Best Pancake Recipe I’ve Ever Made
EUREKA! The Best Pancakes Ever. Guys, I’m not even kidding when I say I’ve been looking for this buttermilk pancake recipe for my entire life. They are fluffy, crispy on the edges, tender in the middle, and completely stackable. The search is over!!
Originally posted March 10, 2016
Other people have late-night pizza cravings; I have late night pancake cravings. Seriously, I am the one going to IHOP at 10pm because I need to get myself a stack. I love pancakes like a fat kid loves cake. You want to know the sad part?
I’m TERRIBLE at making pancakes. Seriously, I have tried a dozen recipes probably. No matter what I do they always turn out rubbery or flat or gummy (ugh. that’s the worst) or just plain flavorless. I am a chronic over-beater, it’s an addiction. I have some great specialty pancake recipes (Like these Gingerbread Pancakes with Lemon Syrup or these Banana Macadamia Pancakes with Coconut Syrup), but I had yet to find a good everyday recipe for when I want straight up, no fuss, buttermilk heaven.
A few weeks ago my friend Courtney over at Neighborfood posted her Top 15 Favorite Family Recipes. I have a special place in my heart for Courtney because she was one of the first bloggers to start reading The Food Charlatan, back when it was just me myself and my computer. She introduced me to our food blogging community. Plus her blog is totally amazing. Check out these Lemon Rosemary Melting Potatoes she just posted. What?? I’m nabbing that recipe next Courtney!!!
Anyway, back to her Top 15 post. The first recipe on the list was for these Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes. I decided to give them a go because every time someone tells me they have a favorite pancake recipe I try it…but then I usually mess them up. Don’t get me wrong, the recipes are fine. I’m just a terrible pancake maker (and an even worse pancake flipper, but that’s a whole other story.)
Anyway. So I tried Courtney’s recipe. AND THEY WERE AMAZING. I thought it had to be a fluke (I’m a pancake charlatan, after all) so I made them again. AMAZING. I made them a 3rd time to do this photo shoot and do you see that stack? I ate all of it.
Okay I’m totally lying, the kids and I all shared it (what else are you going to do with a giant stack of pancakes totally soaked in syrup from all the pour shots I tried to get? Life’s tough.)
How to make the Best Pancakes
Want to know the secret to this recipe?
A separated egg. You don’t have to whip the egg whites or anything, just beat them with a fork for a few seconds. Something about beating in the egg yolks first makes this recipe amazing.
How to get crispy edges on your Pancakes
Can I tell you the other little secret about this recipe?
That’s right. I’m busting out the BACON GREASE. I got the bacon-grease-for-pancake-frying tip from my mother-in-law. If you are not the kind of person who has a little jar of bacon grease in your fridge at all times (seriously, who ARE you?), then the solution is obvious. Make some bacon. Then use a pastry brush to get the grease onto your griddle. If you really don’t want to bother, butter will work fine, but I’m telling you, the bacon grease adds a hint of flavor (but not overpowering–they taste like pancakes, not bacon) and the BEST crispy edges. Mmm. And what are pancakes without a side of bacon anyway?
Here’s my photo set up. My stack looks like it’s about to fall!
There are so many ways to love pancakes!!
- Gingerbread Pancakes with Lemon Syrup << personal fav!!
- Oatmeal Buttermilk Pancakes << this is an oldie but a goodie
- Deep Dish Buttermilk Pancakes << why flip? make one giant pancake!
- Banana Macadamia Pancakes << you have to try this coconut syrup!
- Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes from Mom on Timeout
- Peach Pecan Pancakes from Buns in my Oven << Karly wrote an entire book about pancakes called Stack Happy. Definitely check it out! She has the most creative recipes!
More amazing sweet breakfast recipes:
- Sour Cream Coffee Cake, with a Ridiculous Amount of Streusel
- Soft and Sticky Caramel Pecan Rolls
- The FLUFFIEST Homemade Cinnamon Rolls of Your Life (Can Make Overnight)
- Classic Waffle Recipe
Pancake Recipe - The Best I've Ever Made
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, 1 stick, melted and cooled
- 2 & 1/2 cups flour, spooned and leveled
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 1/2 cup milk, I used whole milk
- 2 eggs, separated
- bacon grease, for frying (butter works too)
Instructions
- Heat your oven to 170 degrees F, sometimes called the "keep warm" setting.
- Get out 3 bowls: large, medium, and small.
- Add the butter to the large bowl and microwave until it is melted. Set aside to cool a little bit.
- In the medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
- Add the buttermilk and milk to the melted butter.
- Separate the eggs: add the whites to the small bowl and the yolks to the wet ingredients in the large bowl. Whisk in the yolks.
- Use a small whisk of fork to beat the egg whites a little bit, just 20 seconds or so until they start getting a little bubbly. It will help them fold in evenly.
- Add the buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients and stir roughly with a wooden spoon. Don't overdo it! Just barely combine it. There should still be streaks for flour. See photos.
