↑

The Creative Bite

Recipes with fresh ingredients and bold flavors!

  • Home
  • About
    • About Danielle
    • Press
    • Terms
    • Contact
  • Lifestyle
    • Life Lately
    • Home & Kitchen
    • Gift Ideas
    • Projects & Printables
    • Meal Delivery Services
    • Amazon Store
  • Recipes
    • Recipe Index
      • All Recipes
      • Appetizers
      • Beverages
      • Breakfast
      • Casserole
      • Dressings & Sauces
      • Desserts
      • Lunch Idea
      • Main Dishes
        • Beef Dishes
        • Chicken Dishes
        • Fish & Shrimp Dishes
        • Pasta Dish
        • Pork Dishes
        • Sandwiches & Burgers
      • Pressure Cooker
      • Salads
      • Side Dishes
      • Snacks
      • Soup
    • Healthy Meals
      • Meal Prep & Plans
      • Low Calorie
      • Low Carb
      • Low Fat
      • Keto
    • Dietary
      • Dairy-Free
      • Gluten-Free
      • Vegetarian
    • Method
      • Air Fryer Recipes
      • Crock Pot
      • Pressure Cooker
    • Recipe Video
  • Contact
Home » Breakfast » Best Buttermilk Pancake Recipe

Best Buttermilk Pancake Recipe

July 23, 2019 by Danielle Green 2 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Jump to Recipe
1.4Kshares
Best Buttermilk Pancake Recipe

Best Buttermilk Pancake Recipe is a family favorite that is always requested for brunch. You can even make these fluffy homemade pancakes ahead of time and refrigerate the batter overnight for camping or a quick breakfast!

Best Buttermilk Pancake Recipe with syrup

Best Buttermilk Pancake Recipe

The best buttermilk pancake recipe has been in my family for generations. They make a wonderful light and fluffy pancake that everyone loves. We always call them Dad’s pancakes, because after church on occasional Sundays, he would whip up a batch of these before sitting down to the read the paper. It was one of the few meals he made seeing my Mom was the cook of the family. I asked my Mom recently where the recipe originated and apparently my Grandma got the recipe from the cafe she used to work at in town.

These easy buttermilk pancakes are always delicious and continue to be requested for family brunches along with our favorite Blueberry Coffee Cake. They can be prepared ahead of time and they also store well, so it is really convenient too. Make a batch to take camping, or just keep a bottle of the batter in your fridge for an easy and delicious breakfast you can whip up in minutes.

Best Buttermilk Pancake Recipe with pour of syrup

What is buttermilk?

Originally and still in some places around the globe, buttermilk came from the sour and fermented liquid left over from producing butter. However, nowadays the kind of buttermilk you find in most grocery stores is a cultured milk product.

It has a slightly sour flavor. In terms of drinking it straight, people either love it or hate it. Kind of like kefir, the liquid yogurt drink.

The sourness is from fermentation, not because it has “gone bad”. In fact, since ancient times, the fermentation was used as a means of preserving the milk for consumption in warm climates.

But even if you are not a fan of drinking straight buttermilk, it is amazing for using in pancakes!

Why is buttermilk ideal for pancakes?

The sourness of buttermilk is due to lactic acid which forms when the milk ferments  naturally or through adding cultures to ferment it. The lactic acid does a few things… and all of them are useful and wonderful to making delicious pancakes.

First off, it gives buttermilk pancakes more flavor. Think of it the same way that sour milk starter gives sourdough bread that special tang of flavor.

It also interacts with the baking soda and baking powder to make them more effective at guess what? Making the pancakes more light and fluffy!

So even if you don’t like buttermilk by itself, never fear, because it helps make out of this world pancakes.

Best Buttermilk Pancake Recipe with butter and syrup

Homemade Buttermilk Pancakes are easy!

Mixing the wet and dry ingredients for your own pancake batter is a simple matter of tossing everything in a bowl and stirring it.

No need to overstir the ingredients or else you risk losing your light and fluffy and replacing it with chewy and dense. Just stir the ingredients until they are mixed. Lumps are ok. If you over stir the mixture, then gluten strands will develop.

That might be great for making pizza dough, but when it comes to pancakes you will be looking at a bunch of faces trying to pretend they like your homemade buttermilk pancakes, looking like they are chewing rotten egg flavored chewing gum.

Can you make the pancake batter ahead of time?

If you want to make the batter ahead of time, then I recommend it. One, it stores well. You can keep it in your fridge for about 2 weeks without a problem.

The only thing to remember if you want to pre-mix your homemade buttermilk pancake batter is to keep the baking powder and baking soda out of the mixture until you are going to cook your pancakes.

Add those right before you are ready to hit the hot griddle with your batter. Mix gently.

You can store the batter in any convenient container with a resealable lid and ideally one that is easy to pour from.

Best Buttermilk Pancake Recipe with bite taken out

Is there a substitute for buttermilk that works?

You can use milk or even water as the liquid in this recipe if you don’t have any buttermilk handy. However, if you still want that extra flair of flavor, then using kefir, sour cream, or even yogurt is possible.

