Fluffy buttermilk pancakes are tall, tender and slightly tangy, with golden, lightly crisp edges. The buttermilk reacts with baking soda to lift the batter, and a few minutes of rest thickens it so the pancakes rise instead of spreading. You'll need two bowls, a whisk and a hot griddle, and breakfast is on the table in about 35 minutes.
Why a lumpy batter makes fluffy buttermilk pancakes
Lumps are a sign you stopped mixing in time. Every stroke after the flour disappears builds gluten, and gluten makes a pancake chewy and short instead of soft and tall. Most flat pancakes come from a batter that was mixed too much, spread too thin or pressed on the griddle. Watch for these:
- Leave the lumps. Stir the wet and dry ingredients with a spatula just until you can't see streaks of dry flour. Small lumps melt away on the heat.
- Rest the batter 5 to 10 minutes. It thickens noticeably and bubbles start to form on top.
- Don't stir it again after resting. Scoop gently from the edge of the bowl so you don't knock out the bubbles.
- Never press with the spatula. Pushing down squeezes out the air you just built.
Batter doesn't keep its lift for long, so cook it within 30 minutes of mixing. If it's been sitting and looks runny, the leaveners have mostly spent themselves and the pancakes will cook up thinner.
What buttermilk and baking soda do together
Buttermilk does three jobs at once. Its acidity reacts with baking soda to produce carbon dioxide, which gives the batter a strong, fast rise. The acid also weakens gluten a little, so the finished pancake is soft rather than chewy. And it adds a mild tang that keeps a stack drenched in maple syrup from tasting flat and one note sweet.
This recipe uses both baking soda and baking powder. The soda needs the buttermilk's acid to work, and it also helps the pancakes brown. The powder carries its own acid and gives a second lift once the batter heats up. Together they give a tall pancake that doesn't taste soapy or metallic.
Buy cultured, full fat or low fat buttermilk if you can. Shake the carton well before measuring, since it separates as it sits. Buttermilk that's thick and pours slowly makes a thicker batter, and that's a good thing here.
Reading the griddle with the first pancake
Set an electric griddle to 375°F. On a stovetop, heat a heavy skillet or griddle pan over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, then test it: flick a few drops of water on the surface. They should skitter and sizzle away in a second or two.
| Griddle heat | What you'll see | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Below 350°F | Few bubbles, pale surface after 4 minutes | Dense, pale and greasy |
| 350°F to 375°F | Even bubbles, golden underside at 2 to 3 minutes | Tall, tender, evenly browned |
| Above 400°F | Smoke, dark spots within a minute | Burnt outside, raw center |
The first pancake is your thermometer. If it browns too fast, turn the heat down a notch; if it's pale after 3 minutes, turn it up. Wipe the pan with a paper towel dipped in melted butter or oil between batches. Too much fat gives lacy, fried edges, which some people love, but a thin film gives the most even color.
Is there a good substitute for buttermilk?
Homemade soured milk works well in a pinch. Pour 2 tablespoons of lemon juice or white vinegar into a measuring cup, then add whole milk to the 2 cup line. Let it stand for 5 minutes until it thickens slightly and looks curdled at the edges. It isn't as thick as real buttermilk, so the batter will be a little looser and the pancakes a bit thinner.
Other options that work:
- Plain yogurt: whisk 1 1/3 cups plain whole milk yogurt with 2/3 cup milk. It gives the most buttermilk-like result.
- Kefir: use it one for one. It's tangier and very close in texture.
- Sour cream: thin 1 cup with 1 cup milk.
Don't swap in plain milk without adding acid. Without it, the baking soda has nothing to react with, and the pancakes taste flat and turn out dense.
Holding a batch warm without soggy bottoms
Heat the oven to 200°F and set a wire rack on a sheet pan inside. Move each batch straight onto the rack in a single layer. The rack lets steam escape, so the pancakes stay crisp at the edges instead of going soggy the way they do when stacked on a plate. They'll hold well for up to 20 minutes, which is enough to cook the whole batch and sit down together.
Blueberries dropped onto each pancake right after the batter goes on the griddle cook into jammy pockets, the same pairing that makes a lemon blueberry pound cake work. For a weekend brunch spread, pancakes sit well next to something savory like eggs Benedict or crisp bacon.
Leftovers freeze well. Cool them on the rack, freeze in a single layer, then bag them. Reheat straight from frozen in a toaster.
The recipe
Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes from Scratch
Ingredients
Dry ingredients
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons (25 g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon fine salt
Wet ingredients
- 2 cups (480 ml) buttermilk, shaken well
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 4 tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled, plus more for the griddle
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
For serving
- Maple syrup, soft butter and fresh berries
Instructions
- Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl until evenly combined.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In a second bowl or large measuring jug, whisk the buttermilk and eggs until smooth, then whisk in the melted butter and vanilla. If the butter clumps, the buttermilk was cold; it's fine, keep going.
- Combine gently. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and fold with a spatula just until no dry flour is visible, about 10 strokes. The batter should be thick and lumpy.
- Rest the batter. Let the batter stand for 5 to 10 minutes while you heat the griddle to 375°F or a heavy skillet over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Brush lightly with butter.
- Cook the first side. Scoop 1/4 cup of batter per pancake onto the griddle, leaving room between them. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until bubbles on top pop and stay open and the edges look dry.
- Flip and finish. Flip once and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more, until the center springs back when pressed lightly and the underside is golden.
- Keep warm and serve. Transfer to a wire rack in a 200°F oven while you cook the rest, greasing the griddle lightly between batches. Serve hot with maple syrup, butter and berries.
Cook's notes
- Freeze cooled pancakes in a single layer, then transfer to a bag for up to 2 months. Reheat from frozen in a toaster or a 350°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes.
- You can mix the dry ingredients the night before and keep them covered. Don't mix the batter ahead; the leaveners lose their lift.
- For blueberry pancakes, drop 6 to 8 berries onto each pancake right after pouring rather than stirring them into the batter, which turns it grey.
Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes from Scratch questions
Why are my buttermilk pancakes flat?
Flat pancakes usually come from overmixing, old leaveners, or a batter that sat too long. Stir only until the flour disappears, leaving lumps, and check that your baking powder and baking soda are less than six months old. Cook the batter within 30 minutes of mixing, and don't press the pancakes with a spatula after flipping.
Does pancake batter keep overnight?
Not well. Baking soda starts reacting with the buttermilk as soon as they meet, so overnight batter loses most of its lift and cooks up thin. Instead, whisk the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in a covered jug the night before, refrigerate the wet mix, then combine them in the morning.
When should you flip a buttermilk pancake?
Watch the top surface rather than the clock. Flip when bubbles rise, pop and leave small open holes that don't fill back in, and the edges look matte and slightly dry. On a griddle at 375°F that takes 2 to 3 minutes. The second side needs only 1 to 2 minutes, and one flip is all it gets.
How much whole wheat flour can go into the batter?
Up to half the flour can be whole wheat without much change in texture. Use 1 cup all-purpose and 1 cup whole wheat, and add 2 to 3 tablespoons of extra buttermilk, because whole wheat flour absorbs more liquid. All whole wheat pancakes work too, but they come out denser and nuttier.
Keep cooking
