Thick and Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes - The Recipe Rebel (2024)

These thick and fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes are the perfect easy breakfast idea! They’re made with simple ingredients and are make ahead and freezer friendly.

This super easy Buttermilk Pancake recipe only takes 5 minutes to prep, and only 15 minutes to cook the whole batch (depending on the size of your pan, of course).

They really are the BEST pancakes, and you only need basic pantry staples to give them a great flavor!

You KNOW we love breakfast and brunch. If it were up to me, I’d eat it for every meal! These buttermilk pancakes are no exception.

You’ll never buy a store-bought pancake box mix again after you’ve seen how easy it is to make the real thing.

Buttermilk Pancakes are quick enough to make for a filling breakfast on a busy weekday, but they’re tasty enough to include in a fancy brunch with all the trimmings on lazy weekend mornings too.

My Easy Banana Oatmeal Pancakes recipe is great for something a bit heartier, and these Sheet Pan Pancakes are a great way of making pancakes for a crowd without slaving over the stovetop. Got extra bananas? Opt for these Banana Pancakes!

For more sweet breakfast treats, try my Brown Sugar Glazed Apple Cinnamon Baked Donuts, my French Toast Casserole, or these White Chocolate Cranberry Sweet Rolls.

Ingredients Needed:

• Flour: I used all-purpose flour for these pancakes, but you can use an alternative if you prefer, see notes below.
• Sugar: white granulated sugar adds sweetness to the pancakes, but it is optional.
• Baking Agents: use a combination ofbaking powder and baking soda to give you the fluffiest pancakes!
• Salt: to enhance the flavors of the pancakes, so they’re delicious on their own or with toppings.
• Buttermilk: use low-fat real buttermilk. You can make your own buttermilk or use store-bought.
• Butter: oil or melted butter to cook the pancakes on the griddle.
• Egg: to bind ingredients and help the pancakes rise.
• Vanilla:vanilla extract adds a delicious warm flavor to the pancakes.

How to Make Buttermilk Pancakes

Here are a few step by step photos to guide you! The full recipe is included in the recipe card below.

1. Mix dry ingredients. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. Add wet ingredients. Add in buttermilk, oil, egg, and vanilla extract and whisk until completely combined.
3. Let it sit. Let the batter sit on the counter for a bit before cooking the pancakes.
4. Cook. Cook pancakes on a hot griddle, flipping them to cook both sides. Serve immediately with your favorite toppings!

Buttermilk Pancakes FAQs

Tips and Notes

• Flour: you can use regular flour for this recipe, or swap some for whole wheat flour, ground flax, buckwheat, or even wheat bran (start with ¼ cup with those last 3 types of flour). See myWhole Wheat Pancakesrecipe for a whole wheat version.
• Sugar: The sugar is optional and honestly you won’t really notice it missing if you are serving the pancakes with syrup and the whole deal. It does make them taste great on their own though!
• Buttermilk: Buttermilk is essential to getting these seriously fluffy pancakes. SeeHow to Make Buttermilkhere if you don’t have any on hand.
• Oil: Vegetable oil, canola oil, or olive oil will work fine for cooking pancakes, but you can also use melted butter to give you an added buttery flavor!
• Quantity: This is a relatively small recipe, yielding 8 large pancakes or enough for 2-4 people. You can easily double or triple the recipe by moving the toggle over the number of servings above.

Buttermilk Pancakes Variations

• Chocolate chip pancakes. Add some chocolate chips to the top of the pancake batter just after pouring it into the pan.
• Chocolate pancakes. Add some good-quality cocoa powder to the pancake batter to make chocolate pancakes!
• Berries. You can put berries in your pancakes by dropping them on top as they cook. You could also blend berries and add the mixture to the pancake batter if you wish. Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and cherries are my favorite choices.
• Spices. Add some cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, allspice, or ginger to your pancakes for a warm spiced flavor that’s great for fall!
• Extract. Get creative and use a different flavor of extract for your pancakes. Try almond extract, peppermint extract for the holiday season, or lemon extract!

Serving Suggestions

You know I love breakfast and brunch, so of course, we enjoy these classic buttermilk pancakes with all the good stuff on top and on the side. We love these fluffy buttermilk pancakes topped with a pat of butter and drizzled (or drenched – no judgment here!) with maple syrup, peanut butter, Strawberry Sauce or Nutella.

We often have pancakes with a side of Air Fryer Bacon, fresh berries, and sometimes even these Easy Yogurt Parfaits.

Check out my post on How to Make an Omelette for a delicious savory breakfast dish, or try these Mini Frittata Muffins or my Easy Ham Quiche recipe.

Enjoy all my breakfast and brunch recipes with some delicious drinks on the side! My Healthy Strawberry Smoothie recipe is amazing, and this Blueberry Smoothie recipe goes with a lot of savory flavors too. Sometimes you just need that caffeine hit though, so my Cold Brew Coffee is the beverage for you!

More Sweet Breakfast Recipes to Try