Buttermilk Pancakes

Published June 9, 2017. Updated May 11, 2021

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The BEST Buttermilk Pancake recipe! They’re perfectly soft and fluffy, and I’ve yet to meet someone who doesn’t love them. This is one of our favorite breakfasts that we make again and again. Destined to be a favorite in your home too!

Maple syrup being poured over a tall stack of pancakes with a dab of butter on top. Pancakes are sitting on a large white plate on a marble surface, background is black.

Homemade Buttermilk Pancakes

This is what breakfast is all about!! I’ve been making buttermilk pancakes from scratch for about 15 years (several times each month), so hopefully by now I’ve gotten things figured out.

Buttermilk Pancakes Video

It was one of the first things I learned how to cook when I was a teenager. I was raised in a home where we always used pancake mix. Even on holidays. Yikes.

So when I learned how to make homemade buttermilk pancakes from scratch it was pretty much life changing.

I guess we just didn’t know what we were missing out on until we tried the real deal. And now I’ll never look back, it’s homemade pancakes for life.

Homemade pancakes are just too easy and there’s just no comparison. Buttermilk pancakes are one of the all-time best comfort foods!

These are the ratios and method I’ve found works best. I hope you fall in love with these too!

Three buttermilk pancakes on a large white plate dotted with slabs of butter and drizzled with maple syrup. Included on the side are scrambled eggs and fresh fruit.

Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes Ingredients

  • All-purpose flour
  • Granulated sugar
  • Baking powder and baking soda
  • Salt
  • Eggs
  • Buttermilk
  • Unsalted butter and oil for griddle

How to Make Buttermilk Pancakes From Scratch

  • Preheat cooking equipment.
  • Whisk dry ingredients and make a well in center.
  • Separately whisk eggs. Mix in buttermilk and and melted butter.
  • Pour buttermilk mixture into flour mixture and whisk just until combined.
  • Grease griddle and ladle on batter in 1/3 cup portions.
  • Cook until golden brown on bottom then flip and cook opposite side until golden brown.
  • Serve warm!

Close up image of buttermilk pancakes with perfect golden brown edges, maple syrup and butter.

What Cooking Equipment Should I Use?

I’ve listed several ways to cook the pancakes, there are benefits to each.

  • Cast iron gives such a nice crisp golden edge (but it can be a little temperamental and more tricky to work with. Pretty easy to get used to though).
  • A skillet seems to cook the homemade buttermilk pancakes the most even, but the only drawback is you can’t fit that many.
  • And an electric griddle can fit a bunch at once and it doesn’t use up stove-top space (I love my BIG electric griddle). You just don’t get those nicely browned edges with this method though.

Try out each and see what is your favorite or use what you have.

Can I Use a Buttermilk Substitute?

I’ve tried using the lemon/vinegar + milk substitute here and it doesn’t work very well. The consistency is a bit different and flavor so I definitely recommend sticking with real buttermilk.

Then use what’s left to make buttermilk biscuits or cake.

How to Warm Pancakes

Unless you have multiple griddles chances are you won’t get them all cooked at once. To keep them warm you can keep in a preheated 200 degree oven on a cookie sheet.

Three buttermilk pancakes on a large white blueberries, strawberries and a side of eggs.

My Favorite Pancake Toppings

I love to top these fluffy buttermilk pancakes with:

What Pancake Sides Should I Serve?

Serve them up with scrambled eggs or omelets, breakfast potatoes or hash browns, oven cooked bacon or breakfast sausage, fresh fruit, and juice or milk.

Tips for the Best Buttermilk Pancakes

  • Don’t over-mix the batter! With pancakes, the batter should be a bit lumpy. If over-mixed, the pancakes come out flat.
  • Try blueberries in the pancakes. I like to dot them on after ladling on the griddle (before flipping).
  • Plan on two per person because they are 100% irresistible!
  • If using butter, melt it immediately before ladling pancakes on or it burns. Or use oil, it won’t burn as easily.

Stack of pancakes on a plate. Syrup is being poured over the top.

More Homemade Pancake Recipes You’ll Love:

More Buttermilk Recipes to Try:

16 Quick & Easy 30 Minute Recipes! (plus weekly recipe updates)

5 from 18 votes

The Best Buttermilk Pancakes

The ultimate buttermilk pancakes! They're soft and fluffy, buttery, moist and tender and just perfectly flavorful. This is homestyle comfort food everyone will love any day of the year, and any time of day!
Servings: 13 pancakes
Prep15 minutes
Cook15 minutes
Ready in: 30 minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

  • If using a cast iron griddle to cook pancakes preheat it over a gas stove to about medium heat (larger burner medium, smaller burner medium-high, adjust as needed when cooking pancakes). 
  • If using an electric griddle to cook pancakes preheat it to 375 degrees.
  • If using non-stick skillets you'll want to have at least two. Skillets will only need to preheat for a minute or two, so wait to warm them until batter is almost ready.
  • In a large mixing bowl whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt for 20 seconds, create a well in center of mixture. Set aside.
  • In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs. Pour in buttermilk and and melted butter and whisk to blend (butter may separate and that's fine). 
  • Pour buttermilk mixture into flour mixture and whisk just until combined (batter should be rather lumpy. Don't over-mix or pancakes won't be fluffy). 
  • Grease griddle with oil or butter right before adding batter (if using cast iron use vegetable oil) and ladle about a slightly heaping 1/3 cup batter at a time into griddle. 
  • Allow to cook until golden on bottom, then flip and cook opposite side until golden. Serve warm with maple syrup.

Notes

  1. If you like pancakes a bit thicker use the scoop and level method to measure flour for slightly thinner pancakes use the spoon and level method to measure flour.
  2. Use real buttermilk for best results. Don't use the buttermilk substitute (of milk + lemon/vinegar) here. 
  3. Try them with fresh blueberries too. Dot onto batter after ladling onto griddle before flipping.
  4. Try them with different syrups. My favorites are homemade blueberry, strawberry or buttermilk (see notes in post above for recipes).
Nutrition Facts
The Best Buttermilk Pancakes
Amount Per Serving
Calories 147 Calories from Fat 45
% Daily Value*
Fat 5g8%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Cholesterol 39mg13%
Sodium 290mg13%
Potassium 169mg5%
Carbohydrates 19g6%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 220IU4%
Calcium 94mg9%
Iron 1.1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition values are estimates only. See full disclaimer here.
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