Perfect Buttermilk Pancakes Recipe (2024)

By Alison Roman

Perfect Buttermilk Pancakes Recipe (1)

Total Time
10 minutes
Rating
5(10,854)
Notes
Read community notes

Pancakes are the hero of the breakfast table, and their very taste can even be described as “deeply breakfasty”: eggy, salty, just this side of sweet. A little indulgent and yet still somehow appropriate first thing in the morning, those fluffy stacks with crisped edges, dripping with maple syrup, are everything you want, exactly when you want them. Here is how to get to them right every time, whether it's a lazy Sunday morning or a hurried weekday.

Learn: How to Make Pancakes

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 2cups all-purpose flour
  • 3tablespoons sugar
  • teaspoons baking powder
  • teaspoons baking soda
  • teaspoons kosher salt
  • cups buttermilk
  • 2large eggs
  • 3tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • Vegetable, canola or coconut oil for the pan

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Make the recipe with us

  1. Step

    1

    Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and kosher salt together in a bowl. Using the whisk, make a well in the center. Pour the buttermilk into the well and crack eggs into buttermilk. Pour the melted butter into the mixture. Starting in the center, whisk everything together, moving towards the outside of the bowl, until all ingredients are incorporated. Do not overbeat (lumps are fine). The batter can be refrigerated for up to one hour.

  2. Step

    2

    Heat a large nonstick griddle or skillet, preferably cast-iron, over low heat for about 5 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet. Turn heat up to medium–low and using a measuring cup, ladle ⅓ cup batter into the skillet. If you are using a large skillet or a griddle, repeat once or twice, taking care not to crowd the cooking surface.

  3. Flip pancakes after bubbles rise to surface and bottoms brown, about 2 to 4 minutes. Cook until the other sides are lightly browned. Remove pancakes to a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet, and keep in heated oven until all the batter is cooked and you are ready to serve.

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10,854

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

J. Scott Wilson

As with any buttermilk batter recipe, this works best if you let the batter sit at room temperature for about a half-hour. The buttermilk will work its magic and thicken the batter, making for super-fluffy pancakes. By cooking immediately, you're completely defeating the purpose of using the buttermilk.

MMS

Any reason why the eggs aren't lightly beaten before adding to pancake mixture? I thought over mixing was to be avoided, and it seems that mixing whole unbeaten eggs would risk this. Thoughts from the pancake experts?

Stu

A generous teaspoon of Vanilla extract makes a big difference in my experience (or 1-inch+ scraped vanilla bean).

Jean

This is my new go to recipe. I don't make any changes, but I do find that the batter is thicker if you let it sit for about 10 minutes or so after mixing everything together. It spreads like crazy if you cook right away.

JLR

The unibowlness of this is sublime, but with volumetric measurements, it's something of a fallacy! If weighed in the bowl:

250 g APF
38 g sugar
1.5 tsp each of soda, powder and salt (even my drug-dealer scale isn't up to the task of weighing these)
600 g of buttermilk (or, as I did, about 550 g of buttermilk and 50 g milk)
2 eggs
45 g butter, melted in the frying pan or on the griddle

The butter's still on my hands as I type this —delicious!

Greg

This is my "go-to" Saturday morning pancake recipe. I kick it up with two teaspoons of vanilla in the batter.When I die, I want to be buried in a vat filled with Grey Goose vodka and the NYT buttermilk pancake batter.

cw

325? Some if my pancakes were more like cookies by the end. 200 degrees is plenty to keep pancakes warm. (And heat some plates to serve!)

Jane

I regularly cook in both the US and the UK, and I have made these pancakes several times in each place. In my experience, buttermilk can vary a lot in thickness. The buttermilk I purchase in the US is consistently thinner than in the UK. Reading the notes of other cooks, it appears that the thickness varies even within the US, since some cooks comment on the extreme thinness of the batter, while others find the opposite. Start with 1/4 to 1/2 c. less buttermilk, adjusting as necessary.

