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Classic Buttermilk Pancakes

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

Updated: 1-15-2025

Stack of buttermilk pancakes with syrup and butter on a white plate.

When it comes to breakfast… Pancakes are my personal favorite! Any size or shape, I love pancakes! As a child, “silver dollar” pancakes were always my “go to” when we went out to eat.

I’ve spent YEARS perfecting the Perfect Buttermilk Pancake! And THIS is the result! They’re so light and fluffy they melt in your mouth! Most importantly…according to Mars…they HAVE to have Buttermilk! (I hate to admit it…but he’s right!)

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 about miniature Turkeys 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 “buttery air pockets” in your pancakes as they melt while cooking. (Genius right?!!! I know! It’s amazing!)

  • Keep the dry and wet ingredients separate until ready to bake pancakes~No mixing them up early!
  • Cook on a HOT griddle, test the griddle by flicking water across the griddle.
  • Wait till most, but not all, of the bubbles burst before flipping to the other side.
  • Whisk the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl.
  • Whisk melted butter, quickly, into other wet ingredients
  • This recipe makes a LOT of pancakes, but it can easily be cut in half. Just use two eggs instead of three.
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups buttermilk
  • ½ cup milk
  • 3 eggs
  • ⅓ cup butter, melted
Ingredients for buttermilk pancakes

There are two components to this recipe. Your “dry ingredients” and your “wet ingredients”. Once you have all the ingredients for those two separate components prepared, you will then combine them to create the perfect pancake batter!

In a large bowl, whisk together 3 cups of flour, 3 tablespoons of white sugar, 3 teaspoons of baking powder, 1½ teaspoons of baking soda, ¾ teaspoon of salt.

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

Whisking together dried pancake ingredients in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, beat together buttermilk, milk and eggs. Whisk them together until well combined.

wet ingredients being whisked together in a large measuring cup.

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?)

Adding melted butter to milk and egg mixture.

Now I have taken 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 please pay attention, friends!

You now have two bowls of ingredients. One dry…one wet. When it comes to pancakes…we keep things separate! We do not mix 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 creamy buttermilk mixture hits the perfectly whisked dry 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.

Wait until your griddle is hot, and you’re ready to start making the world’s best pancakes! Once you’re ready, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk them together. You will have a wonderfully frothy batter!

Combining the wet and dry ingredients for the pancake batter.

Heat up and lightly oil your griddle! It’s time to get flipping! I generally set my griddle at 325°(F). Every griddle is different, so you’ll have to experiment with the first pancake.

TIP: 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!

Pour or scoop the batter onto your hot griddle. Watch as they rise, and the bubbles begin to burst. (We want those little bubbles to burst!) A word of caution, do not wait for ALL the bubbles to pop! That is such a “superstition”! It drives me crazy…and only creates burned pancakes.

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 clean dishcloth, 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!) 

Stack of pancakes on a plate with a pat of butter.

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!

Syrup pouring over a stack of buttermilk 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.
Stack of beautiful fluffy buttermilk pancakes.

Classic Buttermilk Pancakes

A very light and fluffy buttermilk pancake that makes the BEST Pancakes you'll ever have!
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 12 servings
Calories 219 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 Tablespoons sugar
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • teaspoons baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups buttermilk
  • ½ cup milk
  • 3 eggs
  • cup butter melted

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  • In a separate bowl, beat together buttermilk, milk, and eggs.
  • In a separate microwave safe bowl, melt butter. Using a whisk, drizzle melted butter into buttermilk mix, whisking quickly as mixing.
  • Keep the two mixture separate until you are ready to cook.
  • 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.
  • Pour wet mixture into the dry mixture. Mix until just combined. Do not over stir.
  • Pour or scoop batter onto the hot griddle.
  • 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.

Nutrition

Serving: 3pancakesCalories: 219kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 7gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 63mgSodium: 592mgFiber: 1gSugar: 6g
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27 Comments

    1. 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

    1. Hi Victoria!
      I have to agree with you on this one. I’ve tried so many pancake recipes over the years and this one is a winner. It’s so good every single time. I’m so glad you enjoyed it as much as we do. Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you are staying safe and having a wonderful weekend.
      Happy Nesting!
      Norine

  1. Norine,
    I just made these wonderful pancakes this past weekend. They were very easy to make and so so delicious!!! I added blueberries to them and you are right— they just upped the deliciousness!
    The best part is that we have leftover mix for tonight. It makes a huge amount. Hope they are as good tonight.
    Thank you for your great recipe. I am going to make your cranberry bread recipe this week also.
    I love your website- and as a former English teacher-
    I enjoy your style of writing and your humor. Always fun and interesting to read!
    Thanks.
    Samantha

    1. Hi Samantha!
      I’m so happy to hear you liked these pancakes! They’re a family favorite at this Nest! Oh and that Cranberry Bread…is the perfect treat this time of year!
      Thank you so much for your compliment on my writing style! I’m always in fear that when I die, and meet my former English teachers, they’re going to throw their heavenly dictionaries at me! All standard grammar rules go out the window with Blogging so…Your kind words mean the world to me!
      Have a wonderful week and a fantastic Holiday season!
      Happy Nesting!
      ~Norine

  2. Hi Marie!
    I use salted butter in all my recipes unless I state otherwise. I’m just a huge fan of salted butter. It’s all about the flavor for me. lol Hope the chicks at your Nest love these fluffy pancakes as much as the chicks at this nest do. Have a Great week!
    Happy Nesting!
    Norine

  3. Hi Marie!
    I use salted butter in everything I make unless otherwise stated in the recipe card. I’m a huge fan of salted butter. Don’t ask me why. Flavor…it’s always flavor. Thanks so much for stopping by and visiting with me. Hope your Nest loves these fluffy pancakes as much as the birds at my Nest do.
    Have a Great week!
    ~Norine

  4. Definitely going to have to try this! Pancakes are served very often at our house. Especially when I forget that I have to feed my family EVERY night lol

    1. Hi Katie!
      You’re family will LOVE these pancakes. They are so yummy! I can see them now…all over your kitchen floor and in two cute toddlers hair! 😉 It will go great with the bows!
      Thanks so much for stopping by! You’re the BEST!
      ~Norine

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