Fluffy, homemade Buttermilk Pancakes are the perfect breakfast. These pancakes are super soft and airy inside and with a beautifully buttery crisp edge. After trying this recipe, you won’t want the pre-made mix again. The best part is that they are so quick and easy to make (done in under 30 minutes).
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Tired of storebought pancakes that taste like cardboard? Homemade pancakes are better in every way, from Banana Pancakes to Overnight Sourdough Pancakes, protein-rich Ricotta Pancakes, and Cottage Cheese Pancakes, and, of course, Classic Buttermilk Pancakes are at the top of my list.
My mother-in-law shared this recipe with me early on in our marriage, and we’ve been making it for years. Making pancakes from scratch always gets two thumbs up from everyone in the family.
Buttermilk Pancakes Video
Watch Natasha make this Pancake Recipe and see how easy it is to ditch the mix to make them at home. Now, go forth and cook up your new favorite pancakes.
Helpful Reader Reviews
“So easy and so delicious!! I’ve been looking for a recipe that makes pancakes that have the same taste and consistency as my favorite breakfast restaurants and these match that. Thanks for sharing!!” – Noell ★★★★
“I just made those pancakes last night, and I really have to say that they are amazing!! I didn’t have buttermilk, so I substituted it with plain milk and Greek yogurt (half of each) and they came out G R E A T!!! Half the batch was vanished right away last night, drizzled with honey, and I grabbed some of them with Nutella this morning! Thank you for a great recipe!! – Noppy ★★★★★
Ingredients for the Best Pancakes
It only takes a few minutes to make the pancake batter using the secret ingredient (ok, it’s in the name, so not so secret): Buttermilk! They taste better than any box mix–just like your favorite restaurant (I think the texture is even better).
- Flour – I recommend using all-purpose flour for the right batter consistency
- Sugar – granulated sugar isn’t just to make the pancakes sweeter. It helps with the browning.
- Baking powder & baking soda – combining both leavenings gives these amazing rise and lightness. Buttermilk activates the baking soda to make the pancakes extra fluffy.
- Buttermilk – adds a wonderful tang to add depth of flavor and activates baking soda to give the pancakes a lift.
- Eggs – use large eggs. They can be straight out of the refrigerator.
- Vanilla extract – adds a nice flavor and aroma. Homemade vanilla is even better!
- Butter – melted and whisked in at the end to add richness and moisture to the pancakes.
Substitutions for Buttermilk
If you’re in a pinch and don’t have buttermilk, try these substitutes:
- Vinegar or Lemon Juice + Milk – replace 2 Tbsp out of 2 cups of milk with vinegar or lemon juice and let it sit for 10 minutes to curdle. Homemade buttermilk is thinner than regular buttermilk, so use 2 cups of buttermilk substitute in this recipe.
- Yogurt + Milk – Combine equal parts of plain or Greek yogurt with milk to substitute.
- Kefir + Water – this is slightly thicker than buttermilk so combine 2 cups kefir and 1/4 cup water.
- Buttermilk powder – following the package directions, it will be thinner than regular buttermilk, so use 2 cups.
How to Make Buttermilk Pancakes
This homemade buttermilk pancake recipe takes moments to mix together and creates such fluffy, delicious pancakes. You’ll never go back to the box mix!
- Dry Ingredients – in a large mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, soda and salt.
- Wet Ingredients – in a second bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla. Then, pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just moistened. There may be lumps, but that’s ok. You want to avoid overmixing the batter, which makes the pancakes tough.
- Add melted butter – while stirring, add melted butter and whisk just until incorporated. Do not overmix.
- Heat the pan – Preheat a large non-stick pan, cast iron skillet or griddle over medium heat (325 – 350˚F on a griddle). Spray or brush the surface with oil. Optional: preheat the oven to 200°F to keep pancakes warm between batches.
- Cook the pancakes – Drop between a 1/4 cup (2 oz ice cream scoop) to 1/3 of batter onto the hot surface, keeping some space between pancakes for easy flipping. Sautee 2-3 minutes per side. Flip when you see bubbles form and start to pop.
- Keep Warm – once the pancakes are done, remove to a cookie sheet or piece of foil. Place in warm oven while you cook the rest of the batter.
When Do I Flip Pancakes?
Tiny bubbles will form on the surface of your pancake. Wait until you see those bubbles start popping and forming tiny holes on the surface of your pancake then flip. This takes about 3 minutes.
Can I use this batter for waffles?
While they are similar, pancake and waffle batter are not the same. Waffles contain more fat so they get more dense and crispy in the waffle iron. I suggest using my Waffle Recipe for best results.
How to Serve Buttermilk Pancakes
We top them with whichever seasonal fruits we have on hand. You can keep it simple with maple syrup or load on the toppings, along with a side of fluffy Scrambled Eggs and Baked Bacon on special mornings.
