With a 5 year old and an 18 month old, pancakes are always a big hit in our house. Here is a quick buttermilk pancakes recipe I will whip up any day of the week from lazy Sundays to hectic Wednesdays because I know our girls will gobble them up and then we can get out the door and off to school and daycare.
Why I love this easy buttermilk pancakes recipe?
I love this easy buttermilk pancakes recipe because all the ingredients are in units of one so it is super easy to remember. When it comes to getting breakfast on the table I need something I can throw together pretty quickly and not have to worry about double checking a recipe. The simplicity of this recipe makes it almost as easy to make buttermilk pancakes from scratch as it does using buttermilk pancake mix.
Ingredients in buttermilk pancakes
Use clarified butter instead of oil if you have time. This makes the pancakes extra rich but for health reasons, I usually use olive oil or avocado oil.
Dry ingredients
All Purpose Flour most pancake recipes use all purpose flour and I do the same. However, I will often switch ½ cup out for whole wheat flour or ¼ cup for oats. Both these substitutions make the pancakes a little denser and are great ways to make the pancakes a little healthier.
Baking Powder is the leavener and what makes the pancakes rise and become fluffy
Sugar you can add a little sugar so the pancakes are slightly sweet. You can also substitute this for honey, maple syrup, coconut or date sugar.
Salt just a healthy pinch to bring out the flavors.
Wet ingredients
Egg helps work as a binder, creates more structure, keeps the pancakes moist and when whisked/whipped well can also help make the pancakes rise and be fluffier.
Clarified butter is the fat in the pancakes and help give moisture
Buttermilk gives the pancakes a slightly sour and rich flavor, but you can always substitute milk or a milk alternative if buttermilk is not available. If you have extra buttermilk, you can always make this creamy buttermilk ranch dressing. If you substitute milk I will use 3/4 cup of whole milk and 1/4 cup of sour cream so you still get a subtle sour flavor similar to buttermilk.
Tips before your get started
Do not over-mix, you want to just incorporate the wet and dry ingredients and there are few to no lumps. This helps ensure you have light and fluffy buttermilk pancakes. If you over-mix the batter your pancakes will become flat and dense.
Use clarified butter instead of oil if you have time. This makes the pancakes extra rich but for ease I usually use olive oil.
Use a cast iron skillet. If you cook pancakes as much as I do it is well worth the investment. I use one from Lodge. The skillet helps have an even cooking temperature across the pan, and I find needs less oil to prevent sticking.
How to make buttermilk pancakes
Mix In separate mixing bowls, mix all dry ingredients together in one bowl and all wet ingredients together in another.
Combine wet to dry and mix until mostly smooth, but do not over mix. Feel free to adjust your milk amount depending on the type of pancakes you want. More milk will result in a wetter mixture and thinner pancakes. Less milk will result in thicker pancakes.
Heat a cast iron skillet (or non-stick pan) with 1 tablespoon of clarified butter or olive oil over medium heat.
Ladle pancake mixture into the skillet. When you see air bubbles throughout and edges are almost cooked through, flip to cook the other side for about 1 minute.
It’ll only take you a couple times to achieve your dream pancakes. They’re meant to be easy and fun so I encourage you to play around with the recipe when you feel confident. Sometimes I’ll substitute 1/4 cup of milk for canned pumpkin instead and also add a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice or add a ¼ of oats and some frozen blueberries. The possibilities are endless. Enjoy!
1 cup of all purpose flour – you can do 1/2 whole wheat, 1/2 all purpose
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 tablespoon of sugar
big pinch of salt (about 1/2 teaspoon)
Wet
1 egg
1 tablespoon of clarified butter or olive oil
1 cup buttermilk (or whole milk)
Instructions
In separate mixing bowls, mix all dry ingredients together in one bowl and all wet ingredients together in another.
Add wet to dry and mix until mostly smooth, but do not over mix. Feel free to adjust your milk amount depending on the type of pancakes you want. More milk will result in a wetter mixture and thinner pancakes. Less milk will result in thicker pancakes.
Heat a cast iron skillet (or non-stick pan) with 1 tablespoon of clarified butter or olive oil. Ladle pancake mixture into the skillet. When you see air bubbles throughout and edges are almost cooked through, flip to cook the other side for about 1 minute.
Notes
Do not over mix, you want to just incorporate the wet and dry ingredients and there are few to no lumps. This helps keep the pancakes light and fluffy.
Use clarified butter instead of oil if you have time. This makes the pancakes extra rich but for ease I usually use olive oil.
Use a cast iron skillet. If you cook pancakes as much as I do it is well worth the investment. I use one from Lodge. The skillet helps have an even cooking temperature across the pan, and I find needs less oil to prevent sticking.
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