- Beat the egg whites a little then add them to the batter. Fold in gently. It's okay if there are still streaks of egg white.
- Heat a griddle or large frying pan over medium heat.
- When it is hot, smear a little bacon grease over the griddle.
- Scoop the batter using a half cup measurement.
- When bubbles on top start to pop, flip the pancakes. They should be a nice golden brown.
- Continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes until they are golden on both sides.
- Remove the pancakes to a cooking rack and keep warm in the oven that you turned on.
- Repeat with the remaining batter.
- Serve with lots of butter and syrup. And peanut butter. What, am I the only one??
Notes
Nutrition
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
I’ve been looking for a good made from scratch pancake recipe to try. I can’t wait to make these! Going to do it tomorrow for dinner. And I wanted to let u know that u aren’t the only one who eats peanut butter on your pancakes. There is no other way!! Yum! Peanut butter and maple syrup on pancakes r amazing. I’ve also been known to add an easy over egg to the mess and have the yoke run everywhere. 😂
Best pancakes ever! I won’t be making any other kind! Thanks so much for the recipe!
THE BEST PANCAKES EVERRRR! Thank you for this recipe.
I never comment on recipes but I had to let you know these really are the best pancakes I have ever made. Light, fluffy and packed full of deliciousness!
My grandson and I have been making pancakes together since he was a toddler. We have tried many recipes and tweaked them to fit our taste. Whenever buttermilk is called for I always use the milk and vinegar because I only use buttermilk for pancakes. It has always work well for use. We also add vanilla and syrup to sweeten them more. My grandson is 15 now and loved this recipe so much he said “Don’t lose this recipe. This is the one!”
By far the BEST pancakes I gave ever had!! Follow this recipe exactly and you will never use another one! Absolutely the very best!!
I’ve been making pancakes for 65 years.
These are the Best by far. 😊
Excited to make this one!!! Just one question: did you use salted or unsalted butter for the batter?
Hi Clare! I always use salted butter!
I have tried many “best ever pancakes” and have been sadly disappointed until this recipe. These truly are the BEST pancakes and are easy to make! I have never left a review for a recipe before, but this one was so good that I went back through the blogs from The Food Charlatan to The Neighborfood Blog to The Kitchn. Thank you for sharing this! I will continue sharing the recipe, too. Separating the eggs and including melted butter in the recipe is amazing!
How many calories are in these for one? These look soooooo damn good but I’m kinda a workout watch what I eat gal hahahaha but I reallly wanna try these… I just love pancakes and haven’t found that one recipe that’s as fluffy looking that I like a lot like yours look like.. ☺️
I love pancakes! I was so impressed with this recipe. They were fluffy and delicious! Maybe the separated eggs made the difference? They were no easier or harder than any other recipe. Regardless, this recipe is a keeper!
I’ve made this recipe no fewer than 20 times and let me tell you, it really is the best damn pancake recipe on the planet. They are light and fluffy and crispy on the edges and perfectly balanced. I like to add some vanilla bean or lemon zest and poppyseeds to mix it up from time to time. Letting the liquids warm to near room temp does help everything rise just that much more and also mixing the batter and letting it sit for a couple of minutes also helps.
Yum! Thank you. These pancakes were absolutely delicious. My son asked me if we could have pancakes with chicken for dinner. I can’t wait to make them again. Throwing out my other recipes.
Who could say no to pancakes and chicken?? Haha! That’s awesome Peggy! So glad it was a success :)
Thank you for this great recipe. These pancakes are really the best I have ever made. I prepared the buttermilk with milk and lemon juice and it worked fine. We have a buttermilk here in Venezuela. It is salty… I will try it the next time to check what the difference is.
These were delicious, thank you for a great pancake recipe. This recipe will be my go to from on on, no more of the boxed stuff. Thank you.
These were by far the best pancakes I’ve ever had. I’m not even a big pancake fan but I make them for my husband. These have changed my mind. I added some blueberries. Fantastic.
Make sure to beat the egg white with an electric mixer until they are white and peaks form! Not just by hand or will make the batter go down and flat!
Hi Karrie, I’ve never tried beating with a mixer! I bet it makes them super fluffy. I actually love just whisking with a fork for a minute or so.
This recipe is wonderful and soo tasty! It’s very flexible, still simple once you’ve made it a few times, and makes enough for seconds in a small to medium family. Thank you for sharing this, I really appreciate it and would definitely not recommend sharing with too many people haha. I’m kidding, this could increase world happiness by at least a few percentages.
Thanks for a great recipe! Def fluffy & worth the effort to put together
Delicious, light and fluffy. I didn’t add the full 1/2 cup of sugar. I didn’t have buttermilk so I used milk and vinegar (letting it sit for 1/2 hour before using thickened it up). Measuring by the 1/2 cup the recipe made 10 nice size pancakes. This has become my new buttermilk pancake recipe!
