The Best Homemade Buttermilk Pancakes! Pancakes are the hero of breakfast food. They signify wholesomeness in each delicious, fluffy bite. There are many variations of homemade pancake recipes, and even Sheet Pan Pancakes!
Nothing beats homemade buttermilk pancakes for breakfast. So, skip the lines at IHOP this weekend and make your own fluffy homemade pancakes from scratch.
Buttermilk Pancakes
Fresh buttermilk is the secret ingredient for light and fluffy cakes in this buttermilk pancake recipe.
What is Buttermilk?
Traditionally, buttermilk was the thin, non-fat liquid left in the churn after making butter. Nowadays, buttermilk is cultured milk. It’s like natural yogurt and kefir. Today, dairies inoculate pasteurized milk with bacteria cultures. This is what transforms it into the buttermilk.
Why Use Buttermilk in Baking?
Buttermilk brings beautiful flavor and tenderness to sweet and savory recipes. It’s highly acidic. The acidity in buttermilk is what gives baked goods its flakey, light texture. Buttermilk keeps baked goods moist and adds a pleasing, subtle tang to pastries. Use buttermilk in pastry recipes like biscuits, cakes, pancakes, waffles, and quick bread. Additionally, buttermilk is great in fried chicken, salad dressings, mashed potatoes, and more.
Can You Use Buttermilk Substitute?
Store-bought buttermilk is thicker and more acidic than traditional buttermilk. Although you can use a homemade substitute, the results can vary. Stick with store-bought buttermilk for recipes that depend on precise leavening. Recipes that call for buttermilk include baking soda as part of the leavening. Never substitute the baking soda! The baking soda balances the acidity in the commercial buttermilk.
Buttermilk Substitutes
Don’t have any buttermilk? Here are buttermilk substitutes you can use in place of real buttermilk. These substitutes will make a substitute for buttermilk equal to one cup. You will need to double it to make buttermilk pancake recipe.
- Mix together equal parts plain Greek yogurt and water.
- Add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to enough regular milk to measure 1 cup. Stir, then let stand for 5 minutes.
- 1-3/4 teaspoons cream of tartar plus 1 cup milk
- Mix together equal parts sour cream and water.
Homemade Pancakes Mix-ins
Buttermilk pancakes taste great with flavorful mix-ins. Try mixing in some of these delicious ingredients for an extra special kick:
- Chocolate chips
- Fresh blueberries
- Fresh strawberries
- Lemon zest and poppy seeds
- Shredded coconut
- Chopped nuts
- Dried fruit
- Cranberries and orange zest
Homemade Buttermilk Pancakes
Ingredients
- 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter or vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract optional
Instructions
- Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk, butter or oil, and vanilla.
- Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, gently stir until all traces of the dry ingredients disappear. There will be small lumps.
- Let the batter rest for 15 minutes.
- While the batter rests, heat a large skillet over medium-heat or preheat an electric griddle to 350°F.
- Lightly grease the pan with butter or vegetable oil.
- Spoon 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto the hot surface.
- Cook the pancakes until small bubbles form on the tops and bottoms are light brown (about 1 to 2 minutes).
- Flip and cook another 1 to 2 minutes until the bottoms are brown.
- Serve with butter and pure maple syrup.
- Freeze leftover pancakes on a baking sheet. When you are ready to use, reheat them in a 250°F oven.
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Thank you for this recipe! My family and I loved them. So delicious! I made these this morning for my family after redeeming myself from the Bisquik attempt on last weekend.
Best pancakes I’ve ever made!