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Delicious homemade buttermilk pancakes turn out light and fluffy every time. These are a classic go-to pancake recipe.

Try serving these tasty pancakes with Buttermilk Syrup, Healthy Egg Muffins, and Orange Julius.

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Buttermilk Pancakes stacked on a white plate covered in syrup.

We love Buttermilk Pancakes!

Making pancakes from scratch is easier than you think. We love our classic Pancake recipe but also love to make these classic buttermilk pancakes.

We love these because:

  • Few Ingredients + Easy. Other than buttermilk, you probably have all the ingredients on hand for these pancakes, which makes them so simple.
  • Easy to change up. Pancakes are one of the easiest things to change up with all your favorite mix-ins and flavors.
  • Freeze for later. Whether it’s leftovers or to make ahead of time, these pancakes are perfect for freezing.

Making them from scratch is nearly as simple as using a store bought mix, but the little extra effort is SO worth it because the pancakes end up being much more fluffy and flavorful.

Ingredients for buttermilk pancakes laid out.

Ingredients

Most of these are pantry staples!

  • All-purpose flour
  • Sugar
  • Baking Powder
  • Baking Soda
  • Salt
  • Buttermilk – Use real buttermilk, if possible (at room temp). For a homemade version, check out our Buttermilk Recipe.
  • Milk – Use whole or 2% milk and have at room temperature.
  • Eggs – We recommend having the eggs at room temperature.
  • Butter, melted
  • Vanilla extract
Buttermilk Pancakes Batter in a white bowl.

How to make buttermilk pancakes

  1. WET INGREDIENTS. Mix buttermilk, eggs, milk, melted butter and vanilla. Also mix together all the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
  2. DRY INGREDIENTS. Combine the wet and dry ingredients, stirring with a wooden spoon (or whisk) until blended – but do not over-mix.
  3. GRIDDLE. Lightly oil a griddle or frying pan and heat to medium-high (about 375°F). Pour about ¼ cup of pancake batter onto the griddle for each pancake.
  4. COOK. Cook until bubbles appear and the underside is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook for 2 minutes more until browned on the second side.
  5. TOPPINGS. Top with buttermilk syrup and whipped cream and your favorite berries.
Pancakes cooking on griddle.

Recipe Tips

Tips for making the best buttermilk pancakes:

  • Do not over-mix the batter. There might be a few lumps which is totally fine!
  • Let the batter rest for a few minutes after mixing to let the leavening ingredients work their magic and make for extra fluffy pancakes.
  • Lightly grease the pan with oil or cooking spray instead of butter. Regular butter will burn.
  • Variations. Add some of your favorite ingredients or fruits like: bananas, blueberries, chocolate chips or more to change the flavor.
Stack of Homemade Buttermilk Pancakes on white plate.

Storing Tips

You can always cook all the batter, and FREEZE the leftover pancakes you don’t eat (see instructions below).

  • Place in a freezer-bag once they cool to room temperature.
  • Make sure you separate each pancake with wax paper so they don’t stick together when they freeze. They keep well for 1-2 months. For even more info check out our article on How to Freeze Pancakes.

If you want to save the extra batter and make pancakes for breakfast again tomorrow, you can easily STORE the batter in a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap, or store in an airtight container. Keep it in the refrigerator for up to two days.

REHEAT in the microwave or oven until warmed through.

Best Buttermilk Pancakes from Scratch stacked on white plate.

For more pancake RecipeS:

4.97 from 32 votes

Buttermilk Pancake Recipe

Tender homemade buttermilk pancakes turn out light and fluffy every time. These golden beauties are impossible to resist!
Servings: 18 pancakes
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 30 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 TB sugar
  • 3 tsp baking powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 3 cups buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/3 cup butter, melted
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions 

  • Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. 
  • In a separate bowl, beat buttermilk, milk, eggs, melted butter and vanilla together.
  • Using a wooden spoon, mix the wet and dry ingredients together until just combined. Don’t overmix! There will probably be flour lumps, which is okay. 
  • Lightly oil a griddle or frying pan and heat to medium-high (about 375°F). Pour about ¼ cup of batter onto the griddle for each pancake.
  • Cook until bubbles appear and the underside is lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook for 2 minutes more until browned on the second side. Add favorite toppings and serve warm.

Video

Notes

You can always cook all the batter, and FREEZE the leftover pancakes you don’t eat (see instructions below).
  • Place in a freezer-bag once they cool to room temperature.
  • Make sure you separate each pancake with wax paper so they don’t stick together when they freeze. They keep well for 1-2 months. For even more info check out our article on How to Freeze Pancakes.
If you want to save the extra batter and make pancakes for breakfast again tomorrow, you can easily STORE the batter in a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap, or store in an airtight container. Keep it in the refrigerator for up to two days.
REHEAT in the microwave or oven until warmed through.