- Fresh Fruit – all berries, sliced stone fruit, and bananas
- Butter – a pat of softened butter melts beautifully on warm pancakes, or try Honey Butter
- Syrup – use real maple syrup, Raspberry Maple Syrup, honey, or agave
- Sauce – Strawberry Sauce, Cherry Sauce, Chocolate Ganache or Whipped Cream
- Nuts – chopped toasted nuts or shaved coconut
Storing and Reheating Pancakes
Pancakes are best enjoyed fresh but they do keep and reheat well.
- To Refrigerate: once cooled, stack pancakes with parchment or wax paper between layers to prevent sticking then transfer to an airtight container or zip-top bag and refrigerate for 2-3 days.
- Freezing: Freeze pancakes in a single layer on a baking sheet, then transfer to freezer-safe zip-top bags and freeze for up to 2 months.
- To Reheat: Warm leftover or frozen pancakes on a skillet, in a toaster, in a 350°F oven, or in the air fryer just until heated through.
This easy buttermilk pancake recipe will replace any boxed mix or store-bought pancakes on your regular breakfast rotation. Once you have this basic recipe down, you can change it up to keep breakfast exciting. Try folding in blueberries or mini chocolate chips (my daughter’s favorite!). Let me know what is your favorite topping for pancakes in the comments.
More Breakfast Recipes to Try
If you love these fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes, then you won’t want to miss these top-rated breakfast recipes.
- Dutch Baby
- Homemade Granola
- Easy Crepes
- Breakfast Tacos
- Biscuits and Gravy
- Apple Pancakes
- Breakfast Burritos
- Eggs Benedict
Buttermilk Pancakes Recipe
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
Wet Ingredients:
- 2 1/4 cups low-fat buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- light olive oil, to spray or brush the work surface
Instructions
- Dry Ingredients – In a large mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine.
- Wet Ingredients – In a separate medium mixing bowl, combine buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk until blended. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and whisk everything together by hand until just moistened.
- Add melted butter while whisking gently and mix just until incorporated. The mixture will still be lumpy. DO NOT overmix or your pancakes will be flat.*
- Preheat a large skillet over medium heat, or a griddle between 325-350˚F. Spray or brush the cooking surface with oil. If you plan to keep cooked pancakes warm, preheat the oven to 200˚F.
- Sautee For 4-inch pancakes, add about 1/4 cup or an ice cream scoop, and for 6-inch pancakes, add about 1/3 cup of batter to the skillet for each pancake. Saute about 3 minutes per side. Flip once the pancakes are golden brown on the first side and you see bubbles start to form and pop on the surface.
Notes
- Make Ahead: Pancake batter is best used right away or refrigerated for up to 1 hour. You can also cook the pancakes and keep them warm in a 200˚F oven for up to 45 minutes.
- Storage: Once cooked, pancakes store well wrapped in foil in the fridge for a week, or in a freezer-safe ziptop bag in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- Reheat in the air fryer, a toaster, or a dry skillet just warmed.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
My family always ask me to make them pancakes since I found your recipe. They all love it.
Thank you
Hi Briee! I’m so glad your family enjoys this recipe. 🙂
We LOVE these pancakes! We don’t even need to add syrup to them because they are so good! Quick question, we are trying to cut down our sugar intake. Is it possible to use less sugar with this pancake recipe without changing the taste? If so, what would be the lowest amount of sugar that you would suggest? Thank you for your feedback!
Hi Lorelei! This recipe only uses 2 tablespoons of sugar. The sugar isn’t just to make the pancakes sweeter, it helps with the browning in the pan and crisping up the edges. You could try without or using less to see how you like them.
Just made these. They are very good and are easy to make. I didn’t have buttermilk so I made buttermilk using milk and adding vinegar.
I don’t need to buy pancake mix anymore! And I was a stickler for using the package stuff before.
That’s wonderful, Claudia! Glad you loved the recipe. Thank you for the feedback.
Best pancake recipe yet! I have been trying so many different recipes and this is hands down the best! We have no need to go out to breakfast because this is better than any restaurant in my area. I follow your posts almost everyday. If I’m looking for a recipe I check here first.
Thanks for sharing!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Pam! That’s so great! It sounds like you have a favorite!
Natasha, your recipes always seem to be a hit in our home! This is by far the best buttermilk pancakes ever! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, we appreciate your good feedback!
Cut recipe in half and it was perfect for two people. No leftovers. Thank you
You’re welcome, Diego! Glad that you enjoyed this recipe.
Hi Natasha what is the name brand of the maple syrup? And I love all your recipes!
Hi Bernadete! I use the Kirkland brand from Costco.
Dear Natasha,
How do I replace baking soda with baking powder? I read somewhere that baking soda is 1/3 in baking powder but I feel like multiplying the baking powder by 3 would make it too much.
