These light and fluffy buttermilk pancakes are so easy to make and turn out perfect every single time. This simple buttermilk pancake recipe is perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dinner. This post also includes several different recipe variations and topping options!

Maple syrup being poured onto a stack of pancakes on an antique white board with strawberries and blackberries surrounding it.

Do you have a favorite breakfast food? Last week I shared my favorite French toast recipe so this week I wanted to share another favorite – these buttermilk pancakes. Originally published in 2018, I’ve updated this recipe with more information and clearer instructions so that you can perfect these simple pancakes right at home. 

Plus, it’s almost the weekend and these buttermilk pancakes would be perfect for an easy breakfast treat. But don’t limit them to breakfast, these are perfect for an easy dinner too! 

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • The batter only takes about 10 minutes to mix together
  • The pancakes are super soft and fluffy
  • Tastes better than anything you can buy in a box at the store
  • You can easily scale down the recipe to make a smaller batch

Don’t have any buttermilk on hand or need to freeze your pancakes? I’ve included instructions for how to do both as well as a few different ways to change up the recipe too!

The dry ingredients for buttermilk pancakes mixed together in a white speckled clay bowl.

How To Make Buttermilk Pancakes From Scratch

To make this buttermilk pancake recipe, you’ll start out by heating a skillet or griddle to medium heat. Then, you’ll whisk together your dry ingredients: all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisking the dry ingredients separately ensures that everything is evenly dispersed into the batter and your pancakes rise beautifully.

  • All-Purpose Flour: I know I say this all the time, but it’s especially important to spoon and level your flour with this pancake recipe. The batter for these pancakes is a little thick, so they don’t spread too much and cook up thicker. Just make sure to stir your flour around in the container, spoon it into the measuring cup, and level it off with the back of a knife.
  • Baking Powder & Baking Soda: There’s a good amount of baking powder and baking soda in these pancakes so that they rise. The baking soda also helps to brown the outside of the pancakes. 
  • Salt: To balance out the sweetness and enhance the flavors.

The wet ingredients being whisked together in a glass mixing bowl.

Once the dry ingredients are mixed together, you’ll whisk together the wet ingredients. For the wet ingredients, you’ll be using some buttermilk, sugar, oil, vanilla, and eggs.

  • Buttermilk: This is what gives the pancakes that classic buttermilk pancake flavor. It also keeps the pancakes moist and reacts with the baking soda to make them nice and fluffy. You can use either full-fat or low-fat buttermilk in these pancakes.
  • Granulated Sugar: There are only three tablespoons of sugar in this recipe, so the pancakes aren’t too sweet. Feel free to scale back a little on the sweetener if you prefer, but I wouldn’t leave it out completely.
  • Oil: This provides a little fat in the pancakes so that they’re soft and light, not chewy. Vegetable, canola, or melted coconut oil all work fine here. If you don’t have any oil on hand, then melted butter works too.
  • Eggs & Vanilla Extract: For structure and flavor.

Once you’ve mixed up the wet and dry ingredients, you’ll mix the two together until just combined. Over mixing the batter can overdevelop the gluten in your pancakes which can make them denser and chewier, so only mix them together until just combined. If you see a few lumps in your batter, that’s okay! 

Multiple pancakes laying on a wooden surface with syrup and berries around them.

Once the batter is ready, you’ll scoop or pour some onto your heated skillet or griddle. I like to use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to measure them out because it makes the perfect size pancake and ensures that they all come out the same size. Feel free to make your pancakes smaller or larger if you prefer.

I love to serve these pancakes with some fresh fruit and pure maple syrup, but my homemade strawberry sauce is another fantastic option!

How To Freeze These Pancakes

Once the pancakes have cooled completely, you can place them in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, then place them in the freezer for 1-2 hours or until they’re frozen. Freezing the pancakes first will help prevent them from sticking together when you store them in a freezer bag or container.

Once the pancakes are frozen, you can store them in a freezer bag or container in the freezer for up to 3 months. For extra reassurance to prevent them from sticking together in the freezer, you can place some parchment paper or wax paper between each pancake.

When you’re ready to enjoy the pancakes, you can reheat them a couple of different ways.

