This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our privacy policy.
Buttermilk pancakes are a weekend breakfast classic! Top these fluffy pancakes with maple syrup, your favorite fruit sauce, or even whipped cream for an extra-decadent treat.
Does anyone else have childhood memories of enjoying a stack of pancakes on the weekend?
Maybe your parents added chocolate chips or blueberries. Maybe you topped them with whipped cream. Maybe you dipped them in syrup.
Whatever the details, the experience of sitting down to fresh pancakes as a kid is probably a core memory.
But who said that you have to give up that core memory as an adult? You don’t have to have kids at home to enjoy a big plate of homemade pancakes for breakfast.
I love making Bisquick pancakes and sheet pan pancakes, but sometimes you just gotta have a stack of classic buttermilk pancakes.
WHAT DOES BUTTERMILK DO FOR PANCAKES?
So what exactly is all the fuss about with buttermilk pancakes?
Like we talked about when we made buttermilk drop biscuits, the lactic acid in buttermilk does a couple of important things in baked goods. It helps keep baked goods moist, adds a tangy flavor, and reacts with baking soda for lots of lift.
So what’s that mean for our pancakes? It means that it’ll make the pancakes nice and fluffy!
And after all, who doesn’t love a fluffy pancake?
HOW TO MAKE BUTTERMILK PANCAKES
I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love going out for a big stack of diner pancakes, but sometimes you just want to make breakfast at home.
Thankfully, making homemade buttermilk pancakes is pretty easy!
Ingredients you’ll need
To make these buttermilk pancakes, you will need:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- Additional butter for prepping skillet or griddle
Before you get started, make sure you know how to measure flour correctly. This will help your pancakes turn out perfect every time.
Don’t freak out if you forgot to buy buttermilk at the store. Save yourself a Saturday morning trip and make a simple buttermilk substitute.
And yes – this recipe calls for a full tablespoon of vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste. We want lots of that vanilla flavor in our pancakes!
Making this recipe
Start by making your pancake batter. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk and vanilla. Add this to the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined.
Don’t worry about lumps in the batter right now. Just walk away: let the batter rest for 5-10 minutes while you preheat your cooking surface.
Grab a large skillet or griddle and preheat it over medium heat.
Once your skillet or griddle is hot, add the melted butter to the pancake batter and whisk to incorporate.
Rub some additional butter over the hot skillet or griddle, then use a paper towel to evenly spread the butter across the cooking surface and remove any excess.
You can make your pancakes as large or as small as you like, but I typically like to use a ⅓-cup measuring cup to portion out my buttermilk pancake batter. Whatever size you go with, just make sure you don’t overcrowd your pan.
How do you know when pancakes are done?
If you’ve never made homemade pancakes before, you might be wondering how you know when they’re done cooking. After all, you don’t want the pancakes to be raw on the inside!
My first tip is to keep your heat right around medium. Don’t be tempted to increase the heat – this could make the outsides burn before the insides are done.
When you add the batter to the pan, let the pancakes cook undisturbed until bubbles start to form and burst across the top of the pancakes (the “raw” side). Once you see this happen, it’s time to flip the pancakes.
After flipping, let the pancakes cook for another 1-2 minutes, until the other side is golden brown.
Your buttermilk pancakes are done! Transfer them to a wire rack (pop the rack into a warm oven to keep them warm if you’d like) while you cook the rest of the pancake batter.
TOPPING SUGGESTIONS
Of course maple syrup is the classic buttermilk pancake topping, but there’s no reason to stop there!
Try your favorite fruit sauces: homemade blueberry sauce, raspberry sauce, or strawberry sauce. If you don’t feel like making a fruit sauce, you could use your favorite jam, such as strawberry vanilla jam.
Grab some lemon curd and fresh blueberries or blackberries for a summery version!
Or for a super decadent breakfast treat, reach for hot fudge sauce and some whipped cream.
STORAGE, FREEZING, AND REHEATING
If you have leftover pancakes, you can store them to enjoy later in the week or pop them in the freezer for long-term storage.
Let your buttermilk pancakes cool completely, then place them into an air-tight zip-top bag. You can keep them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To freeze the pancakes, make sure they are completely cool, then place them on a sheet pan. Put the pan into the freezer for about an hour to freeze the pancakes solid.
From there, place the frozen pancakes into a zip-top freezer bag and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Reheating pancakes
When you’re ready to reheat your buttermilk pancakes, there are a few methods you can use:
- Microwave: Place the pancakes in a single layer and microwave for anywhere from 45-60 seconds, depending on your microwave.
- Oven: If you’re reheating a lot of pancakes, place the pancakes on a sheet pan and cover the pan with foil. Bake at 350 just until warmed through.
- Toaster or Toaster Oven: Pop 1 or 2 pancakes into the toaster or toaster oven. You’ll probably want to use a medium-low setting for this, depending on your toaster. Your toaster may even have a setting for reheating frozen foods – that’s a great setting to use here.
Buttermilk Pancakes
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled
- Additional butter for prepping skillet or griddle
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a separate bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla. Add to the dry ingredients and whisk until just barely combined – don’t worry if there are some lumps. Let the batter rest for 5-10 minutes while you preheat your skillet or griddle.
- Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Once the cooking surface is hot and the pancake batter has rested, add the melted butter to the batter, whisking until just combined.
- Rub some butter over the hot cooking surface; use a paper towel to evenly coat the surface and remove excess butter. Use a ⅓-cup measure to add batter to the skillet or griddle – be sure not to overcrowd your pan.
- Let the pancakes cook over medium heat until bubbles start to form and burst on the top side of the pancakes. Flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes, until golden on both sides. Repeat with remaining pancake batter.
- Serve hot.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