Thank you
Hi! I have not tested this recipe with just one or the other. Both of these leavenings combined give these pancakes amazing rise and lightness. The baking soda is activated by the buttermilk to make the pancakes extra fluffy. You try and follow the recommended instructions that you found. If you experiment, let us know how it turns out.
1/4 tsp baking soda = 1 tsp baking powder. So if you want to use only baking powder, it would be 4 tsp baking powder in this recipe. (which isn’t that much, since many buttermilk recipes use like 1-2 tablespoons of baking powder (3-6tsp). Also, acidic ingredients (buttermilk in this case) activates baking powder as well. I doubt you will notice much difference in texture. I would suggest giving the batter 5 mins to fluff up before cooking if it didn’t right away-sometimes it takes few minutes. Hope this helps!
Made a double batch for family members this weekend, I added strawberries, blueberries, or chocolate chips upon request. I added a little sugar to the berries, after flipping the cakes, I put a small amount of the ingredient on top to keep track of the order. Kind of like cooks do with an omelet order. Everyone loved em! Thanks Natachia!
Sounds awesome and that’s good that you doubled the recipe! Thank you for sharing that with us.
I happened to have buttermilk after making a Red Velvet cake for a birthday and hated for the container to go to waste so thought I would poke around for an easy buttermilk pancake recipe. I have never made them before and wondered if there would be much difference than a regular pancake mix…wow, my son and I loved them!…saw your Cottage Cheese and Ricotta Cheese (lemon) recipes…love that option and will probably give these a go. Thanks so much for sharing!
So glad to hear that, Becky. You’re welcome.
The BEST! Can’t believe I’m making such fluffy pancakes myself!
I’m so glad you loved them, Catherine! Thank you so much for sharing that with me!
Have now made this recipe a couple of times…absolute awesomeness! Thanks Natasha!
You’re welcome, Frank! So glad that you always love this recipe.
I have made these pancakes. They are the best receipt I have ever used. Thank you.
We are living at the moment in our motor home traveling around both New Zealand’s islands. I have just added butter milk and berries to my shopping list so I can make them again
Robyn
You’re very welcome, Robyn. I’m so glad you enjoyed these.
I have a question, a comment, and a suggestion –
Question: I noticed you placed both eggs into a separate dish and then poured the eggs into the bowl with the buttermilk…doesn’t that just create more dishes to wash later? Or breaking the eggs straight into the buttermilk isn’t an option?
Comment: your recipes are great most of the time.
Suggestion: I’ve noticed you are very “bubbly” in your videos – it makes it hard to concentrate on the recipe you are explaining. Just a suggestion to tone it down a notch.
Thank you!
Hi Dana, in the video, I did mention why I crack them into a separate dish and that’s to ensure the egg shell doesn’t get into the bowl. You are welcome to crack directly into the buttermilk if you prefer.
Thank you for the update can you repost the orignal 2013 recipe or can you put it as a re response to this request thanks
The best way to look at old versions of a recipe is to go to this site and paste the url of the recipe in the search bar. I hope that helps!
Can you substitute whole milk for the buttermilk? Buttermilk is not something I have on hand.
Hi Diane, My sister made them with regular milk and a little vinegar and she said they weren’t as fluffy and good, but still edible. I’d go with buttermilk of you can get it.
Natasha honey, I love your cooking videos. I love it when your husband is in with you and when your children are with you. I’ve tried lots of your recipes. The only one I didn’t like and I’m not sure if it was yours was the Crock-Pot macaroni and cheese. My family liked my original macaroni and cheese the best. But everything else I’ve tried I’ve loved and so have they
No worries, I’m happy to know that you love the recipes that you tried!
I made these for supper two days ago with bacon, sausage and scrambled eggs……..D-LISH-US!
They also reheated nicely the next day. My husband couldn’t stop eating them. This is our new favorite pancake recipe…..and, we’ve tried a few. Thanks, Natasha!🙌
So glad to hear. Thanks, Shirly. I appreciate the review.
I’ve tried many different pancake recipes. But these received raves this morning from my husband and father in law. Definitely a keeper!! I love your recipes. So far all I’ve made have been tried and true!!
So glad you’ve found a new favorite. Thank you so much!
These look delicious.
What brand of oil dispenser/ bottle do you have? I find it difficult to get the one that doesn’t have streaks all over the nozzle. Thanks
Hi Oksana, you can find our favorite kitchen tools in our Amazon Affiliate Shop HERE.
Thanks Natasha, they turned out great. I have now tried several recipes from you and have not had a loser yet! Ron
That’s great to hear, Ron. I hope you’ll love all the recipes that you will try.
Could you please tell me if the regular flour can be replaced with almond flour?
Hi Cristina, I have not tested almond flour to advise what the results would be.