This buttermilk pancake recipe is an easy recipe that makes light and fluffy buttermilk pancakes from scratch. With this quick recipe and a few basic ingredients, you can make homemade pancakes in less than 15 minutes.
We love pancakes around our house because pancakes are kind of magical. So, I’ve tried out all sorts of pancake recipes, but sometimes we just want to make some good ol’ buttermilk pancakes from scratch.
This buttermilk pancake recipes makes pancakes that are light and tender and tangy, so they’re pretty much the perfect pancakes.
“Love!! The pancakes are fluffy perfection. I made them for a birthday brunch and everyone raved about them. Thanks for the recipe!” – Kara
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Buttermilk: If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make an easy substitute with this homemade buttermilk substitute tutorial. Or try my sour cream pancakes instead.
How to make buttermilk pancakes from scratch
Here you’ll find instructions and step-by-step photos showing how to make this recipe. The full recipe is given below.
Step 1: Whisk buttermilk and eggs together in a large bowl.
Step 2: Stir in oil and vanilla until combined.
Step 3: Whisk the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt) together with wet ingredients until just combined (batter may still be a bit lumpy). Do not overmix.
Step 4: Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Grease the skillet using melted butter, oil, or nonstick cooking spray.
Step 5: Using 1/4 cup measuring cup, portion batter mixture onto hot griddle or pan.
Step 6: Cook until edges are set, first side is golden brown, and bubbles on surface are just beginning to break, 2-3 minutes.
Step 7: Flip pancakes with a spatula and continue to cook until second side is golden brown, 1-2 minutes longer.
Recipe Tips!
- Add-ins: You can fold in mix-ins like blueberries or chocolate chips after step 3.
- Fluffy pancakes: For tender, light and fluffy pancakes, it’s important to mix the batter by hand and to avoid overmixing. Overmixing will give you dense, heavy pancakes.
Recipe FAQs
You can! To freeze pancakes, cook as-directed. Let the pancakes cool to room temperature. Place the pancakes in a single layer in a freezer-safe container. To add more than one layer, separate the layers with a sheet of wax paper for easier removal.
You can keep pancakes warm while you continue cooking. Heat your oven to 200F, and, using an oven-safe platter or a baking sheet, place the pancakes in the oven to stay warm.
Avoid overmixing! Using a light touch when mixing will help you have light, fluffy pancakes.
Pancake serving suggestions
Pancakes can be served with a number of toppings. Here are some favorite pancake toppings:
- Butter and maple syrup
- Fruit syrups
- Jams or jellies
- Fruit
- Peanut butter
- Buttermilk syrup
- Powdered sugar
I like to serve bacon, sausage, eggs, or fresh fruit salad along with the pancakes.
More pancake recipes!
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Buttermilk Pancake Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups buttermilk low-fat ok
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Butter, oil, or nonstick cooking spray
Instructions
- Whisk buttermilk and eggs together in a large bowl.4 cups buttermilk, 2 large eggs
- Stir in oil and vanilla until combined.¼ cup vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together until just combined (batter may still be a bit lumpy but shouldn't have large lumps). Do not overmix.3 cups all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
- Grease the skillet using butter, oil, or nonstick cooking spray.Butter, oil, or nonstick cooking spray
- Using ¼ cup measuring cup, portion batter into pan in 4 places.
- Cook until edges are set, first side is golden brown, and bubbles on surface are just beginning to break, 2-3 minutes.
- Flip pancakes and continue to cook until second side is golden brown, 1-2 minutes longer.
Notes
- Buttermilk: If you don’t have any buttermilk, you can make homemade buttermilk substitute.
- Oil: Any neutral oil, like olive oil, canola oil, or vegetable oil, will work.
- Mixing: I recommend mixing the batter by hand to avoid overmixing. Overmixing the batter can cause dense, heavy pancakes.
- Nutrition values are estimates.
Nutrition
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Reader Interactions
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Comments & Reviews
Stina Knelsen says
Those are really good! Thank you very much for sharing!
Kate Dean says
Thank you!
Polly says
I have tried so many pancake mixes and have not liked any of them. I got your recipe recently and made them along with bacon (in the oven). they were delicious, so light and fluffy and tasty. I had fresh blueberries and even warmed up the maple syrup. Can I use the same recipe for waffles?
Kate says
Thank you! I’m so glad that you liked them! My buttermilk waffle recipe is similar but has just a few differences. You can check that recipe out here – https://www.ihearteating.com/easy-buttermilk-waffle-recipe.
Dolores Samora says
Thank you Kate for sharing gonna make these, Yum
Kate says
I hope you like them!
Becca says
Truly the best pancake!
Kate says
Thank you!
Shanna says
I followed the recipe but the pancakes continue to come out undercooked on the inside. I’ve played with the temps and cooking times. Any ideas on what is going wrong? Thank you
Kate says
Hi! How thick are your pancakes when you put them down to cook? If they’re too thick, they may be cooking through in the middle before the outsides are done. If this is the case, you can either thin the batter out with a little more buttermilk, or you can spread out the batter more when you drop in onto your griddle or pan. Hope that helps!
Kara says
Love!! The pancakes are fluffy perfection. I made them for a birthday brunch and everyone raved about them. Thanks for the recipe!
Kate says
Thank you! I’m glad that the pancakes were a hit! Thank you for coming back to comment. =)
Lindsey says
This is a terrific recipes! I wanted to find a recipe to make homemade frozen pancakes for easy breakfasts and this was it. Thank you!
Kate says
Thank you! I’m glad that you liked the pancakes and that the tips were helpful. =) Thanks for commenting!
Jen says
Great recipe! Fluffy and easy to make!