Best Buttermilk Pancakes Recipe - I Heart Naptime (2024)

These are the absolute BEST buttermilk pancakes made from scratch! Perfectly soft, fluffy with golden crisp edges. Taste amazing topped with butter, syrup and fresh berries!

Need more homemade pancakes? Try my silver dollar pancakes or chocolate chip pancakes.

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The Best Buttermilk Pancake Recipe

These are seriously the best homemade buttermilk pancakes! If we’re not making these on the weekend, then we’re probably making Belgian waffles, easy French toast, crepesor omelettes. You just can’t beat a good breakfast!

The nice thing about them is it’s easy to double the recipe and then freeze half for those mornings you don’t feel like cooking. Alternate them with this oatmeal pancakes recipe or banana pancakes recipe and you have breakfast covered for the week.

We love to serve these topped with homemade buttermilk syrup and fresh berries. They also are great on a pancake charcuterie board and for a large brunch I serve them along with my biscuit and gravy recipe. So delicious!

What Does Buttermilk Do For Pancakes?

Buttermilk is definitely the secret to fluffy pancakes! The acidity in buttermilk helps to tenderize the pancakes, making them super soft and moist. Plus it helps give them height too, so each bite is perfectly light and airy. They are so fluffy, moist and absolutely delicious.

Homemade buttermilk: If you don’t have any buttermilk on hand, check out my post on how to make buttermilk. It couldn’t be easier…all you need to do is add a tablespoon of vinegar to the milk and let it sit for 10 minutes.

Recipe Ingredients

You may not have buttermilk on hand, but you can make your own buttermilk and everything else should be in your pantry.

Find the fullprintable recipewith measurements below.

• Butter: I use unsalted to be able to control the amount of salt in these buttermilk pancakes.
• Flour: I use all-purpose. Learnhow to measure flour without a scalefor amazing results every time.
• Sugar: Just a little sweetness makes these taste great with or without maple syrup.
• Leavening agents: I use both baking powder and baking soda to make these extra fluffy.
• Salt: This helps balance and enhance all of the flavors.
• Buttermilk: The real star of the show that adds a little tang, as well as interacts with the leavening agents to make super airy and light pancakes..
• Eggs: The necessary binder that brings it all together.
• Vanilla extract: I love to add a little for a little boost of flavor.

How to Make Buttermilk Pancakes

It takes less than 20 minutes to make a breakfast the whole family will love.

• Heat griddle or skillet.Preheat a griddle to 325°F or a skillet over medium-high heat. Melt butter in microwave and let cool for 3 minutes.
• Combine ingredients.Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Next add in buttermilk and butter. Stir mixture just until combined. Then mix in eggs and vanilla, just until most of the lumps are gone and batter is smooth.
• Cook pancakes.Coat griddle or skillet with butter and pour 1/4 cup batter on top. Cook until bubbles appear, about 2 minutes.
• Serve. Flip and then cook on the other side for 1 minute, or just until lightly browned. Serve while warm with your favorite toppings.

Expert Tips

• Don’t over mix. Mix the wet ingredients and dry ingredients together just until most of the lumps are gone and the consistency is smooth. Over mixing can make the texture a bit chewy.
• Let the batter rest for a few minutes. I let the batter rest while my griddle is preheating. This also helps contribute to a light and fluffy texture.
• Coat the griddle or skillet with butter. This gives them that beautiful golden brown color on the outside and makes them taste extra delicious.
• Use a griddle over a skillet. If you are using a skillet, make sure you don’t turn the heat any higher than medium-low.
• Keep the buttermilk pancakes warm while you wait.Keep them on a baking sheet in the oven at175°F until the remaining batter is be used up (or your family wakes up!).
• Add butter to the skilletin between each batch.You don’t want to lose the nonstick surface or burn them.

Storing + Freezing

Storage: Once the buttermilk pancakes have completely cooled, store them in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4 days.

Freeze: The nice thing about this recipe is that it’s easy to double and then freeze half the pancakes for busy mornings. To freeze, let cool completely then place in a large ziptop bag. Store in freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, reheat in the microwave or toaster oven for 30 seconds.

Reheat:Pop them in the microwave for a softer texture or the toaster for a slightly crispier bite.

More Pancake Variations

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