Homemade Buttermilk Pancakes

This recipe for Homemade Buttermilk Pancakes is fluffy, tender, and substantially better than the bagged mixes.

Best Buttermilk Pancakes Recipe

I used to be a Bisquick girl until we ran out of the mix in 2020. So, I experimented and ended up making the fluffiest buttermilk pancakes ever and have never looked back! A Saturday staple in our house for the past 5 years, these homemade pancakes are freaking easy and better than bagged mixes by a factor of 1,000. Incredibly fluffy, tender, and just the right amount of sweet, these golden bad boys will have you flipping flapjacks on the weekly.

And because I know one of you will run into this problem – don’t panic if you don’t have buttermilk! You can still make these homemade pancakes with a buttermilk substitute!

Here’s how to make your own buttermilk at home:

Measure out 1 cup of milk (this could be whole milk, skim milk, or a dairy-free alternative like almond or soy milk).
To the milk, add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice (bottled is fine).
Stir the mixture and let it sit for about 10 minutes. It will thicken a bit and small curdles will form, signaling it’s ready to use.

Image of buttermilk syrup being poured onto a stack of pancakes made from scratch.

Buttermilk Pancake Ingredients

I always have these ingredients (or their easy substitute) on hand! That makes this homemade pancake recipe just as accessible as the bagged mixes, only yummier.

All-purpose flour – Regular all-purpose works great here!
Baking powder
Salt
Granulated sugar
1/2 cup milk – Use any type of milk you’d like here.
1 1/2 cups buttermilk – This will give your pancakes the perfect fluff with a subtly sweet flavor. You can also use a buttermilk substitute, if needed!
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
Butter, melted – I always use salted butter.

Side view of syrup dripping down a stack of homemade buttermilk pancakes.

How to Make Buttermilk Pancakes from Scratch

In a medium sized bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and granulated sugar.
In a separate bowl, combine the milk, buttermilk, vanilla and eggs. Whisk until smooth.
Pour the liquid into the dry ingredients and begin to whisk together. While whisking, add in the melted butter.
Whisk until combined.
Preheat your griddle to 325° F.
Scoop batter (about ⅓ cup per pancake) onto the griddle at a time, moving the batter in a circular motion until you have a circle.
Allow the pancakes to cook until they are bubbling on the top and the bottom is golden brown.
Flip and then cook until golden brown, again.
Serve warm with butter and syrup.
Enjoy!

Aerial view of a stack of homemade pancakes on the counter with pancake ingredients.

Tips for making Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes

If you’re hoping to make ultra light & fluffy pancakes, here’s what you need to do: whisk all the liquid ingredients, except for the butter, together so they are smooth and slightly bubbly (this introduces some air into the mix). Once your liquid ingredients are combined, mix in the dry ingredients. When the batter starts to come together, whisk in the melted butter. And boom! You’ll have restaurant-level fluffy pancakes.

Fluffy Buttermilk Pancake Recipe FAQs

Why do you put buttermilk in pancakes?

The buttermilk in your pancakes reacts with the other ingredients, making them rise and giving your pancakes height and a fluffy texture.

Should you let buttermilk pancake batter sit?

You can, but it’s not necessary in this recipe to make them fluffy!

Should you cook pancakes in butter or oil?

It doesn’t really matter – you can use either and these pancakes will turn out great. I typically just use butter because it is more easily accessible in my kitchen.

Should pancake batter be thick or thin?

The long of the short is that pancake batter shouldn’t be too thick or too thin! You want it to be thin enough that it is pourable, but still thick enough to coat the back of the spoon (and thus not spread too much when baking).

Aerial view of a stack of homemade pancakes with syrup and butter. Across the top it says "buttermilk pancakes"

Other Breakfast Favorites

Aerial view of a stack of homemade buttermilk pancakes from scratch with syrup and butter.

Homemade Buttermilk Pancakes Recipe

This recipe for Homemade Buttermilk Pancakes is fluffy, tender, and substantially better than the bagged mixes.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 10

Servings: Servings

Calories: 181kcal

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
3 tbsp butter, melted

Instructions

In a medium sized bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and granulated sugar.
In a separate bowl, combine the milk, buttermilk, vanilla and eggs. Whisk until smooth.
Pour the liquid into the dry ingredients and begin to whisk together. While whisking, add in the melted butter.
Whisk until combined.
Preheat your griddle to 325° F.
Scoop about 1/3 cup servings of batter onto the griddle at a time, moving the batter in a circular motion until you have a circle.
Allow the pancakes to cook until they are bubbling on the top and the bottom is golden brown.
Flip and then cook until golden brown, again.
Serve warm with butter and syrup.
Enjoy!