How to Make Buttermilk Pancakes

Fluffy buttermilk pancakes are a staple at any good diner, but they're also easy to whip up at home! To get pancakes that are light and puffy, use baking soda and baking powder that hasn't expired so it reacts properly with the buttermilk. Once you've made a golden short stack, serve your pancakes with softened butter and lots of syrup.

Ingredients

Basic Buttermilk Pancakes

1⅓ cups (160 g) of all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons (36 g) of sugar
1 teaspoon (4 g) of baking powder
1 teaspoon (4 g) of baking soda
1 teaspoon (5.5 g) of kosher salt
2 large eggs
1 ¹⁄₄ cups (300 ml) of buttermilk
2 tablespoons (28 g) of butter, melted
1 teaspoon (4.9 ml) of vanilla or almond extract, optional
Vegetable oil, for the griddle
Maple syrup, for serving

Makes about 8 to 10 pancakes

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Basic Buttermilk Pancakes

1
Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Set a large mixing bowl on your work surface and put in 1⅓ cups (160 g) of all-purpose flour. Add 3 tablespoons (36 g) of sugar, 1 teaspoon (4 g) of baking powder, 1 teaspoon (4 g) of baking soda, and 1 teaspoon (5.5 g) of kosher salt. Then, whisk the dry ingredients for about 10 seconds and set it aside.^{[1]XResearch source}
- If you want to make whole-wheat buttermilk pancakes, use 1 cup (120 g) of all-purpose flour and 1/3 cup (40 g) of whole-wheat flour.
2
Mix the eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, and extract in another bowl. Crack 2 large eggs into a medium-sized mixing bowl and pour in 1 ¹⁄₄ cups (300 ml) of buttermilk along with 2 tablespoons (28 g) of melted butter. If you want to add a subtle flavor, pour in 1 teaspoon (4.9 ml) of vanilla or almond extract. Whisk the wet mixture until the eggs are incorporated.^{[2]XResearch source}
- If you don't have butter, substitute melted margarine, coconut oil, or vegetable oil.
Tip: If you don't have buttermilk, pour 1 ¹⁄₄ cups (300 ml) of milk into a measuring jug and stir in 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of vinegar or lemon juice. Leave the mixture at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes. Then, stir it well and use it in your recipe.
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3
Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until they're combined. Slowly pour the wet mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Whisk the batter until the flour is absorbed, but don't overbeat it or your pancakes will turn out tough.^{[3]XResearch source}
- Stop mixing as soon as the flour is incorporated so you don't overmix the batter. It's fine if the batter has a few tiny lumps.
4
Grease a skillet or griddle with oil and turn the heat to medium. Drizzle about 1 teaspoon (4.9 ml) of vegetable oil over the bottom of a skillet or griddle. Then, turn the burner to medium and leave the skillet or griddle to heat up before you add pancake batter. To test if your pan is ready, dip your fingers in water and flick them onto the pan. The water should sizzle and evaporate immediately. ^{[4]XResearch source}
- Don't use butter to grease your pan since it's more likely to burn.
5
Spoon 1/3 cup (120 g) of batter into the pan for each pancake. Once your skillet or griddle is hot, scoop the buttermilk batter onto the pan. In general, use around 1/3 cup (120 g) of batter for pancakes that are about 5 inches (13 cm) wide. If you want to change the size, add more or less batter. Just leave at least 2 inches (5.1 cm) of space between each pancake so they have room to cook.^{[5]XResearch source}
- If you're using a skillet, you might be able to fit only 1 or 2 pancakes at a time. If you're cooking them on a griddle, you can usually get about 6 pancakes at a time.
6
Cook the pancakes for 3 minutes so they begin to bubble. Watch the surface of the pancakes and look for bubbles to form. These mean that the bottom of the pancakes are cooking.^{[6]XResearch source}
- Avoid flipping them to check how they're cooking since you'll end up with a gooey mess!
7
Flip the pancakes and cook them for 2 more minutes. Use a sturdy flat spatula that's at least half as wide as your pancakes. When the bubbles pop, quickly slide the spatula under a pancake and flip it over. Then, leave the pancakes alone as they cook on the other side. They're finished when both sides are golden brown.^{[7]XResearch source}
- Adjust the burner if you notice the pancakes are getting too dark too quickly. If they're taking too long to cook, you may need to turn the heat up.
8
Serve the pancakes with butter and maple syrup. Transfer the pancakes to serving plates and keep cooking the pancakes in batches. Spread softened butter over your short stack and drizzle it with maple or pancake syrup.^{[8]XResearch source}
- To store leftover pancakes, cool them completely and put them in an airtight container. Refrigerate the buttermilk pancakes for up to 1 day.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Mix-Ins and Toppings

