Buttermilk Pancake recipe with syrup poured on top.

No Sunday morning breakfast is complete without a tall stack of pancakes. But if you’re tired of flat flapjacks, we’re about to change your breakfast world with this buttermilk pancake recipe. You’ll love how light and fluffy these pancakes are, the tangy sweet flavor, and the little crunch that comes from the butter-browned edges.

Serve these buttermilk pancakes with a little blackberry jam, syrup, and a side of bacon and scrambled eggs for a simple, filling, and incredibly delicious breakfast. And if you want to enjoy these pancakes any day of the week, make extras and freeze them. They’re perfect for warming up in the toaster for a 5-minute breakfast on a busy morning!

Why We Love These Buttermilk Pancakes

They’re extra light and fluffy.
The buttermilk adds the perfect amount of tang, perfectly balanced by a light sweetness.
You can easily freeze any extras for a quick and delicious weekday morning breakfast!
Super versatile! Keep everyone happy by using various add-ins like blueberries, chocolate chips, or bananas and cinnamon!

Buttermilk pancake bite on a fork with syrup poured over it.

How to Make the BEST Buttermilk Pancakes

Ingredients

Process

Place all of the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl and whisk together until combined.
Add all remaining ingredients, except for the 3 tablespoons of (un-melted) butter.

Dry ingredients for buttermilk pancakes whisked together.

Buttermilk pancakes wet ingredients into dry.

Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry with a fork until no dry spots remain but the batter is still lumpy.
Place a griddle or skillet over medium heat. Add remaining butter and melt (if using skillet, melt butter and make pancakes in batches).

Butter melted in a skillet to cook buttermilk pancakes.

Pour 1/3 cup batter over melted butter and lower heat to medium-low. Cook pancakes until the top begins to bubble and barely set, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Flip and continue to cook until set, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and serve.

Buttermilk pancakes cooking in a skillet.

Tips and Tricks for the BEST Buttermilk Pancakes

Avoid overmixing the batter! You want to combine the wet and dry ingredients just until there are no more dry spots left. Too much mixing will make the pancakes dense and tough.
Pour the pancakes onto a hot griddle or pan. To see if it’s hot enough, flick just a little water onto the griddle. If it sizzles and quickly evaporates, the skillet is hot enough. This helps the outside brown nicely as the inside cooks.
Wait to flip the pancakes until you start to see bubbles in the top of the batter pop and form little holes. At this point, the underside and inside should be cooked enough to flip and cook just a little bit longer.
When your pancakes are done, avoid stacking them while you wait for everyone to be served. Stacking pancakes on top of each other can make the outside mushy instead of crispy. Keep them in a single layer until ready to serve to keep the outsides crisp!

Variations

While these pancakes are amazing when just served with a bit of butter and syrup, you can always try these delicious options as well!

Change up your toppings: Slather the tops of these pancakes with plum preserves, pumpkin butter, strawberry jam, or peanut butter.
Use Add-ins: Toss in half to one cup of blueberries, diced strawberries, mixed berries, diced bananas, chocolate chips, and any combination of add-ins to make each pancake a special treat!

Storing Leftover Batter and Reheating Pancakes

While you may be able to store some types of pancake batter in the refrigerator or freezer, buttermilk batter doesn’t keep as well. As this batter sits too long, the pancakes won’t fluff up like they will when the batter is freshly made that same day.

You can, however, store leftover cooked buttermilk pancakes. And we highly recommend doing so!

Whether you end up with a few extra pancakes or double the batch with the intention of leftovers, these pancakes can be refrigerated or frozen to enjoy later. **We recommend slightly undercooking the pancakes you intend to reheat at a later date.

To store leftover pancakes in the refrigerator: Place them on a platter or a pan in a single layer or place a small sheet of parchment paper in between a stack of pancakes. Keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, we recommend a toaster oven or a toaster. Just pop them in the toaster and toast on low or until they’re heated through.

To store leftover pancakes in the freezer: Place the pancakes on a sheet pan in a single layer and freeze for 2-4 hours. Then, add all of the pancakes to an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat frozen buttermilk pancakes, pop them into the toaster until heated.