Once you realize how easy it is to get that delicious, diner-worthy pancake flavor at home with this fluffy pancake recipe, I have a feeling you'll be giving this buttermilk stack the "best pancake recipe" award in no time!
Jump to (scroll for more!):
- The best recipe for so many reasons...
- Ingredient list and lessons for recipe success...
- How to make delicious pancakes from scratch…
- How to make this recipe your own!
- Buttermilk pancakes for two!
- *Expert Tips and Tricks* for making the BEST fluffy buttermilk pancakes…
- Other breakfast sweets you'll love:
- 📖 Full Recipe
- Comments
The best recipe for so many reasons...
Now we all have made our share of buttermilk pancakes in our day, as no weekend brunch is complete otherwise. But, this fluffy pancake recipe has so much going for it, I promise it will put all other buttermilk pancake recipes to shame.
What's so great about it you ask? WELL...
It's a super easy 2 step mix up.
It gives you that homemade pancake freshness with that griddled flavor from your favorite diner.
And you never have to get out of you PJs to enjoy a big stack of these cakes!
Not only does this recipe have the classic flavors we love in all our buttermilk pancake recipes, but it has a super light and fluffy texture you can see when you flip these patties over and watch them instantly puff up before your eyes!
(p.s. if you're looking for a light and fluffy stack with a zesty twist, be sure to check out my Lemon Pancake Recipe with Fresh Lemon Whipped Cream for an equally delicious brunch-ready recipe!)
Ingredient list and lessons for recipe success...
(Pssst…if you're ready to just get baking, get all the details in the recipe card below!)
- baking powder: this give us that puff in the pan and a light and fluffy texture (as well as a little but of that diner flavor which often comes from diner recipes having just a little bit of unreacted leavener)
- baking soda: this helps to add bubbles to the batter right in the bowl and thicken it up so it doesn't spread out too much in our pan
- buttermilk: of course we have buttermilk in a buttermilk pancake recipe! But you can use regular milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice as a substitute. If you'd prefer a sweet pancake, you can also use just regular milk or even a non-dairy milk alternative. Just note that different milks may result in a slightly thicker or thinner batter depending on your selection.
- melted unsalted butter: having melted butter in the batter really helps to add to that griddled flavor and give you those delicious browned butter notes. If you'd like to make this recipe dairy free, you can use oil instead. Alternatively, you can leave the fat out altogether, but just know it will lead to a slightly tougher texture and overall less flavorful pancake. (See our Butter 101 lesson for more on this!)
How to make delicious pancakes from scratch…
(Pssst…if you're ready to just get baking, get all the details in the recipe card below!)
- Blend together the dry ingredients.
- Combine the dries with the wet ingredients.
- Rest the batter while you preheat the pan/griddle.
- Grease your pan and portion your batter to start cooking.
- Flip and cook until golden on both sides.
- Repeat until you have a tall and fluffy stack.
- Serve warm with all the toppings, share and enjoy!
Click here to watch the full recipe tutorial web story!
How to make this recipe your own!
- classic options: add blueberries, add chocolate chips, top with fresh berries, maple syrup, and/or powdered sugar!
- banana pancakes: add chocolate chips, chopped nuts and some sliced bananas on top of your fluffy buttermilk stack for a chunky monkey variation
- spice it up: add some cinnamon and chopped apples to the batter
- funfetti: add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 3 tablespoons rainbow stick sprinkles for a true breakfast celebration
- pancakes for a crowd: feel free to double or triple this recipe if you have a lot of hungry mouths to feed!
Buttermilk pancakes for two!
I sized this recipe to be perfectly portioned for just two or three people.
*Expert Tips and Tricks* for making the BEST fluffy buttermilk pancakes…
What's the TOP TIP for making the best fluffy pancakes?
Be sure to measure the ingredients accurately, and give your batter that 5-10 minutes to rest and thicken up. The thicker batter won't puddle as much on the pan and therefore will lead to thicker and fluffier pancakes.
