This is my go-to recipe for homemade buttermilk pancakes: easy to make, super fluffy, not overly sweet, and a family favorite. I use this exact recipe every weekend. Make a double batch and freeze extras for quick breakfasts during the week.
Pancakes are a weekend tradition at my house, and I’m excited to share this simple family recipe. Buttermilk makes a real difference — it brightens flavor, tenderizes the batter, and creates a light, tender crumb. These pancakes also work beautifully if you swap in additions like fresh fruit or chocolate chips.
If you only need pancakes for two, halve the recipe. Or better yet, make the full amount and freeze the extras. I often make a double batch, store leftovers in the freezer, and reheat them for easy breakfasts later in the week.
I often add blueberries because a stack of blueberry buttermilk pancakes with a big pat of salted butter is irresistible. What’s your favorite pancake topping?
Top Tips for Perfect Pancakes
Making buttermilk pancakes from scratch is straightforward. If you use a boxed mix you still need several ingredients, so why not spend a few extra minutes and make homemade pancakes that are fluffier and more flavorful?
My best tips:
- Warm the buttermilk and milk together for about one minute in the microwave — just to take the chill off.
- Use two bowls: one for dry ingredients and one for wet. Combine wet into dry. This prevents overmixing and keeps pancakes tender.
- Mix until mostly combined; the batter can be slightly lumpy. Overmixing activates gluten and makes pancakes dense.
- Once wet and dry ingredients meet, don’t let the batter sit too long — baking powder and baking soda start reacting as soon as they’re moistened.
- Grease your pan or griddle with butter once at the start; you don’t need to re-butter before every pancake.
- Pour batter and leave it alone — don’t press it down. Flip when bubbles appear and the edges look set.
- If you’re unsure a flipped pancake is done, poke the center lightly with a spatula. If you see wet batter, cook a bit longer; if it’s puffy and set, it’s ready.
What can I make with extra buttermilk?
Extra buttermilk is useful in many savory and sweet recipes. It’s excellent as a marinade for fried or baked chicken because it tenderizes and adds flavor. It also enriches baked goods, giving them a tender crumb and pleasant tang.
Try buttermilk in chicken marinades, risottos with roasted chicken, baked chicken drumsticks, or in a chicken-and-waffles dish. It’s also great in quick breads, muffins, scones, and coffee cakes — a small amount can transform texture and taste.
Try Out These Breakfast Recipes
- Great Grandma’s Cinnamon Apple Dutch Baby (German Pancake) — oven-baked and egg-forward for a different weekend treat
- Fluffy Buttermilk Waffles — another buttermilk favorite if you love crisp edges and tender insides
- Potato, Bacon and Green Onion Quiche — hearty and savory, perfect for brunch or lunch
- Perfect Soft and Tender English Scones — an easy, tender scone recipe
- Blueberry Dutch Baby Pancake — a baked alternative that highlights blueberries
Best Buttermilk Pancakes From Scratch
16 pancakes
10 minutes
20 minutes
30 minutes
This will be your go-to recipe for homemade buttermilk pancakes: easy, fluffy, not too sweet, and reliably delicious.
Ingredients
- 2 c flour
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp butter, melted
- 1 ½ c buttermilk
- ¾ c milk
- 2 eggs
Instructions
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a separate bowl or measuring cup, melt the butter.
- Warm the buttermilk and milk together for about 1 minute to take the chill off.
- Whisk the eggs into the melted butter, then stir in the warmed buttermilk/milk.
- Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients.
- Whisk until just combined; the batter should be slightly lumpy.
- Heat a griddle or skillet over medium-low heat.
- Grease lightly with butter.
- Use a ¼ cup measure to ladle batter onto the hot griddle.
- Flip when bubbles form on the surface and edges look set.
- Remove when pancakes are cooked through and golden.
- Serve warm with butter and syrup, or your favorite toppings.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16
Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 106
Total Fat: 3g
Saturated Fat: 2g
Trans Fat: 0g
Unsaturated Fat: 1g
Cholesterol: 31mg
Sodium: 290mg
Carbohydrates: 15g
Fiber: 0g
Sugar: 3g
Protein: 4g
Nutrition figures are estimates from online calculators.