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 youโll want to keep on hand!
Letโs talk breakfastโฆ 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 toastโฆ I could go on all day. But probably one of the most iconic breakfast foods is good olโ pancakes!
Now I donโt know about you, but I usually donโt eat much for actual breakfast. A cup of tea and a granola bar or bowl of cereal, and Iโm 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! ๐
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 donโt 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 โ if you donโt 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 thatโs okay. Stir and use in the recipe.
- Regular milk โ 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 โ you can omit the vanilla/cinnamon if youโre not a fan, but alternately, you could try adding some lemon juice (especially if youโll 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 wonโt puff up. To test your baking powder, add a bit to hot water. If it bubbles and fizzes, youโre good to go! However, if your baking powder is older than 6 months, itโs 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 doesnโt 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 wonโt rise and turn into fluffy goodness.
Freezing
If you end up with way too many pancakes leftover, you can freeze them!
Just make sure theyโve 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.
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 doesnโt provide full nutritional information for recipes as there is a potential for error and we wouldnโt want to potentially and/or unknowingly pass along incorrect information.
Wayne says
I love these pancakes! They look so very fluffy and delicious ๐
Nicole says
I made with the suggestion of 1 cup milk + 1tsp vinegar because I didn’t have buttermilk on hand. They turned out very runny (but still good). Any suggestions?
Thank you
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Nicole ๐ I’m glad you still found them tasty, but I’m sorry they were runny! Did you halve the recipe or make any other changes? We make these pancakes all the time without any problems. My only suggestion is that due to using the milk + vinegar instead of buttermilk, it just caused the batter to be slightly thinner than usual… since buttermilk is generally fairly thick. The milk + vinegar is a great substitute for the flavor, although it is thinner.
Stevie Wilde says
I’m confused… When you say 4 servings, if you’re serving 4 people, how many pancakes is that for each person?
One? Two? Four? It’s not clear….
I need to know so I don’t end up with way, way, waaaay too many… ?
Sincerely,
The Girl with a Thousand Names
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Stevie ๐ I believe it makes enough for about 3 pancakes per person, but your mileage may vary. If you end up with too many, you can always freeze the leftovers and then pop them in the microwave when you want to reheat them ๐
Valerie says
We thought these tasted like French Toast – pancake style! Very good. Had them for dinner ๐
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Valerie!! So happy to hear you loved them ๐ Breakfast for dinner is amazing ๐
Diane Woods says
I tried these yesterday and they are my new favorite breakfast! I have a quick question about freezing. I froze them already, but I was wondering how I should thaw them out to eat them. Do I put them in the microwave for a certain amount of time? This is my first time freezing anything that isn’t ice cream or pizza LOL Thank you so much your help (and this delicious recipe)!
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Diane ๐ I am SO happy you loved the pancakes!! I like to set out the portion I’ll be eating at room temperature while I make my coffee (so just a few minutes to take the chill off), then microwave them in 10 second intervals until they’re nice and warmed through ๐
Vivian F. says
These are the best pancakes I’ve ever had-just the right amount of cinnamon and vanilla. They hardly need any syrup which is nice!
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Vivian ๐ I am SO happy you loved the pancakes!!
Alicia Null says
I will never make another pancake recipe- these were that GOOD!! Thank you!
The Chunky Chef says
Oh my goodness Alicia, I’m SO glad you loved them!! ๐
Alliya says
This is quite a good recipe. Just made it. I never thought of adding nutmeg to pancake batter. Genius!!! Such wonderful flavour. Thanks much. Post dental work soft food.
The Chunky Chef says
I’m SO happy that you loved it Alliya!! ๐
Mandi says
i just made these, and they’re fab! No buttermilk, so I used skim milk and a big spoon of natural yoghurt for the tang, and as I only have a wok at the moment as far as stove cooking goes (ikea is out of stock of frying pans), I cooked these in an electric jaffle iron! 1/4C mix per triangle well, and 2 heat cycles per batch, I’ve made a ton! I actually don’t have the number, we’ve been eating and cooking at the same time. Easy to make, yummo!
The Chunky Chef says
I’m SO happy to hear this Mandi!! You made some great substitutions ๐
Estella says
The ingredient list includes baking soda but the recipe does not include baking soda. Should the recipe include baking soda?