Of course, you can always adjust your batter as needed to your desired texture by adding a little extra milk if it's too thick, or a little extra flour if it's too fluffy.
By design this recipe is meant to be thick, so you may need to spread it out slightly when you add it to the pan, but again, that helps you end up with a nice and fluffy stack!
Can I make this buttermilk pancake recipe ahead of time?
You certainly can. I recommend enjoying them fresh for the best experience, and you can keep them warm in the oven if preparing them shortly before serving. (See below for fridge/freezer instructions!)
How do you store leftover pancakes?
These pancakes will keep in the fridge, stored airtight, for up to 5 days. You can simply reheat them in the microwave and enjoy!
Can you freeze these pancakes?
Absolutely! While of course, these fluffy buttermilk pancakes will be best served fresh and warm, if you'd like to store a few away for a rainy day, you can freeze them with parchment or waxpaper squares between them (to keep them from sticking together).
How do you thaw out buttermilk pancakes?
Simply place however many you'd like to thaw on a plate and microwave directly from the freezer to enjoy!
Homemade pancake mix for extra convenience...
If you like to have extra leftovers, or would like to make this recipe even more convenient, you can make your own homemade pancake mix by portioning all the dry ingredients out into zip-top bags and keeping them in your cupboard. Then it's just a quick and easy mix up in the morning for delicious homemade pancakes from scratch!
Other breakfast sweets you'll love:
- Cinnamon and Sugar Donut Muffins
- Strawberry Mini Donut Muffins
- Sour Cream Blueberry Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel
- Lemon Pancakes with Fresh Lemon Whipped Cream
- Cinnamon French Toast Pancakes
- Brioche French Toast Casserole with Blueberries
- Cookies and Cream Cinnamon Rolls (with cream cheese icing!)
Here are a few of my other favorite breakfast and brunch recipes...
⭐ If you gave this recipe a try please give it a ⭐ rating and tag me on Instagram @mint.and.mallow.kitchen so I can see what you're baking up! ⭐
📖 Full Recipe
Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup buttermilk (see notes)
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)
Instructions
- Blend dry ingredients: using a medium-sized bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients until well blended.
- Combine with wet ingredients: add in remaining ingredients (buttermilk, egg, and melted butter) and stir everything together using a fork or whisk just until combined with no big lumps of flour remaining (a few small lumps are okay).
- Rest batter and preheat pan: allow the batter to sit and thicken slightly for 10 minutes while you preheat your pan or griddle over medium heat.
- Grease and portion: lightly grease your pan/griddle and pour a scant ¼ cup of batter onto the surface for each pancake, spreading the batter out as needed (this will make about a 4” pancake).
- Flip and cook until golden: cook each pancake for about 1-2 minutes on each side until golden-brown, flipping over only once the edges look set and matte, and the tops start to bubble and lose their shine.
- Repeat until you have a stack: repeat this process with all remaining batter (see notes).
- Serve warm with all the toppings, share and enjoy! Serve warm topped with butter, maple syrup, or fresh berries!
Test Kitchen Tips
- Don't have any buttermilk? Just make some yourself! Before mixing up the batter, combine 1 cup of milk with one tablespoon of lemon juice. Stir them together and allow the milk to sit and sour at room temp for about 10 minutes, then continue with the recipe just as written.
- Keep em' warm: If you’re making a bigger batch, you can preheat your oven for 5-10 minutes to 200°F. Then turn the oven off when you start mixing your batter, and as you finish cooking your pancakes, you can put them on a wire rack on a baking sheet in the oven to keep them warm for service. But make sure you’re oven isn’t too hot or it’ll dry them out!
- Party Pancakes: Do you have an extra festive occasion coming up that requires extra festive pancakes? Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 3 tablespoons rainbow stick sprinkles to make vanilla confetti pancakes that will help any breakfast feel like a celebration!
- Cooking for a crowd? You can feel free to double or triple this recipe to keep your pancake stack growing sky-high and feed as many people as you like.
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