Ditch the box mix and never look back with the BEST Buttermilk Pancakes recipe! They’re big and fluffy and the taste just can’t be beat!

Do you love breakfast? Try my Blueberry Coffee Cake, Classic French Toast, or Strawberry Crepes!

A stack of buttermilk pancakes with a big bite taken out by a fork.

Why these are the BEST Pancakes:

  • Pantry Ingredients – You probably already have everything you need, and you can easily make your own buttermilk if you don’t have it on hand.
  • Quick to Make – Only 5 minutes to prep!
  • Delicious – No one can resist a stack of light, buttery, and fluffy buttermilk pancakes! Especially with our homemade syrup on top!

How to make Buttermilk Pancakes:

Combine dry ingredients.  Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in large bowl.

Flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl.

Add wet ingredients.  Add buttermilk, eggs and melted butter and mix just until wet and dry ingredients are incorporated. You don’t want to over-mix the batter.

Buttermilk, eggs and melted butter added to a mixing bowl with dry pancake ingredients.

Add milk, a little at a time until batter is still thick, but pourable.

Buttermilk pancake batter in a mixing bowl with a whisk.

Cook pancakes.  Use a ¼ cup measuring cup to scoop batter and pour on hot griddle. Cook pancakes until bubbles appear on the surface, then flip once.

Two process photos of pancake batter being poured on a hot skillet, and bubbles forming on the pancake showing it's ready to flip.

Serve with the BEST homemade syrup!

Tips for Perfect Pancakes:

  • Use buttermilk. Buttermilk is a key ingredient in these pancakes and I would strongly urge you to buy the real deal! It’s thicker, creamier, inexpensive, and will taste so much better. Be sure to shake the container before measuring the buttermilk and adding it to the batter.
  • Don’t over-mix the batter. Resist the urge to mix the pancake batter until it’s completely smooth. It’s okay if it’s slightly lumpy with streaks of flour. If you mix the batter too much it causes the gluten to develop in the flour and your pancakes will be chewier instead of fluffy.
  • Don’t pat down the pancakes. Another urge you may need to resist is using your flipping spatula to pat down on the pancakes while they cook. Don’t do it, or you’re “squishing” the air pockets that are helping make the pancakes light and fluffy.
  • Don’t flip more than once. Wait until you see small bubbles rise to the surface of your pancakes, and then it’s ready to flip. Just flip it ONCE and cook it on the other side until it’s done. It won’t take long.
A large stack of buttermilk pancakes with syrup being poured over the top.

Storage and Freezing Instructions:

To Store: Keep leftover pancakes in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Reheat for a few seconds in the microwave or in the toaster oven.

To Freeze: After cooking homemade buttermilk pancakes, lay them in a single layer on a large baking tray and place them in the freezer. Allow them to harden for about 30 minutes, then stack them in a freezer safe container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months. The “flash freeze” will help keep them from sticking to each other.

Recipe Variations:

Blueberry Pancakes: Pour pancake batter on hot griddle and sprinkle with blueberries, before flipping to cook on the other side.

Chocolate Chip Pancakes: Pour pancake batter on hot griddle and sprinkle with chocolate chips, before flipping to cook on the other side.

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Recipe

A stack of buttermilk pancakes with a big bite taken out by a fork.
Prep 10 minutes
Cook 5 minutes
Total 15 minutes
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Equipment

Ingredients
 
 

Instructions
 

  • Heat griddle to 350 degrees F (or heat a large skillet to medium). Grease with butter or non-stick cooking spray.
  • Combine dry ingredients in large bowl: flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt.
  • Add buttermilk, eggs and melted butter and mix just until wet and dry ingredients are incorporated. You don't want to over-mix the batter.
  • Add milk, a little at a time until batter is still thick, but pourable.
  • Use a ¼ cup measuring cup to scoop batter and pour on hot griddle. Cook pancakes until bubbles appear on the surface, then flip once.
  • Serve warm with syrup!