Katie

These didn't turn out right for me--too thin and liquidy. I feel fairly certain that was due to an excess of milk. Looking at other pancake recipes I regularly use, the quantity of flour and milk is the same, but here there's a 1/2 cup more of buttermilk. If I try these again I'd reduce the milk.

sarnor

I always beat the eggs and combine with the melted butter and buttermilk then add to the dry ingredients. If you read the "How to Make Pancakes" article cited above, the reason they are added directly to the dry ingredients is so there is one less bowl to clean.

Nuschler

Sorry, but as an MD I had to laugh. You don’t want butter, but you recommend “generous amount” of coconut oil?

Coconut oil is 92% saturated fat! We use fresh coconut oil right of husks for laxatives here in Hawai’i.

Stan

I have tried many recipes for pancakes, including some others from NY Times Cooking. This is by far the best-fluffy and full of flavor. I made the recipe for 2 people and added blueberries and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla. Beautiful and delicious.

Dave Smucker

I fix a lot of pancakes - once a week breakfast for high school boys at church and Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper too. Want better lighter pancakes - change the flour. Use unbleached self-rising biscuit flour, not all purpose. You want soft wheat flour, not hard wheat flour. Want to make them really bad use bread flour. We use 10 percent sugar, and lots of butter. (That is about 160 pancakes each Thursday morning, and 1600 for Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper).

rose

Excellent recipe. My go-to for pancakes has always been the one in Joy of Cooking, which requires you to separate the whites from the egg yokes and then make an almost-meringue, before folding everything back into the batter. The result was unfailingly fluffy cakes. Was VERY skeptical about this method, but the result were amazing. This method is so much quicker, since there's no need to beat the egg whites.

Jen

I used yogurt for some of the buttermilk, and the pancakes were fantastic.Great with orange zest, marmalade and vanilla in the batter.

SLD

The word “perfect” in the title sounds presumptuous at first glance, but I can attest to its accuracy. I make this recipe pretty much every weekend and crave it during the week! I add pecans and blueberries to mine. I make half of the recipe and it is plenty for two hungry people. Let the batter rest for 30 mins or so after mixing.

Beau

This is so damned good! Making some of my own notes for reference later. Loved the comment by JLR with regard to ingredients by weight which makes putting this together MUCH faster and convenient.--250g flour38g sugar1.5 tsp each: Baking soda, baking powder, & salt.600g of buttermilk (substituted about 1:1 whole milk + tbsp vinegar + greek yogurt to total 600g. Play with ratio to taste)2 eggsVanilla splash45g butter: melt in pan or pyrex measuring cup-Cast iron low ~1min/side on butter

LL

Wow. So good and practically mistake proof.

Alana

Sub buttermilk with 1 part milk and 1 part yogurt

Gary S

Great recipe, as thousands have declared. Just be mindful of the salt. A bit less will not hurt.

C

This is my go-to pancake recipe! Most of the time, I have followed directions exactly and they are thick and fluffy. Today I didn't have buttermilk and substituted with 2% milk and 2.5 tblspns of vinegar (that I let sit for 15 minutes) as well as added 1 tablespoon flaxseed and although the results weren't as thick and fluffy, they still tasted amazing.

Tony

Silly thing to note but if you do not like eggs you probably will not like this. My partner hates eggs and could not get into it, me however loved it, its a great pancake base.

PMac

Great recipe in general but keeping these pancakes in 325-degree oven until every batch is finished cooking meant that every batch aside from the last one ended up completely dried out and deflated. I’m surprised no one else has mentioned this!!!

Dennis

This is a fool proof recipe. I have made it many times. Big, fluffy and they freeze very well.

CLewis

Crunch on the outside! Yum. I added 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla. With the vanilla in, some family members skip syrup.

fluffy pancakes

I didn’t have buttermilk, so I used 1.5 cups of plain yogurt and a cup of milk. They turned out very fluffy and delicious. I think the 325 oven is intended to cook the pancakes through, if they haven’t cooked through on the stove top. I put my stove on low instead and kept them warm in a 200 degree oven. Probably takes a little longer this way.

sunny

Used 1 1/4 cup sour cream mixed with 1 1/4 cup water instead of buttermilk and used batter for waffles instead of pancakes and they came out fantastic. Froze extras and reheated for the next morning and they are just as great. Highly recommend!

adaption

ExcellentUsed 1/2 whole wheat flour Added one overripe banana Added blueberriesDouble next time

stella

The best pancakes ever. Easy to make. My kids and husband love them

Sean B.

