Perfect Buttermilk Pancakes

By Alison Roman

Updated Feb. 3, 2025

Perfect Buttermilk Pancakes
Karsten Moran for The New York Times
Total Time
10 minutes
Rating
5(13,962)
Comments
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Pancakes are the hero of the breakfast table, and their very taste can even be described as “deeply breakfasty”: eggy, salty, just this side of sweet. A little indulgent and yet still somehow appropriate first thing in the morning, those fluffy stacks with crisped edges, dripping with maple syrup, are everything you want, exactly when you want them. Here is how to get to them right every time, whether it's a lazy Sunday morning or a hurried weekday.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 2cups all-purpose flour
  • 3tablespoons sugar
  • 1½teaspoons baking powder
  • 1½teaspoons baking soda
  • 1¼teaspoons kosher salt
  • 2½cups buttermilk
  • 2large eggs
  • 3tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • Vegetable, canola or coconut oil for the pan
Ingredient Substitution Guide
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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and kosher salt together in a bowl. Using the whisk, make a well in the center. Pour the buttermilk into the well and crack eggs into buttermilk. Pour the melted butter into the mixture. Starting in the center, whisk everything together, moving towards the outside of the bowl, until all ingredients are incorporated. Do not overbeat (lumps are fine). The batter can be refrigerated for up to one hour.

  2. Step 2

    Heat a large nonstick griddle or skillet, preferably cast-iron, over low heat for about 5 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet. Turn heat up to medium–low and using a measuring cup, ladle ⅓ cup batter into the skillet. If you are using a large skillet or a griddle, repeat once or twice, taking care not to crowd the cooking surface.

  3. Step 3

    Flip pancakes after bubbles rise to surface and bottoms brown, about 2 to 4 minutes. Cook until the other sides are lightly browned. Remove pancakes to a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet, and keep in heated oven until all the batter is cooked and you are ready to serve.

Ratings

5 out of 5
13,962 user ratings
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Comments

J. Scott Wilson

As with any buttermilk batter recipe, this works best if you let the batter sit at room temperature for about a half-hour. The buttermilk will work its magic and thicken the batter, making for super-fluffy pancakes. By cooking immediately, you're completely defeating the purpose of using the buttermilk.

MMS

Any reason why the eggs aren't lightly beaten before adding to pancake mixture? I thought over mixing was to be avoided, and it seems that mixing whole unbeaten eggs would risk this. Thoughts from the pancake experts?

Stu

A generous teaspoon of Vanilla extract makes a big difference in my experience (or 1-inch+ scraped vanilla bean).

DMolavi

Made this with King Arthur Measure for Measure gluten free flour and subbed vegetable oil for the butter. Added some vanilla too. Major hit, and everyone in the house loved them. Definitely will be the new recipe.

marilyn

Malt powder instead of sugar makes a world of difference!

Dennis

The better way is to mix the dry and wet ingredients together seperately first - don’t forget the vanilla in the wet mix for good distribution! - then mix the dry and wet when almost ready to cook - give time for the leavening to start to react - you can see it with a little patience - then bam best pancake ever!

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