  • To reheat in the microwave: Place the frozen pancakes in a single layer on a plate and heat in the microwave in 20-30 seconds increments until the pancakes are warmed through.
  • To reheat in the oven: Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, place the frozen pancakes in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, and place in the oven until the pancakes are warmed through.

Don’t Have Any Buttermilk On Hand?

If you don’t have any buttermilk on hand you can make your own buttermilk substitute by combining lemon juice or vinegar and milk. I have a full tutorial that shows how to make your own buttermilk substitute here. It’s super easy and can save you a trip to the grocery store too!

A stack of pancakes topped with syrup and berries and a bite cut out of the whole stack to show the fluffy texture.

Recipe Variations

These pancakes taste fantastic on their own, but there are several ways that you can change these up. Here are a few of my favorite mix-ins/toppings for these buttermilk pancakes:

  • Blueberry: Fold 1 cup (150 grams) of fresh or frozen blueberries into the batter or top with my homemade blueberry sauce
  • Chocolate Chip: Fold 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips into the batter
  • Funfetti: Fold 1/2 cup of sprinkles into the batter
  • Banana & Peanut Butter: Add some sliced bananas on top and drizzle with melted peanut butter

A stack of pancakes topped with berries and syrup with a bite cut out on a fork.

Baking Tips

  • When measuring your flour, avoid scooping it out of the container with the measuring cup. Instead, stir the flour around, spoon it into your measuring cup, and level it off with the back of a knife.
  • The pancake batter will be a little thick which is why it’s crucial to measure your flour with the spoon and level method. If you feel that the batter is too thick, you can add a few more tablespoons of buttermilk to help thin it out.
  • Make sure to only mix the wet and dry ingredients together until just combined. You may see a few lumps in the pancake batter, this is okay!
  • To keep the pancakes warm while the others are cooking: Preheat your oven to 200°F (93°C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. As the pancakes are cooked, place them on the baking sheet in the oven to stay warm while you finishing cooking the full batch. 
  • Need to prepare your batter ahead of time? I don’t suggest mixing everything together and letting the batter sit overnight, otherwise the pancakes won’t be quite as fluffy. To prep it ahead of time, you can mix together the dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately, cover both tightly, and store the wet ingredients in the refrigerator. Right before you’re ready to make the pancakes, combine the wet and dry ingredients together.
Maple syrup being poured onto a stack of pancakes on an antique white board with strawberries and blackberries surrounding it.

Buttermilk Pancakes

5 from 13 ratings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
These light and fluffy buttermilk pancakes are so easy to make and turn out perfect every single time. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or even dinner!
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Ingredients

Servings: 14 pancakes
  • 2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 and 3/4 cup (420 ml) buttermilk
  • 3 tablespoons (40 grams) granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons (45 ml) oil
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs

Instructions
 

  • Heat a large skillet or griddle to medium heat and spray well with nonstick cooking spray.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  • In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, granulated sugar, oil (or melted butter), vanilla extract, and eggs until fully combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined, making sure not to over mix the batter.
  • Using a ¼ cup measuring cup, scoop the batter from the bowl and drop onto the heated skillet or griddle. Once the top starts to bubble and the edges look set, carefully flip the pancakes, and allow to cook for another 1-2 minutes.
  • Serve warm with maple syrup, strawberry sauce, or your favorite toppings!

Notes

Buttermilk: Don’t have any buttermilk on hand? You can use my homemade buttermilk substitute. 
Oil: Canola, vegetable, or melted coconut oil all work fine. If using melted coconut oil, make sure all other ingredients are at room temperature so it doesn’t solidify. If you don’t have any oil, you may use an equal amount of melted butter.
Freezing Instructions: Place cooled pancakes in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, then place them in the freezer for 1-2 hours or until they're frozen. Store the pancakes in a freezer bag or container for up to 3 months in the freezer. To reheat the pancakes in the microwave, place them in a single layer on a plate and microwave in 20-30 second increments until warmed through. To reheat in the oven, preheat oven to 300°F (150°C), place the pancakes in a single layer on a baking sheet, and place the baking sheet in the oven until the pancakes are warmed through. 
Cuisine: American
Course: Breakfast
Author: Danielle
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