This recipe is nails. Thank you to J. Scott Wilson for his tip on letting the batter sit for 30 minutes before cooking, too.

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Perfect Buttermilk Pancakes Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why are my buttermilk pancakes not fluffy? ›

Making pancake and waffle batter ahead of time is a huge no-no and will lead to flat, dense results every time. Even letting your batter hang out for just a few minutes after you've mixed it before you start ladling it onto the griddle will lead to less fluffy results.

What makes pancakes rise and be fluffy? ›

When cooked, the chemical leaveners (the baking powder and baking soda) in the pancakes created large air bubbles. The loose gluten network captured the air bubbles and maintained the each pancake's shape while still keeping it fluffy with air.

What makes fluffier pancakes milk or water? ›

Milk helps make pancakes fluffier than water. Since milk is thicker than water, it creates a thicker batter. Further, if you use whole milk or low fat milk, the fat content helps yield tender, fluffy results.

How do you make perfect pancakes every time? ›

Things to Avoid When Making Pancakes
  1. Don't overmix the batter. ...
  2. Don't let the griddle or skillet get too hot! ...
  3. Don't add the butter or shortening until after the griddle or skillet has been preheated.
  4. Don't go overboard with butter or shortening. ...
  5. Don't press down on the pancakes while they're cooking.
  6. Don't overflip.
Jan 18, 2023

What is the most important ingredient in pancakes? ›

Flour is the main ingredient to any pancake. It provides the structure. Different types of flours alter the structure because some flours absorb more moisture or create more gluten (which binds the structure together) than others.

Should you let pancake batter rest? ›

Q – Should I make my batter in advance? A – Ideally make your batter and let it rest for about 30 minutes before cooking. This allows the flour to absorb the liquid, making the pancakes lighter and fluffier.

What does adding more eggs do to pancakes? ›

Add an Egg

The egg will add richness to the recipe and make the end result taste like homemade pancakes. If your pancake mix already calls for an egg, try adding an extra one.

Does adding more baking powder make pancakes fluffier? ›

Top tips for fluffy pancakes

Don't be tempted to add more than the recipe suggests, as too much baking powder will make pancakes taste soapy. Alternatively, you could use self-raising flour, which will add to the amount of raising agent in the recipe and potentially make your pancakes fluffier.

What ingredient in a basic made from scratch pancake batter makes pancakes fluffy? ›

Flour: This homemade pancake recipe starts with all-purpose flour. Baking powder: Baking powder, a leavener, is the secret to fluffy pancakes.

How long should you mix pancake batter? ›

Stir your batter until the dry and wet ingredients are just incorporated. That means mixing until the flour streaks have disappeared, but leaving the pesky lumps. If you over-mix, the gluten will develop from the flour in your batter, making your pancakes chewy instead of fluffy.

What can I add to pancake mix to make it better? ›

Using Baking Soda vs.

If your boxed mix doesn't already call for it, you can also add in a few eggs. The addition of the egg in your mix will give your batter a better texture, as well as more flavor. These pancakes will taste like you just ordered them from your favorite breakfast spot, but right at home!

Can you add milk and eggs to complete pancake mix? ›

Most boxed mixes call for water, but substituting milk for water will add richness. Milk will yield a thicker batter, so the amount may need to be adjusted to get the desired consistency. Or try half water, half milk. Add eggs.

Why are my pancakes never fluffy? ›

The first is that the batter is a bit runny. Add a little more flour (or mix) to make a thicker batter, and see if that fluffs up the pancakes. The other reason I can think of is that the leavening is either past its prime, or not getting enough time to work before cooking.

What makes restaurant pancakes taste so good? ›

Restaurants tend to use real, farm-fresh eggs and real milk when making their pancakes, which as you might guess, adds to a richer, higher-quality eating experience.

What not to do when making pancakes? ›

Don't let the lumps fool you into overmixing!
  1. You ignore the heat during cooking. If you are not using an electric skillet, you must pay attention to the heat when you start cooking the pancakes. ...
  2. You've been using the wrong pan. ...
  3. You flip your pancakes too soon. ...
  4. You don't fully preheat your pan.

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