Old Fashioned Buttermilk Pancakes

Old Fashioned Buttermilk Pancakes beat all those pre-mixed concoctions by a long shot. Try my tips to make them extra fluffy, and then add a big hit of butter and syrup!

A hand sticking a fork in a stack of pancakes.

Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes

Your Saturday morning just got better because these are the perfect pancakes to make for your family each and every weekend. Comfort food at its best and you’ll never regret making from scratch pancakes for your people. Say it with me. “Homemade buttermilk pancakes for life. Never a box mix again!”

We’ve recently been making these fluffy Blueberry Lemon Pancakes too, and you should definitely give them a try next Saturday morning!

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Why This Recipe Works:

  1. SIMPLE – All the ingredients are easy to find in your grocery store, and these pancakes take less than an hour to make.
  2. CLASSIC – This is a classic pancake recipe that is probably easy to replicate on the internet. However, my tips yield the MOST DELICIOUS pancakes ever!
  3. EASY TO MEAL PREP – I used to make these in large batches for an easy breakfast for the kids when they were young. Leftover pancakes stored correctly are 10/10.
Side view of a stack of pancakes with a big wedge out.

What You’ll Need:

  • Large Eggs
  • Buttermilk **
  • Unsalted Butter
  • Vanilla Extract
  • Granulated Sugar
  • All-Purpose Flour
  • Baking Powder
  • Baking Soda

** Use real buttermilk from the store. I don’t recommend a substitute here (speaking from experience).

The ingredients for the buttermilk pancakes.

How to make Old Fashioned Buttermilk Pancakes:

Step 1
Separate Eggs. Separate the egg yolks and whites and place yolks in a large bowl and the whites in a separate small bowl.

Step 2
Combine wet ingredients. To the egg yolks, add the remaining wet ingredients – the buttermilk, (slightly cooled) melted butter, and vanilla. Use a whisk to combine well.

Step 3
Add dry ingredients to wet. Then add the dry ingredients – the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Use a spoon to mix until just combined. A few small lumps are ok.

Step 4
Whip egg whites. Use a hand mixer to beat the egg whites until soft peaks form, about 4-5 minutes.

Step 5
Fold in egg whites to batter. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the egg whites into the buttermilk pancake batter. Don’t whip the batter; just use a gentle hand to fold it together.

Step 6
Rest. Let the batter rest for about 10-15 minutes so that it thickens. This will guarantee an airy pancake that will soon become a family favorite.

Step 7
Cook pancakes. In a pancake griddle or nonstick skillet, add a drizzle of oil over medium heat, and then add about 1/3 cup of batter for each pancake. Cook until you see little bubbles and then gently flip to cook the other side until golden brown.

A pan with a pancake that's cooking.

Step 8
Serve. Serve these fluffy pancakes with a generous pat of butter and a drizzle of pancake syrup!

Storing and Freezing:

  • STORE. Store leftover pancakes in an airtight container in your refrigerator for 4-5 days.
  • FREEZE. These old-fashioned pancakes are easy to freeze for later. Just place a piece of parchment paper between each pancake and place in a large freezer bag.

What to serve with Old Fashioned Buttermilk Pancakes:

Try some delicious Cinnamon Brioche French Toast next!

Side view of a stack of pancakes with butter and syrup.

How can I make my pancakes fluffy?

  1. Use buttermilk. The acidity in buttermilk helps homemade pancakes get fluffy. For best results, buy a carton of buttermilk instead of making your own.
  2. Separate the eggs. Whipping the egg whites will bring an extra layer of fluffy to pancakes. It’s simple and worth it.
  3. Make sure your leavener is still good.
  4. Use a gently hand when mixing the pancake batter.
  5. Rest the batter. I let the pancake batter sit for 15 minutes before making them.
A hand pouring syrup over a stack of buttermilk pancakes.

Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)

xoxo ~Sue

Old Fashioned Buttermilk Pancakes

Old Fashioned Buttermilk Pancakes beat all those pre-mixed concoctions by a long shot. Try my tips to make them extra fluffy, and then add a big hit of butter and syrup!
5 from 15 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 12 pancakes
Calories: 178kcal
Author: Sue Ringsdorf

Ingredients

  • 2 large eggs – separated
  • 2 ¼ cups buttermilk
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter – melted
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • Separate Eggs. Separate the egg yolks and whites and place yolks in a large bowl and the whites in a separate small bowl.
  • Combine wet ingredients. To the egg yolks, add the remaining wet ingredients – the buttermilk, (slightly cooled) melted butter, and vanilla. Use a whisk to combine well.
  • Add dry ingredients to wet. Then add the dry ingredients – the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Use a spoon to mix until just combined. A few small lumps are ok.
  • Whip egg whites. Use a hand mixer to beat the egg whites until soft peaks form, about 4-5 minutes.
  • Fold in egg whites to batter. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the egg whites into the buttermilk pancake batter. Don’t whip the batter; just use a gentle hand to fold it together.
  • Let the batter rest for about 10-15 minutes so that it thickens. This will guarantee an airy pancake that will soon become a family favorite.
  • Cook pancakes. In a pancake griddle or nonstick skillet, add a drizzle of oil over medium heat, and then add about 1/3 cup of batter for each pancake. Cook until you see little bubbles and then gently flip to cook the other side until golden brown.
  • Serve. Serve these fluffy pancakes with a generous pat of butter and a drizzle of pancake syrup!
  • STORE. Store leftover pancakes in an airtight container in your refrigerator for 4-5 days.

