This is hands down my favorite buttermilk pancake recipe! They are super fluffy, and thanks to buttermilk, have the most deliciously tangy flavor. If you don’t have buttermilk, I’ve got you covered with an easy substitute in the recipe.
In our house, these are called fancy pancakes. Buttermilk isn’t usually in my fridge, so when it is, we jump at the chance to make this buttermilk pancake recipe!
Thanks to the buttermilk, these pancakes are tangy, super fluffy, and tender in the middle. For more pancake recipes, take a look at these buttermilk banana pancakes or my favorite blueberry pancakes!
Key Ingredients
- Buttermilk: This adds a lovely tangy flavor to our pancakes, which is incredibly delicious, especially when combined with something sweet (like maple syrup). If you don’t have buttermilk, you can still make these pancakes. See my tips for an easy buttermilk substitute below the recipe (it’s a mixture of milk and vinegar or lemon juice).
- Flour: I use all-purpose flour for these pancakes, but whole wheat, spelt, or even your favorite gluten-free flour blend will work in this recipe.
- Baking Soda and Baking Powder: I use both for these easy pancakes. The baking soda reacts with the acid in the buttermilk, and the baking powder adds a little extra lift for fluffiness.
- Sugar, Vanilla, and Salt: These make our pancakes taste amazing. I don’t like super sweet pancakes (and leave the extra sweetness to maple syrup later), so the little sugar I add balances the buttermilk and flour taste.
- Butter: I love buttery pancakes, so I’m generous with butter. I also cook my buttermilk pancakes in melted butter for crispy edges.
What to Serve with Buttermilk Pancakes
Buttermilk pancakes truly make one of the best breakfasts! I love topping mine with sliced strawberries or berries, butter, and maple syrup. The butter pecan syrup I make for these pumpkin pancakes is also amazing.
Add whipped cream or whipped coconut cream (delicious!), nuts, honey apple butter, or some of our maple pumpkin butter for something a little different.
Also, don’t forget a side of crispy baked bacon, scrambled eggs, or sausage. See more of our breakfast recipes.
Easy Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
This recipe makes buttermilk pancakes that are super fluffy and buttery, with the most tender texture in the middle. Buttermilk adds a lovely tangy flavor to the pancakes. If you do not have buttermilk, we have provided a note below sharing how to make buttermilk at home (all you need is dairy or non-dairy milk and an acid like white vinegar or lemon juice).
Buttermilk tends to vary in thickness, so you might need more to achieve the right batter consistency. Our recipe below shares a visual cue to get it just right.
You Will Need
1 ¼ cups (295ml) buttermilk, see tip for substitute
4 tablespoons (56g) unsalted butter, plus more for skillet
1 ½ cups (195g) all-purpose flour, see tips below for how to measure flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea or table salt
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
1If you do not have buttermilk and need to make a buttermilk substitute, do it now and set it aside.
2Melt 4 tablespoons of butter, and then set aside.
3In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together until well blended.
4In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract. (Don’t worry if the butter solidifies slightly).
5Create a well in the center of your dry ingredients. Pour in the buttermilk mixture and stir gently with a fork until the flour is just incorporated. A few small lumps are okay.
6When you lift the whisk or fork out from the batter, it should slowly run down back into the bowl. If this does not happen and the batter is too thick, add an extra splash of buttermilk.
7Place a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Sprinkle in a few drops of water to test if it’s ready. You want them to dance around a bit and evaporate.
8Brush the skillet with melted butter (this creates crispy edges, but you can skip it if using a quality nonstick pan).
9Scoop the batter onto the skillet using a 1/4 cup measure or large cookie scoop, and spread each pancake into a 4-inch circle.
10After 1 to 2 minutes, the edges will look dry, and bubbles will form and pop on the surface. Flip the pancakes and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes until lightly browned and cooked in the middle.
11Serve immediately with warm syrup, butter, and berries.
- Storing
1Store buttermilk pancakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or freeze them for up to 2 months. If freezing, line the pancakes on a baking sheet and freeze for about 30 minutes. Then, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag with parchment paper between each pancake to prevent sticking.
2To reheat them, place them on a microwave-safe plate and cook for 20 seconds per pancake (add more time for multiple pancakes). Or wrap the pancakes in foil and bake at 350°F for about 10 minutes.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Buttermilk substitute: Combine 1 ½ cups of milk (dairy or non-dairy) with 1 ½ tablespoons of white vinegar or fresh lemon juice. Set aside for 10 minutes before using the recipe above. The recipe calls for 1 ¼ cup, but you will have enough to thin the batter if you need to.
- Measuring flour: Fluff the flour in its container, then gently scoop it into your measuring cup until slightly mounded. Level off the top with a knife for accurate measuring. For even more accuracy, use a scale and measure the flour by weight (in grams).
- Optional add-ins: Add berries, chopped strawberries, nuts, cooked bacon, or chocolate chips to the batter. Use 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
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I made these fluffy, light, easy and delicious pancakes last evening and they were so good. The recipe was easy to follow. I used blueberries. I definitely will follow Inspired Taste. Thank you!
I love to bake
Makes 3 cups batter. I make 3 big thick pancakes at 400, 6 min in air fryer. Love’em love’em
What is the reason for using baking soda (combined with the acid of buttermilk) and baking powder together? Thanks.
The combo makes a better texture in the middle.
Just made these amazing pancakes. The recipe is simple and they turn out really well. It made 6 thick fluffy ones.Had them with blueberries, banana and maple syrup. Thank you for your lovely recipe.
Just as described – soft, fluffy, and buttery 🙂 Had it with maple syrup, cream cheese and figs and was soooo yum! Thank you so much!
I tried this recipe today and they’re great!!!! Thank for sharing!!!
These were the best and easiest to make pancakes!!! So good they did not even need syrup! This is by far the best recipe I have ever tried for pancakes.
I’ve been trying to get pancakes right for as long as I can remember. Mix; scratch; using a recipe; eyeballing the ingredients; nothing has ever worked. Pancakes I make have always ended up heavy, wet/half raw, and unappealing. I’d come to believe I had an unconscious preference for non-fluffy cakes. Until this morning. I found a recipe that works for me! Fluffy and flavorful!