Perfect Buttermilk Pancakes

By Alison Roman

Updated Nov. 13, 2025

Perfect Buttermilk Pancakes
Karsten Moran for The New York Times
Total Time
10 minutes
Rating
5(15,119)
Comments
Read comments

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. Discover more ideas for the holidays here.

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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

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.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
15,119 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).

Colin

I prefer substituting the buttermilk with 1 cup whipping cream and 1 cup whole milk and the juice from 2/3 of a lemon, whisked together. The lemon adds a nice twist.

B

This is now our go-to buttermilk pancake recipe! I let the batter rest for a while, but I find it gets too thick. I add a tiny bit of buttermilk to loosen it up as I go. We’d like to add blueberries too! Delicious

Ale W

Due to dietary restrictions, I replaced butter milk with 2 cups of whole milk kefir and these pancakes came out perfect!! Love the flavor and texture.

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