Notes

How can I make my pancakes fluffy?

  1. Use buttermilk. The acidity in buttermilk helps homemade pancakes get fluffy. For best results, buy a carton of buttermilk instead of making your own.
  2. Separate the eggs. Whipping the egg whites will bring an extra layer of fluffy to pancakes. It’s simple and worth it.
  3. Make sure your leavener is still good.
  4. Use a gently hand when mixing the pancake batter.
  5. Rest the batter. I let the pancake batter sit for 15 minutes before making them.
These old-fashioned pancakes are easy to freeze for later. Just place a piece of parchment paper between each pancake and place in a large freezer bag.

Nutrition

Calories: 178kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 346mg | Potassium: 167mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 237IU | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @Suebeehomemaker or tag #suebeehomemaker!

28 Comments

  1. Pancakes are thick and fluffy. Best pancake recipe I’ve found!💜

    1. Suebee Homemaker says:

      This makes me happy to hear, Lisa!

  2. These are the pancakes of my dreams….they turned out amazing and I know I will be making them again and again. Thank you for sharing this recipe with us!

    1. Suebee Homemaker says:

      Awww thanks Julie!

  3. Best pancake recipe I have found yet! Thank you so much for sharing @suebeehomemaker! My family and I love them! I subbed AP flour with King Arthur AP Gluten free flour and kept all other ingredients the same. Thank you for a delicious recipe!

    1. Suebee Homemaker says:

      Hi Alvina! Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try. I appreciate your feedback!

  4. These are definitely worth the extra steps of whipping the egg whites and letting the batter sit for a while. They are soo light and fluffy, with a crisp edge. Way better than most pancakes I’ve had a restaurants too. 1 batch fed us 4 adults perfectly, and next time I will personally make them a little big bigger than 1/3 c.

    1. Suebee Homemaker says:

      I love to hear this Samantha! Thanks for your feedback!

  5. Oh my gosh! So yummy!! Tried these this morning, instead of my usual recipe, since I had buttermilk on hand-was so glad I did! So thick and fluffy! I agree- use real buttermilk, you won’t regret it! I may now keep it on hand just for these! 😊

  6. Best pancakes ever! I could eat these all day!

    1. Suebee Homemaker says:

      Thanks Josh!

  7. Arlee Coppinger says:

    Excellent! So fluffy and wonderful flavor—I liked adding vanilla. I used an extra egg since mine were small. I only let the batter set about 8-9 minutes while cooking sausages, and it was very fluffy and thick. I had left over buttermilk so thought I’d try this recipe. My husband wants these again. It made 12 large pancakes so I’ll freeze the extras. Thanks so much!

    1. Suebee Homemaker says:

      I’m so glad you enjoyed these pancakes, Arlee!

    2. Suebee Homemaker says:

      Our favorite pancake recipe!

  8. Amazing! I almost never cook pancakes and when I do, they are from mixes. Had leftover buttermilk and decided to try this recipe. So worth the effort! Surprised my husband, a pancake lover, he rated them higher than IHOP 🙂 Followed the recipe exactly, except cut the sugar by half. Made closer to 15 pancakes. Never tried storing in fridge or freezing, that’s next. Excellent recipe, thanks!

  9. I made em without whipping the egg whites (cause I’m lazy) and these were still the best pancakes I’ve ever made. Amazing!

  10. Ok… when your son comes home from college and you want to impress him with breakfast, make these pancakes.
    As a college student, he didn’t wake until mid afternoon.. I was at the grocery store and received a text that said, “Did you use a different pancake batter? I replied, yes and why???? He responded, they are REALLY good. So, make these for your family and they will sing your praises.

    1. Suebee Homemaker says:

      Awww, thanks, Michelle!! Give Mike a hug from me! 🙂

      1. Can I use white whole wheat flour instead of AP flour. Thanks

        1. Suebee Homemaker says:

          I haven’t tested it with anything other than all-purpose flour but you could definitely give it a try.

  11. Sasha @ Eat Love Eat says:

    These look amazing! You really can’t beat a stack of pancakes, can you? 🙂

    1. Suebee Homemaker says:

      We love our pancakes!! 🙂

  12. Carol Borchardt says:

    Love, love buttermilk pancakes! Since moving to the South a number of years ago, I have really learned to love and appreciate buttermilk. Awesome ingredient and these look awesome!

    1. Suebee Homemaker says:

      Thanks Carol! I hope you try them! 🙂

    2. It’s doesn’t specify when to add sugar. First time I made them I added with wet ingredients and they were great nice and fluffy yet solid. 2nd time my husband had our it in with the dry and the pancakes still tasted great but more flat and not as solid. Is there a specific time you recommend adding the sugar?

      1. Suebee Homemaker says:

        I just fixed it. Add sugar when you add the dry ingredients. Thanks for letting me know!

  13. Dominique | Perchance to Cook says:

    OMG these look like the perfect pancakes… I want a stack of these this weekend! 🙂

    1. Suebee Homemaker says:

      Thanks Dominique! I hope you try them. 🙂

5 from 15 votes (1 rating without comment)

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