Notes

Storing Instructions: Keep leftover pancakes in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Reheat for a few seconds in the microwave or in the toaster oven.
Freezing Instructions: After cooking homemade buttermilk pancakes, lay them in a single layer on a large baking tray and place them in the freezer. Allow them to harden for about 30 minutes, then stack them in a freezer safe container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months. The “flash freeze” will help keep them from sticking to each other.
Variations:
  • Blueberry Pancakes: Pour pancake batter on hot griddle and sprinkle with blueberries, before flipping to cook on the other side.
    Chocolate Chip Pancakes: Pour pancake batter on hot griddle and sprinkle with chocolate chips, before flipping to cook on the other side.

Nutrition

Calories: 137kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 4gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 37mgSodium: 246mgPotassium: 152mgSugar: 4gVitamin A: 165IUCalcium: 83mgIron: 1.2mg

Did You Make This Recipe?

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Have you tried this recipe?!

RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.

*I originally shared this recipe June 2017. Updated March 2020 and August 2021.

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About The Author

Lauren Allen

Welcome! I’m Lauren, a mom of four and lover of good food. Here you’ll find easy recipes and weeknight meal ideas made with real ingredients, with step-by-step photos and videos.

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Comments

  1. I have used a similar recipe for many years and I replace the last 1/2 cup flour with ground flax seed and the melted butter with non refined coconut oil. I do homemade buttermilk from milk and lemon juice. They are much fluffier and taste amazing.

  2. 5 stars
    Yum. Served pancakes for supper tonight and the kids loved them. FYI, I used powdered buttermilk and they turned out great. I actually didn’t need to thin the batter with milk at all.
    I’ll definitely be making these again.

  3. 5 stars
    I’ve never written a recipe review ever but these are literally the most delicious pancakes I’ve ever made. A keeper!

  4. So I used buttermilk, and baking soda substitute in this recipe and I have no clue what happened but my end product was a weird stretchy pancake so I would suggest following the recipe exactly.

  5. 5 stars
    Awesome. I only had 1 cup of buttermilk, so used the other cup as milk- so yummy. Added fresh blueberries to some. Awesome said the family!

  6. 5 stars
    Love these pancakes!! I used cocoa butter instead of regular butter and added in chocolate chips, perfect amount of sweetness.

  7. 5 stars
    THANK You For Sharing Lauren 👍🏼These Look Awesome 😋❗️I QUIT buying ALOT Of Shelf products BC There’s SO Many chemicals in them 👎🏼 Thanks Again ❗️G-d♥️Bless😊

  8. I thought Lou Mitchel’s in Chicago were the best Pancakes I ever had, not anymore, these are the bomb!

  9. 5 stars
    Very good! I have a new pancake recipe. I halved the recipe and that was more than enough for 3 people. I would also recommend letting it sit on the counter before pouring onto the griddle so the buttermilk has time to work with the other ingredients.

  10. These turned out very fluffy. I added a 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and reduced the sugar to 1 1/2 tablespoons. I figure you can always add more maple syrup if you like it sweet. Batter should be thick if you want your pancakes to rise. Too thin, and they will be flat. No butter milk? No problem. To one cup milk minus 2 tables spoons, add two table spoons vinegar or lemon juice. Stir and let stand 10-15 min.

  11. 5 stars
    I tried this recipe for breakfast this morning. My family loves the pancakes. They’re fluffy and tasty.

    I didn’t have buttermilk, so I improvised and created it from scratch with milk and lemon juice.

    I’ll keep this recipe for future breakfast meals.

  12. 5 stars
    Best buttermilk pancakes ever! Fluffy and light! These are my go to recipe, well these and your lemon blueberry pancakes run neck and neck!!!!!

  13. 5 stars
    These are amazing! I impressed myself when I made scrumptious, light & fluffy homemade pancakes using your recipe! Definitely a keeper!

  14. This is the absolute best recipe for delicious pancakes. I do half the recipe but my dog,”LoloMontana” must have one plain after it cools.

  15. 5 stars
    This is a great base recipe. I personally add just a little more sugar and some vanilla but other than that it’s great .

