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Classic Buttermilk Pancakes

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A light fluffy flat cake, aka: pancake, made from a rich creamy buttermilk batter and baked on a hot griddle. Also called flapjacks, griddlecakes, battercakes, hot cakes, or flannel cakes. Around here…we just call them “Good ol’ Pancakes!” Really GOOD! 

When it comes to breakfast… Pancakes are my personal favorite!

Stack of Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes with a pat of butter and rich maple syrup

Seriously! I’ve spent YEARS perfecting the Perfect Buttermilk Pancake! What makes them “Perfect”? They’re light, fluffy, and melt in your mouth scrumptious! Most importantly…according to Mars…they HAVE to have Buttermilk! (I hate to admit it…but he’s right!)

Plate piled high with light fluffy buttermilk pancakes topped with rich maple syrup

The secret to this recipe…besides the required “buttermilk” is the addition of extra melted butter mixed in with the cold buttermilk and eggs! (Can ya have too much butter? Naw!)

So what makes that extra butter so special? I’m so glad you asked! The minute you start whisking that melted butter into those ice-cold ingredients you get little “butter balls”! (I’m not talking miniature Turkey’s floating around in the batter friends. Lol I’m talking about real little balls of butter!) Those little butter balls are going to create the perfect little “air pockets” in your pancakes as they melt while cooking. (Genius right?!!! I know! It’s amazing!)

How To Make Classic Buttermilk Pancakes

What you’ll need to have on hand

  • All-purpose flour
  • Sugar
  • Baking Powder and Baking Soda
  • Salt
  • Buttermilk! (Gotta have that buttermilk! Remember…Mars said so!)
  • Milk
  • Eggs
  • Butter (Or as I like to call it…Buttah!) 

In a large bowl whisk together 3 Cups of Flour, 3 Tablespoons white sugar, 3 teaspoons baking powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda, 3/4 teaspoon salt.

It’s important to whisk those ingredients together. It’s like sifting and sifting flour creates a lighter flour which is what we want when making cake batter. These are, after all, PanCAKES!  

Bowl with Flour, Sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt

In a separate bowl, beat together buttermilk, milk (note you may need to add a little extra milk AFTER the batter is made), and eggs.

*See tips in the recipe card for cutting this recipe in half.

Bowl with wet ingredients, buttermilk, milk, eggs,

In a microwave safe bowl, melt 1/3 cup butter. (Buttah is what life is all about! The good stuff!)

bowl with melted butter

Slowly drizzle melted butter into your wet ingredients while quickly whisking! THIS is the MOST important step my friends! DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP! The future life of your pancakes and the love of your children depends on this step! (Y’all probably think I’m being overly dramatic about this…and your point?)

Bowl with wet buttermilk pancake ingredients combined.

Now I took this photo especially for y’all! So stop… pause… and marvel at the beauty of….wait for it…BUTTER BALLS! Yep those little congealed balls of butter are going to make the BEST BUTTERMILK PANCAKES that have ever entered past your lips and slapped your taste buds awake…even on a Saturday morning!

You’re welcome! (Oh trust me…you are going thank me for this!)

Close up photo of whisk with butter balls.

Now this next step is also important. So pay attention friends!

You now have two bowls of ingredients. One dry…one wet. When it comes to pancakes…and ONLY pancakes…we believe in segregation! We do not marry these two bowls together until the griddle is nice and hot and then…and ONLY then…do we introduce them to each other!

Why? Because the minute that buttery buttermilk mixture hits the perfectly whisked ingredients…it’s going to activate the baking soda and baking powder, the other key ingredients that create the “Fluff” in these amazing fluffy pancakes.

Heat up and lightly oil your griddle! It’s time to get flipping!

When the griddle is hot…flick water across the surface and if it beads up and sizzles (kind of like me in the summer) It’s ready!

NOW  you can mix those two bowls together. See those bubbles…it happens almost instantly!

Bowl with pancake mixture

Whisk until just blended. Do not over stir. See the air bubbles?

This is the Best Buttermilk Pancake Batter ever created!

Bowl with mixed pancake batter

Pour or scoop the batter onto your hot griddle. Watch as they rise, and the bubbles begin to burst. (We want those little bubbles bursting!) 

Pancake Batter on hot griddle baking

Flip that beautiful Buttermilk Pancake once it is golden brown.

Buttermilk pancake flipped over on griddle

Brown on both sides and serve hot! I like to stack them on a plate covered with a fresh dish cloth, country style, until I have them all baked. (We aren’t too fancy at this Nest! Just get ’em cooked and stack ’em up!)

Aren’t those pretty? They taste even better.

Flipped Buttermilk Pancakes

These are truly the BEST Buttermilk Pancakes! They are everything a really GREAT buttermilk pancake should be. Light, Fluffy, and Melt-in-your-mouth delicious! (I know I’ve said it a bazillion times in this post, but it deserves repeating… They are the BEST!) 

