you don’t want crispy edges, use just a little butter (enough to prevent sticking) or a cooking spray instead.
Storing leftover pancakes and reheating
Once cooled, leftover pancakes can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. To reheat them, you can place them on a baking sheet and warm through in the oven at 325F. You can also warm these up on on the stove top over low heat to prevent them from burning before heating through.
Toppings and Mix-in Ideas
In all honestly, I am a simple girl when it comes to buttermilk pancakes. I have no qualms about eating a stack with only a pat of butter because the flavour is so good as it is. I often don’t even add syrup. Some fresh fruit on top or on the side is also a personal favourite.
In addition to serving these up with a pat of butter, maple syrup is another favourite topping as are fruit compotes and syrups (My Strawberry Syrup recipe which I shared in my Lemon Ricotta Pancakes post is so delicious on these)! Spreading on some peanut butter and topping with sliced bananas is another favourite!
My husband especially loves mixing things right into the batter itself. Some of our favourite mix-ins include chocolate chips and blueberries.
Whatever you add to your pancakes, they’re sure to be delicious. This made form scratch homemade pancakes recipe is the perfect pancake recipe as far as I am concerned. It is one of my absolute favourite buttermilk pancake recipe and I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!
-Cathy
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Sheet Pan Pancakes
Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Strawberry Syrup
Chocolate Chip Ricotta Pancakes
Chocolate Orange Pancakes
Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk*
- 2 tablespoons butter melted, + more for greasing the pan
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs egg yolks and whites separated
Instructions
- In two bowls, separate the egg yolks and the egg whites. Set aside. (I recommend using a medium bowl for the egg whites to allow you to whip them up easily).
- In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and whisk together.
- To the dry ingredients, add the buttermilk, melted butter, vanilla extract and egg yolks. Whisk them together to form a batter.
- In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. [I use a hand mixer for this as it is quicker and easier but it can be done by hand.]
- Gently fold the egg whites into the pancake batter until incorporated. Be gentle when folding them in so as not to deflate them. [The egg whites help achieve thick, fluffy pancakes.]
- Heat a griddle or pan at medium heat and add a bit of butter to prevent sticking. Pour about 1/3 cup-1/2 cup of batter for each pancake. Cook for a couple of minutes on one side until bubbles begin to form and then flip the pancakes and cook for another couple of minutes.
Notes
Note: Metric ingredient measurements are provided as a courtesy using a third-party calculator and are rounded to the nearest unit. The recipes provided on this site have not been tested with metric measurements and their accuracy cannot be verified.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is based on third-party calculations and is an estimate only. Accurate nutritional facts will vary based on the particular brands used, portion sizes, measurement accuracy and more.