  16. 5 stars
    First time making pancakes for my husband who LOVES pancakes and it was a hit! Thanks so much for making me look so great for my man!

  17. 5 stars
    Tasty and fluffy – this quick and easy recipe makes excellent pancakes. I got six salad plate size pancakes. Thanks for the instructions regarding how long they last in a fridge.

  18. 5 stars
    I was looking for a buttermilk waffle recipe, when this popped up.
    It worked perfectly for the most delicious waffles! I may or may not have put
    chocolate chips in them :).

  19. If I’m making my buttermilk with cream of tartar do I still need to add the baking soda and baking powder to the recipe? Thanks

    Sally

  20. Best pancakes I have ever made! I added fresh blueberries. Batter is thick, I only added 2 tablespoons of milk, next time I’ll add a little more. Thanks for the recipe!

  21. 5 stars
    I made these buttermilk pancakes for my wife and daughter this past Mothers Day and they were perfect. In fact, by the end of the day, the leftover pancakes were also gone. I’ve been looking around your site and have found a few more to try out. I appreciate the detailed instructions and “pro” tips you give. Thanks for a useful website that makes me feel like a pro!

  22. 5 stars
    Made this buttermilk pancakes for the first time using this website, and it turn out very lovely and delicious and everyone loved it. Thanks very much.

  23. 5 stars
    I also used this website recipe for buttermilk, since I couldn’t find it Brazil, and it turned out just perfect and delicious! It is now a weekly must!

  24. 5 stars
    Best pancakes I’ve ever made. Found this recipe while trying not to waste a nearly full quart of good buttermilk. I agree with one commenter that it was just too thick and 2 Tbs of extra milk wasn’t nearly enough to loosen it, but gradually adding more milk to a workable consistency was not enough trouble to take away from the recipe or my rating. That is pretty much standard when working with any batter or dough.

    Thank you for a very tasty and easy recipe.

    1. These are the best pancakes I’ve ever made! So soft and fluffy and simply delicious! I’ll be going back to this recipe 🙂

  25. 5 stars
    I love these pancakes and I’ve been doing them for awhile now. I love to fold frozen raspberries or blueberries in the batter just before putting them in the pan. It’s delicious with real maple syrup!

  26. 1 star
    While these pancakes tasted pretty good, I did not like making them. The batter was WAY too thick, which made it difficult to handle. After thinning it down with the two Tbsp. of milk, it was still too thick. So, I kept on adding milk until it was a pourable batter. I didn’t measure how much additional milk went in, but it was at least one-fourth of a cup, if not a third of a cup. Both the baking powder and soda were still good, so I haven’t got a clue as to what went wrong.

    Sorry, but after this encounter, this recipe won’t be used again.

  27. 5 stars
    These are the best pancakes I’ve ever made, and I’ve made a lot. I first made it with coconut milk because I didn’t have any milk at all on hand, and water to thin. The second time I used buttermilk (and water to thin.) Both were delicious. I like the size of the batch, because you have leftovers. Whips up quick. Comparable to Cracker Barrel.

  28. 5 stars
    Hey there,

    I have to tell you……. I’m 72 years old and consider myself to be an excellent cook – except for pancakes!! I can’t even mane the Krusteau ones!!

    These simple buttermilk pancakes care the best I’ve had, including any restaurants!

    Great job, Lauren. I love your recipes.

  29. Never made homemade pancakes. Excited to try these instead of box pancake mix. Will comment after i make them.

  30. 5 stars
    This is a great recipe but may I make two suggestions. First soft the dry ingredients into a bowl and when mixing the wet ingtogether separate the eggs and whip the whites before adding them it makes the pancakes even fluffier.

  31. 5 stars
    11/26/17 got home from church tonight and cooked these. Awesome!!! They are the best pancakes ever! So glad I found this website!!!

    1. Thanks so much Eva! I’m so happy you liked them–hopefully you get to try some more of my recipes soon! Thanks for sharing 🙂

  32. 5 stars
    Made these on a Saturday morning for company, we all thought they were delicious.
    Thanks for the tips above the recipe. This is a winner! We added fresh berries.