Easy Buttermilk Pancakes (2024)

Light, soft, and fluffy buttermilk pancakes with crisp golden edges. A simple and easy pancake recipe that you can make at home!

Serve the pancakes in an irresistible stack with maple syrup and fresh berries for the perfect weekend brunch or Shrove Tuesday breakfast!

My kids love this easy buttermilk pancake recipe for breakfast at the weekend.

Why not experiment with different toppings, flavourings, and mix-ins to create your own unique pancake creations? Happy flipping!

👩‍🍳 Love pancakes? Try my easy scotch pancakes (aka drop scones) or air fryer blueberry pancakes next!

Why use buttermilk in pancakes?

Buttermilk is a slightly sour, acidic dairy product that's often used in baking to add a tangy flavour and help with leavening.

It's made by fermenting milk with lactic acid bacteria, which causes it to thicken and develop a tangy taste.

Buttermilk is great in pancakes for the following reasons;

Flavour: The tangy flavor of buttermilk gives the pancakes a really unique flavour.

Activates raising agent: Buttermilk also helps to activate the raising agent (in this case bicarbonate of soda) in the pancake batter, which means light and fluffy pancakes from the off!

Breaks down gluten: The acid in buttermilk helps to break down the gluten in the flour, resulting in soft, moist, and melt-in-the-mouth pancakes!

💡 Pro Tip: Buttermilk is great in other baked goods too such as scones and muffins. My cherry and almond scones are made extra light and fluffy with buttermilk!

Homemade buttermilk

Buttermilk can sometimes be a little tricky to find, so if you can't find it in your local supermarket, or you've just run out, you can easily make some at home withmilk and fresh lemon juice (or white vinegarif you prefer)!

Follow my easy recipe for homemade buttermilk and in just 15 minutes you'll be ready to make these fluffy buttermilk pancakes!

✔️ Why you'll love this recipe!

• Light, fluffy, and soft pancakes.
• Feeds a crowd - the batter will make around 30 pancakes which is just about right for my family of 5, but you can easily half the recipe if you like!
• Perfect for weekend brunch.
• Serve on Shrove Tuesdays for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!

🛒 Ingredients

Ingredients you will need to make buttermilk pancakes;

Buttermilk - most supermarkets sell buttermilk, but you can also make your own buttermilk with milk and lemon juice!

Milk - I use whole or semi-skimmed milk for creaminess, which helps balance the tanginess of the buttermilk.

Flour - self-raising flour to make the pancakes light and fluffy.

Bicarbonate of Soda - acts as the raising agent.

Salt - ¼ teaspoon is needed for the batter.

Caster Sugar - for a little sweetness.

Eggs - 2 large free-range eggs.

Butter - melted and allowed to cool.

Vanilla Extract - use a good quality extract and not vanilla essence.

🔪 How to make buttermilk pancakes

The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post

One: Mix together the flour, salt, bicarbonate of soda, and caster sugar in a large mixing bowl.

Two: Whisk together the cooled melted butter, eggs, buttermilk, milk, and vanilla extract.

Three: Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients (be as gentle as possible) and leave the mixture to rest for 10 minutes.

Four: Heat a teaspoon of butter in a pancake pan or frying pan then use a ⅓ cup measuring cup to pour your batter into the pan, so you get evenly sized pancakes (if you don't have American cups, half fill a small teacup). You want the pancakes to be about 7-8cm wide. Cook on a medium heat until you see bubbles on the surface of the batter. Flip over and cook for another minute, lightly greasing the pancake pan regularly.

🍴 What to serve with pancakes

Here are a few pancake topping suggestions to try!

• Maple syrup and berries
• Chocolate sauce
• Raspberry Coulis
• Mixed Berry Compote
• Stewed Plums
• Blueberry Compote
• Strawberry Coulis
• Stewed Apples
• Honeycomb Ice Cream if you're serving them for dessert!
• Greek Yogurt and Roasted Rhubarb if you're feeling healthy!
• Serve the buttermilk pancakes on Shrove Tuesday with traditional toppings of lemon juice, sugar, and golden syrup!

Check out my what to serve with pancakes post for more ideas!

📖 Variations

• Add 200g of milk chocolate chips for chocolate chip buttermilk pancakes!
• Add 200g of raisins to the batter for fruitiness.
• Swap the vanilla extract for a teaspoon of ground cinnamon (good with the raisin pancakes).
• Stir in the zest of an orange or lemon for a citrus zing!

🥡 Storage

Buttermilk pancakes are best eaten fresh from the pan.

Store - Place leftover pancakes in an airtight container (layer the pancakes between sheets of nonstick baking paper to prevent them from sticking together), and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Warm in the microwave before eating.

Freeze - The pancakes can be frozen for up to 3 months. Allow them to defrost at room temperature before heating them in the microwave.

❓ FAQs

😋 More breakfast recipes

• Peanut Butter Granola
• Air Fryer French Toast
• Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats
• Nutella Porridge
• Air Fryer Breakfast Frittata
• Slow Cooker Porridge
• Cheese & Ham Waffles

Don't forget to subscribe to the newsletter to stay up to date with what's cooking in the Effortless Foodie kitchen! You can also follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram too!

Recipe