Nutrition

Calories: 154kcal, Carbohydrates: 20g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 41mg, Sodium: 288mg, Potassium: 179mg, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 220IU, Calcium: 98mg, Iron: 1.2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

About Kristyn

Kristyn Merkley is a published cookbook author, wife, mom of six, and major food enthusiast! For the past 15 years, she has been sharing foolproof, family-friendly recipes—each one tested in her kitchen—that anyone can master. As a seasoned recipe creator, she loves making cooking simple, stress-free, and totally doable for everyone!

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4.97 from 32 votes (5 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




64 Comments

  1. Lynelle says:

    Love this pancake recipe, easy and turn out perfect everytime. Make on Sundays, reheat perfect for next day too.

  2. Dot says:

    This recipe is very good. I couldn’t finish making on Sunday so I stored batter overnight with tight covered seal.
    The consistency of the batter changed a little wad thin so I don’t know what went wrong. I added little bit of flour. It did help. Every time I’ve served them my kids tell me how great they are. If you could let me know your thoughts would be appreciated.

  3. Dee says:

    5 stars
    Pancakes turn out light and fluffy every single time. This recipe is foolproof.

  4. Sam says:

    5 stars
    Love this recipe they are so good

  5. Sam says:

    5 stars
    Love this recipe

  6. Sue Clarkson says:

    5 stars
    Made these this morning they do good. Thank so much for sharing u recipe.

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      You’re welcome! I’m glad you enjoyed!

  7. Maureen Watson says:

    I am now a widow living by myself, could you please send me recipe for one or two servings. Or can I make this large amount and freeze the pancakes individually?

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      Yes, the pancakes freeze really well! If you want to make smaller servings, you can adjust the serving size on the recipe card to 1 or 2 and it’ll calculate the amounts for you.

  8. Kristina says:

    5 stars
    I made these last week and though they didn’t turn out as fluffy as i had thought I really loved the flavor that the buttermilk added. I froze the leftovers and my kids enjoyed them through the week. I will be making them again and see if I can get them fluffier.

  9. Olivia says:

    5 stars
    These buttermilk pancakes are so good and easy. You don’t need store bought version.

  10. Joy says:

    5 stars
    I make these a couple times a month!! My whole family loves them!! They are light & fluffy & taste heavenly!

  11. Regan says:

    5 stars
    Made these for National Pancake Day and they were delicious! 100x better than any box mix. We will definitely be making them again.

    1. LilLunaTeam says:

      I’m so glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for trying the recipe! 🙂

    2. Cindy S says:

      5 stars
      Excellent recipe! Fluffy, tender and very flavorsome. I only made 1/3 of the recipe and it made 8 four inch pancakes. I don’t drink milk so I substituted more buttermilk, I also added a squeeze of fresh lemon.

  12. Richie says:

    Can I add pumpkin purée to this recipe ? Of course with the pumpkin spices… Thanks

  13. Nancy says:

    5 stars
    Delicious! I made this recipe for two of us. Of course I had 3/4 of it left over. Rather than cook all of the remaining batter then freeze the pancakes, can the batter be frozen instead? And if so, how long can it be frozen? I love your recipes.Thank you.

    1. LilLunaTeam says:

      Awe, thank you! You can store batter in the freezer for up to a month. When you’re ready to do some pancake making, just thaw in warm water or overnight in the refrigerator. Hope this helps!

  14. Angie says:

    5 stars
    Turned out so good! Loved it!

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Glad to hear that! Thank you for letting me know!

  15. Kimberli says:

    5 stars
    This is our favorite pancake recipe, always delicious & my family never complains about breakfast for dinner when these are on the menu!!

  16. Martha Conley says:

    5 stars
    These really are the most delicious pancakes and they are easy
    to make! Thank you!

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      You are so welcome! Thank you for trying them!

  17. Mary says:

    5 stars
    I made these for breakfast this morning and they were the most delicious (and fLUffiest) pancakes ever!!
    Thank you so much for sharing!

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      You are so welcome! I am happy you think so 🙂 Thank you!

  18. Leigh Anne foppiamo says:

    5 stars
    These have become a family favorite, my adult children will co e over for breakfast if they know im making them. How long is this batter good for?

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      I would only keep it in the fridge for up to two days, covered in a bowl. You can freeze the pancakes, once cooked, too!

  19. Alysa says:

    I’ve made this and it’s the BEST pancake recipe and I’ve tried a lot! But i have no buttermilk right now, can i still Use it with regular milk? Cause i love the fluffiness!

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Yes, you sure could 🙂 Glad you like this recipe!

