Buttermilk Pancakes

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Homemade Buttermilk Pancakes are something everyone needs to have on hand for a fast and delicious breakfast to feed the whole family. This recipe is simple and scrumptious.

Does your family love pancakes? Add these Cottage Cheese Pancakes to your menu alongside our fruit-filled Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes!

Stack of Buttermilk Pancakes topped with berries and syrup

Table Of Contents

Recipe Details
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
Add-ins and Substitutions
How to Make Buttermilk Pancakes
Recipe Tips
FAQs
Serving Suggestions
Make This Recipe in Advance
More Yummy Breakfast Dishes!
Full Recipe Instructions

Recipe Details

What better way to start the day than a stack of fluffy homemade Buttermilk Pancakes. This recipe is very quick to whip up and tastes so much better than the store-bought mixes.

TASTE: Sweet and a little tangy from the buttermilk, this breakfast dish is so tasty.
TEXTURE: These Buttermilk Pancakes are fluffy, soft, and tender. They get the most wonderful crispness to the outside while inside is nice and airy.
TIME: This dish takes just 15 minutes.
EASE: This recipe is so simple. You can make it with just a few kitchen staples.

What You’ll Need

Ingredients for Buttermilk Pancakes: flour, sugar, buttermilk, butter, baking powder, salt, and egg.

Ingredient Notes

Flour- All-purpose flour is the base for these Buttermilk Pancakes.
Sugar- This adds the sweetness
Egg- This ingredient acts as a binder as well as gives these pancakes some fluffiness.
Buttermilk– This gives them that deliciously tangy flavor and makes them extra fluffy. You can buy it or make your own.
Butter- Butter helps the pancakes get a golden brown, light crisp on the outside.
Baking Powder– This ingredient is a leavening agent so it will cause the pancakes to get nice and fluffy.
Salt- This adds contrast to the sweetness, enhancing it.

Add-ins and Substitutions

Make them allergen-friendly- Substitute gluten-free baking flour and plant-based buttermilk and butter in this recipe.
Add extracts- Change up the flavors by adding vanilla extract, or caramel, cake batter, orange, or lemon.
Make them fruity- Make these Buttermilk Pancakes with some fresh blueberries, chopped strawberries, or bananas slices in the batter.
Add toppings- You can’t go wrong with a drizzle of chocolate ganache, spread of Nutella, handful of fresh berries, or a dollop of chantilly cream on top.

How to Make Buttermilk Pancakes

Sift the dry ingredients. Sift the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar into a bowl and mix with a whisk.
Add the egg. Make a slight indent in the middle of the dry ingredients using your fist. Then crack the egg into the middle.
Add the butter and buttermilk. Lightly whisk the egg and add the melted butter and buttermilk. Mix until well blended.

Steps to make Buttermilk Pancakes: sift the dry ingredients, whisk in the egg and buttermilk.

Cook them. Scoop out 1/4 cup of the batter and pour it onto a greased pan or griddle and cook for about 1-2 minutes over medium heat. Flip. Serve warm.

Pro Tip: A good way to know when your pancake is ready to flip is when you see bubbles form at the top of the unflipped pancake.

Steps to make Buttermilk Pancakes: combine the ingredients and then cook the batter on a griddle.

Recipe Tips

Make your own buttermilk- If you haven’t got buttermilk, make your own by combining 1 1/2 cups of milk with 1 1/2 tablespoons of vinegar and letting it sit for 5 minutes.
Don’t overwork the batter- Only mix the batter as much as needed to combine it. Overworking the batter will cause the pancakes to be flat and dense.
Flip when you see bubbles- Make sure there are a number of bubbles and the pancake easily lifts from the skillet before flipping it. You’re looking for a golden brown color.
Cool them properly- Place the pancakes on a cooling rack if they won’t be eaten right away. This allows the steam to disperse so the bottom doesn’t get soggy, as it would sitting on a plate.

A stack of Buttermilk Pancakes topped with syrup and berries, a portion cut out.

FAQs

What does buttermilk do to pancakes?

The acid in the buttermilk helps enhance the baking powder or baking soda, making the pancakes extra fluffy. It also breaks down the gluten so the crumbs are fine and tender. And don’t forget the distinct tangy flavor it adds.

Should you leave pancake batter to rest?

You don’t have to, but when you allow the pancake batter to rest for 30 minutes or so, the liquids absorb and the pancakes come out fluffier and lighter.

Serving Suggestions

These simple yet delicious Buttermilk Pancakes go with everything. Here are some great ways to serve them.

Eggs: Serve these alongside Eggs Benedict, Bacon and Hash Brown Quiche, Easy Poached Eggs with Caramelized Onions, or Quiche Lorraine.
Meats: Pair these sweet Buttermilk Pancakes with some Crispy Air Fryer Bacon, sausage links, ham, or Buttermilk Biscuits with Sausage Gravy.
Smoothies: Enjoy them with a nice cold smoothie, like this Mandarin Banana Smoothie, Blueberry Smoothie Bowl, or Acai Bowl.
Coffee: Serve then with a Pumpkin Spice Latte, Caramel Frappuccino (Starbucks Copycat), or Iced Caramel Macchiato.

Stack of cut Buttermilk Pancakes speared on a fork

Make This Recipe in Advance

Make ahead: You can make this batter the night before and store it in the fridge and cook them in the morning. Or you can make these pancakes and then let them cool before storing in the fridge or freezer.

Storing: Store these Buttermilk Pancakes in an airtight container or ziplock bag in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. They can be reheated on the stovetop or in the microwave.

Freeze: Allow the pancakes to cook fully before placing them in a freezer-safe container, with wax paper in between layers. They can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

More Yummy Breakfast Dishes!

This recipe was originally posted March 16, 2015, we’ve tweaked it a bit since then. This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Full Recipe Instructions