The advantage of those is you still get the “sour” into the flavor as well as the boost in fluffiness from the lactic acid helping your leavening agents, baking soda and baking powder.

However, the best way to go is definitely use buttermilk. Your taste buds will thank me for it.

Can I substitute flour with pancake mix?

I have a friend that is so convinced that she can’t bake that even throwing together a few ingredients presents a challenge. I know her first question will be “Can’t I just use pancake mix instead?”

No need to judge because the answer is a big huge “YES!”

Just remember pre-made pancake mixes include all the dry ingredients so you don’t have to do anything but add the buttermilk, eggs, and oil. Again, don’t overstir the ingredients, just get them lightly mixed.

Best Buttermilk Pancake Recipe served with syrup

Can you make pancakes ahead of time?

In my mind, there is nothing like a fresh cooked homemade buttermilk pancake flipped right off the griddle surface onto a plate, warm and ready for butter and syrup. So I always recommend storing a batch of ready mixed batter to pour out as needed.

But sometimes you make a few extra and everyone is too full to enjoy another. In those cases, you can actually store them and reheat to eat later. To reheat, place the pancakes on a plate and cover with a very lightly damp paper towel. Throw it in the microwave for about thirty seconds tops.

It may not be as amazing as a freshly cooked one, but it is good enough to eat and good enough to know that you didn’t just waste it either.

Complete your breakfast or brunch with these recipe suggestions:

Homemade buttermilk pancakes are just one delicious part of a great breakfast or brunch. Here are some other recipes I recommend to complete the meal.

  • Easy to cook microwave egg cups
  • Spicy ham and egg sandwich
  • Light Mexican Egg Casserole
  • Tropical Passion smoothie

Best Buttermilk Pancake Recipe on plate for breakfast

Continue to Content
Best Buttermilk Pancake Recipe with butter and syrup

Best Buttermilk Pancake Recipe

Yield: 20 small pancakes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes

Best Buttermilk Pancake Recipe is a family favorite that is always requested for brunch. You can even make these fluffy homemade pancakes ahead of time and refrigerate the batter overnight for camping or a quick breakfast!

Ingredients

  • 4 eggs
  • 1/4 c. sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 c. canola oil
  • 1 qt. buttermilk
  • 3 c. flour
  • 2 tsp. baking soda
  • 4 tsp. baking powder

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, beat the eggs until a lemon color. Add the sugar, salt, oil, and half of the buttermilk and flour. Mix well.
  2. Mix in the remaining buttermilk and flour. Lastly add baking powder and soda right before cooking. (Batter can be made in advance without the powder and soda)
  3. Turn griddle to medium heat or heat a large skillet over medium heat on the stove.
  4. Add a small amount of butter to the hot griddle, to just give it a thin coat.
  5. Ladle 1/3 cup of the batter onto the griddle. Cook for a couple of minutes, until small bubbles start to form on the top.
  6. Flip the pancakes over and cook on other side until just golden in color.
  7. Remove from pan and serve topped with butter and syrup.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

  • BLACK+DECKER Family-Sized Electric Griddle
    BLACK+DECKER Family-Sized Electric Griddle
© The Creative Bite
1.4Kshares

Keep in touch!when you subscribe for the latest recipes

Thank you!

You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

.

Filed Under: Breakfast, Main Dishes, Recipe, Recipe Video, Vegetarian, Vegetarian


This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Comments

  1. Asha says

    June 10, 2020 at 11:39 am

    I added 2Tsp of vanilla extract and a handful of brown sugar. I only added 1 tsp of salt, 1 1/2 tsp of baking powder and maaayyyybe 3tsp of baking soda because the buttermilk receives usually say use less of those ingredients or not at all. They were a slam dunk for breakfast with my husband and kids.

    Reply
  2. Tj says

    September 13, 2020 at 2:26 pm

    These were really good but make a lot! Four of us ate 2-3 each and probably have 20 left, and these are not small but regular size pancakes.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Welcome to The Creative Bite, where I love sharing my favorite recipes for everyday healthy meals and occasional twists and treats!

About Danielle

Keep in touch!when you subscribe for the latest recipes straight to your inbox

Thank you!

You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

.

The Latest

smoked chicken salad piled on sesame bun with lettuce and tomato

Smoked Chicken Salad

mac and cheese with broccoli and ham in casserole

Mac and Cheese with Ham & Broccoli

Cheesy Ham & Broccoli Tater Tot Hotdish spoonful

Cheesy Ham & Broccoli Tater Tot Hotdish

creamy classic hummus in white bowl topped with chickpeas

Classic Hummus Recipe

Cheesy Hot Ham & Broccoli Crescent Pockets are a family friendly dinner idea perfect for using up leftover ham! Flaky crescents are filled with a cheddar, broccoli and ham mixture and topped with buttery croutons.

Cheesy Hot Ham & Broccoli Crescent Pockets

sliced candied bacon wrapped ham on cutting board

Candied Bacon Double Smoked Traeger Ham

Keep in touch!when you subscribe for the latest recipes

Thank you!

You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

.
Copyright ©2021, The Creative Bite / Design by Pixel Me Designs / Privacy Policy