1
Add berries to the pancakes before you flip them if you want a fruity treat. It's easy to make blueberry buttermilk pancakes. Just sprinkle a few spoonfuls of fresh or frozen berries onto the tops of the pancakes after you pour the batter in your pan. You could also scatter fresh fruit over the cooked pancakes. For a fruity change, try any of these in your pancakes:^{[9]XResearch source}
- Raspberries
- Chopped strawberries
- Blackberries
- Diced peaches or mango
2
Put cocoa powder in the batter or add chocolate chips for decadent pancakes. To make rich chocolate buttermilk pancakes, remove 1/4 cup (30 g) of the flour and replace it with 1/4 cup (30 g) of unsweetened cocoa powder when you make the batter. You'll also need to add an extra 1 tablespoon (12 g) of sugar. To make chocolate pancakes that are over-the-top, mix 1/2 cup (90 g) of chocolate chips into the batter.^{[10]XResearch source}
- Use your favorite type of chocolate chips. You could use semisweet, milk chocolate, or white chocolate, for instance.
3
Stir 1/2 cup (50 g) of chopped mixed nuts into the batter for extra crunch. If you want to add some texture and protein to your buttermilk pancakes, stir some nuts into the batter before you cook them. The nuts pair really well with maple syrup. If you don't have mixed nuts, use any of these:^{[11]XResearch source}
- Almonds
- Hazelnuts
- Walnuts
- Pecans
4
Mix 2 teaspoons (4 g) of spices into the pancakes to customize the flavor. Add a touch of pumpkin spice or gingerbread flavor to your buttermilk pancakes. Just stir 2 teaspoons (4 g) of pumpkin spice, mixed spice, or apple pie spice to your batter before cooking the pancakes.^{[12]XResearch source}
- If you don't have pre-mixed spices, use try 1 teaspoon (2 g) of cinnamon with 1/2 teaspoon (1 g) of ground ginger and 1/2 teaspoon (1 g) of nutmeg.
5
Garnish the pancakes with chocolate sauce and whipped cream to make dessert. To make fancy buttermilk pancakes that are perfect for dessert, spoon chocolate sauce over them. Then, squirt a little whipped cream on top just before serving.^{[13]XResearch source}
- For an extra special dessert, set out sprinkles, maraschino cherries, and chopped nuts. Then, let people prepare their own special buttermilk pancakes.
Tip: You can also find fruit sauces near the maple syrup at your grocery store. Try serving the buttermilk pancakes with blueberry, raspberry, strawberry, or boysenberry syrup.
6
Serve the buttermilk pancakes with fried eggs and sausage for a savory meal. Buttermilk pancakes don't have to be sweet! You can easily cook a couple of eggs to go with the pancakes or fry diced bacon or sausage in the skillet before pouring pancake batter onto it. This is a great option if you want meat inside the fluffy pancakes.^{[14]XResearch source}
- Garnish your savory pancake breakfast with shredded cheese, sliced avocado, or freshly chopped herbs.
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Tips

Double the ingredients if you'd like to make a large batch of pancakes.
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It's easy to freeze a batch of pancakes. Store them in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. To defrost them, heat a few in your toaster or microwave.
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