Classic Buttermilk Pancakes
Buttermilk pancakes mixed in one bowl and cooked in batches. Stop stirring while the batter is still a little lumpy, then watch for bubbles before flipping.
- Original yieldYield
- 12-14 pancakes12-14 pancakes
- PrepPrep time
- CookCook time
- TotalTotal time
Cooking time assumes cooking in batches on a standard skillet.
Published Updated
Original recipe: 12-14 pancakes
The story behind the recipe
The first pancake tells you a great deal about the skillet. If it colors before the bubbles and edges are ready, the heat needs adjusting; if it stays pale, the next round needs a little more warmth. After that first check, breakfast settles into a rhythm: pour, watch, turn and make room for the next few.
Buttermilk gives these pancakes a gentle tang, with butter in the batter and optional maple syrup at the table. A short stir is enough. The remaining small lumps are less of a problem than the instinct to whisk until every trace has gone.
A much earlier breakfast batter
Amelia Simmons included an “Indian Slapjack” in *American Cookery*, published in 1796. Cornmeal, milk, eggs, a little wheat flour and salt made the batter, and she offered several cooking arrangements, including a griddle and a greased pan.
The cornmeal makes it a different pancake from this buttermilk recipe, but the practical picture is familiar: batter, a hot surface and a cook choosing how best to use the equipment available. Our wheat-flour batter uses baking powder and baking soda, giving it a different route to a light texture.
Read more about this recipe
Let the surface tell you when to turn
Pancakes make small differences in heat easy to see. A skillet can be hotter in the middle than at its edge, and successive batches can brown faster as the pan warms. Watch each round instead of carrying the first timing unchanged through the whole bowl.
Bubbles on top and set edges are the cues in the method. They tell you more than the color of one corner you can peek beneath. Leave room to slide the spatula under each pancake without disturbing its neighbor; a little unused pan space makes breakfast much easier to turn.
Make it your wayOriginal: 4 servings · Makes 12-14 pancakes
Original recipe: 12-14 pancakes
Ingredients
For 12-14 pancakes. Quantities are shown as written.
Source measurement convention: US customary. Explicit unit definitions take precedence; unconfirmed measures must be checked before conversion.
Original quantities for 12-14 pancakes.
- All-purpose flour2 cups
- Sugar2 tbsp
- Baking powder2 tsp
- Baking soda1 tsp
- Salt1/2 tsp
- Buttermilk2 cups
- Large eggs2
- Melted butter1/4 cup
- Vegetable oil (for the pan)1 tbsp
- Butter (optional, for serving)
- Maple syrup (optional, for serving)
Measurement notes
- all-purpose flour, buttermilk, melted butter: US cup: 1 = 236.5882 ml (rounded).
- sugar, vegetable oil (for the pan): US tbsp: 1 = 14.7868 ml (rounded).
- baking powder, baking soda, salt: US tsp: 1 = 4.9289 ml (rounded).
Measurement notes
Original ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flourUS cup: 1 = 236.5882 ml (rounded).
- 2 tablespoons sugarUS tbsp: 1 = 14.7868 ml (rounded).
- 2 teaspoons baking powderUS tsp: 1 = 4.9289 ml (rounded).
- 1 teaspoon baking sodaUS tsp: 1 = 4.9289 ml (rounded).
- 1/2 teaspoon saltUS tsp: 1 = 4.9289 ml (rounded).
- 2 cups buttermilkUS cup: 1 = 236.5882 ml (rounded).
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup melted butterUS cup: 1 = 236.5882 ml (rounded).
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (for the pan)US tbsp: 1 = 14.7868 ml (rounded).
- Butter (optional, for serving)
- Maple syrup (optional, for serving)
Equipment
Large skillet or griddle
Whisk
Instructions
Whisk the dry ingredients
Whisk the all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.
Add buttermilk, eggs and butter
Make a well in the center and pour in the buttermilk, eggs, and melted butter.
Mix the batter gently
Stir everything together just until the wet and dry ingredients are mixed. A few lumps are perfectly fine.
Heat the oiled skillet
Heat a lightly oiled skillet or griddle over medium heat (use the vegetable oil).
Portion pancakes
Pour about a quarter cup of batter onto the skillet for each pancake.
Cook the first side
Cook until bubbles form on the surface and the edges look set, usually about 2 to 3 minutes.
Flip and cook the second side
Flip and cook until the other side is golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes more.
Serve with optional toppings
Serve immediately with the optional butter and maple syrup.
Estimated calories 470 kcal
Nutrition portion: 1/4 of recipe · Original yield: 12-14 pancakes
Source & assumptions
Ingredient-based estimate using CoFID 2021, USDA SR Legacy (April 2018), identified manufacturer information. Approximately 470 kcal per nutrition portion. One-quarter of the original batter, without butter or syrup toppings. Uses low-fat cultured buttermilk and includes the entire measured pan-oil allowance. Ingredients, brands and preparation affect values.
Recipe notes
When adjusting quantities
Keep the portion size the same and allow more batches when increasing quantities. The cooking time for each pancake stays approximately the same.
Original recipe notes
These notes describe the original recipe. Quantities mentioned here do not change when you adjust servings.
Watch the surface as well as the clock: bubbles and set edges are the cues for turning the pancake in this method.
The 12 to 14 pancake yield is approximate. Keep each portion around a quarter cup if you want a similar size; larger pancakes change both the yield and cooking time.
For flour measured by weight, select all-purpose flour in the cups-to-grams converter. Keep the ingredient selection specific: the same cup measure of flour and sugar does not weigh the same.
Read the scaling guide. Times, temperatures and equipment need their own consideration. Open the recipe tool to review and correct individual amounts.
Recipe details
- Course or meal
- Breakfast
- Cuisine
- American
- Cooking method
- Stovetop
- Browse category
- Breakfast & Brunch