The Chunky Chef says
You’re absolutely right… the baking soda is added with the other dry ingredients! I entered it that way, but it looks like it didn’t save… that’s embarrassing :/ I think I’ve fixed it now!
Shelly says
These were great! Compliments from the whole table. I didn’t have buttermilk on hand (and my powdered buttermilk was old) so I did the trick with 1 cup 1%milk + 1 T vinegar and it worked fine. The batter rose like crazy after I let it sit for awhile and the pancakes cooked up nice and fluffy with good texture. The only thing I would do differently next time is to whisk the cinnamon in with the dry ingredients instead of the wet: I had to use a spatula to scrape off all the cinnamon that was stuck to the inside of the wet measuring cup after I poured it into the dry ingredients. Thanks for sharing!
The Chunky Chef says
Thanks for the good tip about the cinnamon ๐ I’m SO glad everyone loved them Shelly!!
Janie says
These are AMAZING! Thank you for posting this recipe! My husband usually hates pancakes, but he adores these. We make them every Saturday with Chocolate chips mixed in the batter and sliced Strawberries with whipped cream on top.
The Chunky Chef says
I’m SO glad you all love the pancakes!! Comments like yours just make my day Janie ๐
Liz Darakorn says
Not happy with recipe. Didn’t turn out the way it was described. I followed the recipe to the T. The end result of the batter was not runny had to use my spoon o flatten. I put it on the griddle for about 5 min on med to low and the inside was chewy not cooked! Didn’t taste great either. I don’t know what went wrong! So sad I spent my morning trying to figure it out!
The Chunky Chef says
I’m so sorry you didn’t like the recipe Liz… I know how frustrating it can be to spend time and not get a result you wanted! As I’m not there watching and cooking with you, I can’t say for sure what went wrong. Many many people have tried and loved the recipe, so I’m not sure what happened. My first thought was maybe that the batter was mixed too much. That will result in a chewy, non-fluffy pancake. The batter for this isn’t supposed to be runny, that’s why I said I use my measuring scoop to smooth out the batter into a circle. Again, sorry it didn’t work out for you!
Whitley says
Is there anyway to make these without buttermilk/ homemade buttermilk? I just don’t have it on hand!
The Chunky Chef says
I’ve never made pancakes from scratch without milk of some kind, but I did find this recipe online http://www.cooks.com/recipe/i32an4bf/milkless-pancakes-from-scratch.html
You could add vanilla and cinnamon to that and see how it turns out ๐ Like I said, I can’t vouch that they’ll turn out well, but it might be worth a shot!
Rachel says
These are by far the BEST pancakes EVER!!!! We eat them without syrup and they taste like candy! Absolutely delish!!!!!!!
The Chunky Chef says
Thank you so much Rachel!! I’m SO glad you love them ๐
Mari says
yum! Can the batter be refrigerated overnight?
The Chunky Chef says
Thanks Mari!! I’ve never kept it overnight, but I think it would be alright as long as you kept it covered in the refrigerator ๐
Mari says
I love all things vanilla! I’ll be making these for breakfast tomorrow ๐ Can’t wait to try them out!
The Chunky Chef says
Oh I hope you LOVE them ๐
Debbie (The Jersey Momma) says
I made these this morning and they were delicious!! I left out the cinnamon and added blueberries. They tasted like restaurant pancakes! Even my seven year old said “These are really good pancakes!” That says a lot coming from him!! Thanks for another great recipe!
The Chunky Chef says
Awwww that’s awesome Debbie!! I’m SO glad you loved them… the blueberries were fantastic, I’m sure ๐ I so know what you mean about kiddos not usually complimenting food… my daughter hardly says anything, so when she tells me she likes it, it’s a BIG deal ๐
Kim @ The Baking ChocolaTess says
Love pancakes, these looks divine ! Thanks for sharing. Visiting from Foodie Friends Link Party!
The Chunky Chef says
Thank you Kim! I can never get enough pancakes ๐
Sarah says
Your pancakes look awesome! So so good!
The Chunky Chef says
Thank you so much Sarah!! ๐
Carlee @cookingwithcarlee says
Yum! We love trying different versions of pancakes and these look delicious!
The Chunky Chef says
Thank you Carlee!! I hope you give these a try and love them ๐