This buttermilk pancakes recipe comes together with a classic batter and a hot, buttered griddle, giving you a tall, fluffy, old-fashioned stack every single time.
Try my homemade blackberry syrup or blueberry syrup for a fruity finish, or my raspberry sauce if you want something a little tart with your pancakes.
Key Takeaways
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 17 pancakes
- Texture: Light, tender, and just slightly tangy
- Difficulty: Easy
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Why I Love This Recipe
I found this recipe tucked inside a cookbook that’s over 50 years old. Back then it was called “buttermilk hot cakes,” but the second I read the ingredient list, I knew exactly what I’d stumbled onto. I copied it down and got to mixing.
The first time I made it, I actually left out the baking powder by accident and the pancakes still turned out great. Then, on the second test I forgot the butter. Again, they were good but I wanted to try them again. When I retested the recipe properly, I found that adding a touch of baking powder alongside the baking soda made an even taller and fluffier So that’s the version I’m sharing with you here.
One thing that really sets this recipe apart is the yield. A single batch makes a generous 17 hearty fluffy pancakes, which is more than most recipes you’ll find. That means you can actually feed a crowd, or make one batch and freeze the extras for busy mornings later in the week. If you’ve been searching for a buttermilk pancake recipe that’s dependable, makes plenty, and tastes like it came straight out of grandma’s kitchen, this is the one.
Ingredient Notes
- Eggs – Beaten first, so they blend smoothly into the buttermilk instead of cooking into little streaks on the griddle.
- Buttermilk – This is the star of the recipe. Its acidity is what activates the baking soda and gives you fluffy buttermilk pancakes. In a pinch, you can stir 2 tablespoons of vinegar or lemon juice into 2 cups of regular milk and let it sit for 5 minutes, but the real thing gives you a better rise and a better tang.
- Baking soda – Reacts with the buttermilk’s acidity to help the pancakes rise.
- All-purpose flour – Sifted together with the salt and sugar so everything distributes evenly through the batter.
- Baking powder – Added after retesting this recipe, baking powder works alongside the baking soda to give you a taller, more consistent rise from batch to batch.
- Salt – Balances the sweetness and brings out the tang of the buttermilk.
- Sugar – Just a touch, for flavor rather than sweetness.
- Butter, melted – Stirred into the batter for richness, and also what you’ll use to prep the griddle or skillet.
Step by Step How to Make Buttermilk Pancakes
Step 1: In a large bowl, combine the beaten eggs, buttermilk, and baking soda. Stir well.
Step 2: In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Add the flour mixture and melted butter to the buttermilk mixture, stirring just until combined.
Step 3: Preheat a heavy-bottomed griddle or iron skillet and brush it with butter. Drop the batter by ¼ cupfuls onto the hot, buttered griddle.
Step 4: Cook until browned on both sides, flipping once. Serve hot.
My Recipe Tips:
- Preheat your heavy-bottomed iron skillet before you start cooking, and brush it with butter to prep it for the pancakes. A hot, well-prepped griddle or skillet is what gives you that golden-brown edge.
- To keep pancakes warm while you finish the rest of the batch, preheat your oven to 200°F and hold the finished pancakes on a baking sheet inside until you’re ready to serve.
- To freeze for later, let pancakes cool on a cooling rack to avoid them sticking together once frozen. Once cooled, store in plastic bags and freeze for up to 3 months. I like to pop them in the toaster on busy mornings for a crispy, fluffy pancake.
- For something a little different, top your stack with whipped cream instead of the usual butter and syrup. My son really loves when I added chocolate chips (I like blueberries) to the pancakes before flipping them. Makes it easy to customize each pancake when everyone in your family loves them a little different.
FAQ
Yes, though I recommend real buttermilk when you can get it. If you’re out, stir 2 tablespoons of vinegar or lemon juice into 2 cups of milk and let it sit for 5 minutes before using.
This almost always comes down to overmixing. Stir the batter just until the flour disappears. A few lumps are fine, and actually a good sign. The more you stir, the tougher and flatter your pancakes will be.
Buttermilk is acidic, and that acidity is what reacts with the baking soda to give these pancakes their lift. It also adds a subtle tang you just don’t get from regular milk, which is part of what makes a true buttermilk pancake taste different from a standard one.
Yes. Let the cooked pancakes cool completely, then layer them with parchment paper in a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to a month. Reheat straight from frozen in the toaster or oven.
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Buttermilk Pancakes
Equipment
- Heavy Bottomed Skillet
Ingredients
- 2 eggs beaten
- 2 Cups buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 ¼ Cup all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- ¼ cup butter melted + more for heated griddle
Instructions
- Mix wet ingredients. In a large bowl, combine the beaten eggs, buttermilk, and baking soda. Stir well.
- Sift dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder.
- Combine batter. Add the flour mixture and 1/4 Cup melted butter to the buttermilk mixture, stirring just until combined.
- Preheat griddle. Preheat a heavy-bottomed griddle or iron skillet to medium heat and brush it with butter.
- Portion batter. Drop the batter by ¼ cupfuls onto the hot, buttered griddle. Turn the heat down if you find your pancakes are browning too quickly.
- Cook pancakes. Cook until browned on both sides, flipping once. Serve hot.
Notes
- Don’t overmix. A few lumps in the batter are fine and will give you a lighter pancake.
- Keep the griddle at medium heat. Too hot and the outside browns before the inside cooks through; too low and you lose that golden color.
- Wait for the bubbles. Flip each pancake once bubbles form across the surface and the edges look set. That’s your cue it’s ready to turn.
- Keep finished pancakes warm in a 200°F oven on a baking sheet while you cook the rest of the batch.
- Freeze extras. Cooled pancakes freeze well for up to a month; reheat straight from frozen in the toaster or oven.