Tips for creating the PERFECT Buttermilk Pancake

  • Whisk dry ingredients together in a separate bowl
  • Whisk melted butter, quickly, into other wet ingredients
  • Keep dry and wet ingredients separate until ready to bake pancakes~No mixing it up early!
  • Cook on a HOT griddle, test griddle by flicking water across the griddle
  • Wait till most, but not all, of the bubbles burst before flipping to other side
Stack of Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes with a pat of butter and rich maple syrup

Before I go I just want to point out one other thing…a good pancake ALWAYS has an outer golden ring! Do you see it? That’s the sign of a great pancake!

The buttery flavor of these Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes is just one of the many things that make them a “stand out” among all the other “hot cakes”. This recipe truly combines all the best baking elements into one pile of fantastic flapjacks!

If you really want to “up” your hot cake game you can toss some blueberries on top of each pancake as they are baking before flipping…you’ll have the BEST Blueberry Pancakes!

Favorite Pancake Recipes

Thanks for stopping by. These pancakes come together super quickly, about 25 minutes from start to finish!

Add your favorite syrup, grab a fork, and let’s get this Pancake Party Started!

Happy Nesting!

Photo of Norine and her signature.
Yield: 12 servings

Classic Buttermilk Pancakes

Classic Buttermilk Pancakes

A very light and fluffy buttermilk pancake that makes the BEST Pancakes you'll ever have!

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 Tablespoons sugar
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/3 cup butter, melted

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  2. In a separate bowl, beat together buttermilk, milk, and eggs.
  3. In a separate microwave safe bowl, melt butter. Using a whisk, drizzle melted butter into buttermilk mix, whisking quickly as mixing.
  4. Keep the two mixture separate until you are ready to cook.
  5. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Flick water across the surface...if it beads up and sizzles, it's ready for cooking.
  6. Pour wet mixture into the dry mixture. Mix until just combined. Do not over stir.
  7. Pour or scoop batter onto the hot griddle.
  8. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

Notes

This recipe can be cut in half by using two eggs and cutting all other ingredients in half.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12 servings

Serving Size:

3 pancakes

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 219Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 63mgSodium: 592mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 1gSugar: 6gProtein: 7g

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Crystal

Friday 23rd of February 2024

OMG!!! I have been looking for a recipe for pancakes like my mom used to make when I was a kid. This is it!!!! They made me very happy. Thanks for aharing

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Tuesday 12th of March 2024

Hi Crystal! I'm so glad this recipe met Mom's standards! A high compliment indeed! This is hands down my very favorite pancake recipe! I make them almost weekly for my crew and love the texture and taste of these fluffy homemade buttermilk cakes! I'm happy to hear you enjoyed them too. Thank you for taking the time to visit and share with me. You made my day! Norine

Sandy

Sunday 23rd of October 2022

Hi Norine, Is it ok to use All purpose gluten free flour?

Thank you Sandy

Pam

Thursday 12th of January 2023

@Sandy, I'm not sure why you are asking about Gluten Free but if you are not celiac you might try Sunrise Flour Mill or Einkorn flours for these pancakes. These are both wheat flours, however they are heritage wheat grains or ancient wheat grains free of recent alteration of the grains. I am allergic to wheat, I stop breathing, and I can eat these wheat grains.

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Monday 24th of October 2022

Hi Sandy! I haven't made this recipe using gluten free flour. I would say use your best judgement. If you bake frequently with gluten free flour you probably would know better than I. I would think it would work. I find this to be a super forgiving recipe. I've made it dairy free with wonderful results. Sorry I'm not much help. Norine

Deirdra

Thursday 18th of August 2022

How can I halve the recipe?

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Friday 19th of August 2022

Hi Deirdra! If you just scroll down or hit the "jump to recipe" button at the top of the page it will take you right to the recipe that is free and printable.

Norine

debby newpol

Saturday 20th of June 2020

Best pancakes ever!! And the recipe was very well written. New family fave!

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Tuesday 23rd of June 2020

Hi Debby! Thanks! I make this recipe at least once a week, every week! My husband LOVES fresh blueberry buttermilk pancakes so I make them for him every week using this recipe. I have to agree that this recipe makes the BEST pancakes! I consider myself a pancake expert...lol! (Eating them, not making them) Thanks for stopping by and sharing! Hope you have a great week and stay safe! Happy Nesting! Norine

Rosemary Mach

Friday 22nd of May 2020

Made these before, gotta make them again!

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Tuesday 26th of May 2020

Hi Rosemary! I love these pancakes so much! Make them all the time! All. The. Time! I'm so glad you stopped by. Hope you'll visit again soon. Happy Nesting! Norine

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