  20. Charria says:

    5 stars
    all I can say is wow, these pancakes were amazing! Funny thing is, I tweaked the recipe out of necessity and because the base recipe is so good, they still came out delicious! Here’s what I did. I had no buttermilk on hand and had no desire or enough time to go to the store. *gasp* so, I put with the 3 cups of milk approximately 2 TBL of white vinegar, 1 TBL of Fresh Squeezed lemon juice and…maybe half a cup of whey (the clear yellow liquid) I poured off some organic whole milk PLain yogurt I had along with a heaping TBL of the Yogurt Itself. Stirred it up and let it sit while I got the dry ingredients together. Then I ran out of my regular AP UNbleached flour about 2 cups in. Omigoodness, now what? I thought about not adding all the liquid to the dry, but remembered I had whole wheat flour. I nixed the extra plain 1/2 cup of milk and added about 1/2 cup to 1 cup of whole wheat flour with the other dry ingredients, mixed everything well and let it set again. once 20-30 minutes passed I pulled the batter out for showtime. when I say I found the perfect recipe, I’m not exaggerating. My HUsband, who is picky in general but very picky about his pancakes, said the pancakes I made for dinner were really good, I knew I had to leave a review. I never leave reviews, I read them. They were that good! Thank you, Kristyn for what your doing sharing recipes with us! also, your biscuit breakfast casserole got rave reviews from my family, too! God bless and take care! 🙂

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Thank you so much for leaving a review! I appreciate it! I am so glad you improvised & that they were a hit! Thank you so much!

  21. SuE says:

    5 stars
    Best homemade pancakes evEr! Do not be worried about the lumpiness of thr batter. They will tuen ouT super delish. And i loved that the edges were rustic and not perfectly ciRcular like bOx mix. You gotta try these. A happy Way to satrt the weekend.

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Awe, thank you so much for sharing that!! I am so glad you think that!

  22. Pam says:

    5 stars
    Fantastic….so light and fluffy. These are a keeper!!

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      So glad you think so 🙂 Thank you!!

  23. Lonna says:

    5 stars
    Aunt Jemima will no longer be visiting my home. Just as easy to make, but 10 times better! We devoured breakfast today, it must have been a sight to see. Thank you for this recipe, it is absolutely perfect!

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      LOL!! Makes me happy to hear! Thank you!

  24. Amy Huntley says:

    5 stars
    These remind me of the pancakes i had growing up!

  25. Becca says:

    5 stars
    So light, fluffy, & delicious!

  26. Adell says:

    5 stars
    Buttermilk pancakes are my favorite! This is a great recipe! A must make!

  27. Becky says:

    Can you use the buttermilk pancake recipe to make waffles ,too? Is there a way?

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      I would think so 🙂 I would keep the same, though you may need a little more flour to make it thicker & can always add more milk, if needed.

  28. Becky Waganer says:

    Another option for leftover batter is to make pancake cupcakes with fruit added in and baked in a muffin tin. Maple Buttercream is a good addition or just reheat and dip in maple syrup!

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Perfect!! Thank you for sharing that!

  29. Sonia says:

    5 stars
    Thanks for sharing these basic simPle re cipes with us. ?

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      You are so welcome!!

  30. Lindsey says:

    4 stars
    Can’t wait to try these yummy things! Heard great things about them!

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      I’d love to know what you think!! They are our favorite!!

  31. kris says:

    This is a great recipe. What I have discovered from other recipes for pancakes is after you mix everything together is let the batter sit for 30 minutes. This lets the soda and baking powder along with the buttermilk do its thing and makes the pancakes rise more. Try it!

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      I definitely will! Thank you for sharing!

  32. Dan says:

    Hi, I tried to make bread for the first time,it raised up fine, I punched it and it didn’t raise the second time????. Any suggestions.

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Hmm..I’m not sure. Was it a recipe on my blog?

  33. Dan Smith says:

    I tried your meatballs. I decided that I needed more sauce than called for in your recipe. The sauce was great – just needed enough to cover.

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Glad you liked it!! Can never have enough sauce 🙂 Thank you!

  34. Gmail QA says:

    5 stars
    I will have this pancakes for tomorrow breakfast. Looking at these photos makes me drool~ Thank you for sharing the recipe!

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      LOL!! They are so good! I hope you like them!

  35. Pat Bowen says:

    How many pancakes does the recipe for buttermilk pancakes make. It’s only two of us eating and from the ingredients it must make them for a army?

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      I’m not sure how many it makes, it just depends on how big you make them, but it can make quite a few. You can always half the recipe for just the two of you 🙂

  36. Tina says:

    I absolutely love pancakes and these look incredible!

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      They are!! Thank you & hope you’ll give them a try!

      1. April m says:

        5 stars
        These were the best pancakes ive ever made ! And trust me I’ve made a lot of different kinds..it was a little tricky just making half a recipie but do able, I should have made the whole batch because my husband ate the entire plate it made …
        Thank you so much for this awesome keeper! We paired it with your buttermilk sryup better than most resturant pancakes

  37. Maja Harder says:

    Omg these look and sounds so so yummy. I think they are perfect for my up and coming Sunday brunch.

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      They are so good! Glad you are giving them a try! Hope everyone loves them, like we do!