I am always hesitant about recipes that say things like “best ever” but girl you are NOT lying!! The last few recipes I tried for buttermilk pancakes always turned out rubbery somehow but when you follow your recipe to the T and don’t change a thing? Oh HEAVEN! I don’t think I want to try other basic buttermilk recipes, the search is over…. Thank you so much for the detailed instructions, I halved the recipe for our house but still amazing.
So glad you’ve seen the light Shay!! No more rubbery pancakes!! :) Thanks for leaving a review!
These pancakes were hands down the best I ha e ever made
Will for sure be my go to for Sunday breakfast
Most amazing home made pancakes and such an easy recipe to follow. I don’t know why I was buying boxed pancake mix for years, nope, never again! Thank you for the amazing recipe it was a hit at home!
These pancakes are AMAZING!! Absolutely the best pancakes my boyfriend and I have ever eaten! I didn’t have milk or buttermilk on hand because we drink unsweetened vanilla almond milk but made “buttermilk” by adding some vinegar to it! .. I was a little skeptical but oh boy!! These were truly beautifully fluffy and tasty. Thank you so much for this recipe, it is definitely my new go to! 😊❤️🥞 .. p.s the bacon grease was a great touch 👍 always have a container of it in the fridge!
Amazing pancakes! Thank You!
So what does everybody do about the melted butter that hardens when cooled and clumps together by the milk and butter milk
Great question Mike! If it bothers you, you can warm your buttermilk/milk in the microwave, so that it’s not such a shock to the butter when you add it in. But really, it’s not necessary. Stir in the solidified clumps of butter as best you can and make the pancakes as usual. The butter will melt into the pancakes and they still turn out delicious! Enjoy!
If you mix the melted butter with the egg yolks before mixing it into the buttermilk it will not re-solidify.
Let me start off with an apology for doubting you…..now that that’s out of the way – these were AMAAAAAAAAZING!!!!!! The only thing I didn’t have was bacon/bacon grease but even without they were delicious….the texture of the batter realllllly threw me off…it was almost a cottage cheese texture..I honestly thought my buttermilk was bad lol! A+!!!!! Freezing left overs for a quick breakfast for the kiddos tomorrow morning :)
It’s a really thick batter, that’s for sure! Especially if you’re used to making pancakes from a mix. So glad you laid your doubts aside so that you could enjoy the recipe Brianna!! That made me laugh ;)
Oh you had me at bacon grease! I have a ramekin of bacon grease in my fridge for sure ! ❤️Going to try these!
You are my kind of person Sandra. Never know what you’re gonna need bacon grease for, right?? ;) Enjoy the pancakes!
Very good recipe!! I soured half and half…. it was very good and ended up very fluffy. Second best thing to real buttermilk.
sour half and half is a great idea Samantha! That way it’s still nice and thick like buttermilk. Thanks for chiming in!
These look amazing! I am going to try these in a couple of days but need to know what kind of flour you used. All Purpose or Self Rising? I assume All Purpose because of the baking soda added to the recipe.
all purpose!
How many regular sized pancakes does this yield?
Makes about 18 4-5 inch pancakes
I agree…best pancakes ever. It’s the butter in the batter that really makes it.
These truly were the best homemade pancakes I’ve ever had! Perfection!!! My husband and I ate almost a full batch for dinner last night, the leftovers went in the freezer to heat up in the toaster oven this weekend. Thanks so much for sharing this..you’ve ended my need to search for a new pancake recipe..this is the last one I’ll ever need!
I’m so happy to hear that Lisa! This recipe ended my search too, it’s the best feeling!! Thanks so much for commenting!
Wow. Yes. These are fantastic.the best. My new go to recipe. Thank you!
I always freeze pancakes but could you freeze the batter? If not how long do you think it is good before making pancakes?
Hi Aly! Technically I think you could freeze it. I’m not sure they would come out as fluffy though. Let me know if you try it!
Sweet baby Jesus these were AHHHMAZING!!!! We made a double batch this morning… My son (8) practiced his math skills while doubling and my daughter(5) practiced her flipping skills… Not sure what was on her mind while flipping but it wasn’t on keeping the pancakes on the griddle… Anyhow, these were divine! We threw out our other recipe because these were so ‘licious! Thank you!!! Oh while I have your attention… girl you had me up until 4am one night or I guess morning just reading your blog and laughing… you are hilarious!!!! Never change… :)
Ahaha! I’m laughing so hard Vanessa! I’m so glad you loved the pancakes! Sounds like a great family effort ;) And I’m so glad you are enjoying the blog and the stories, it will always be the number one reason why I do this :) Thank you for supporting that, you are lovely! Happy Thanksgiving!
Truly the best pancakes I or my wife have ever made OR tasted! They were the perfect amount of crispy, fluffy, and buttery. I didn’t have buttermilk so I did make a vinegar/milk mixture as a substitution and they were still hands down the best pancakes ever. Can’t wait to try this recipe again and again, and add chocolate chips or berries sometime!
I’m so glad you’ve found “the one,” Jace!! It’s the best feeling, right?? Great idea adding chocolate chips or berries, love that idea!Thanks for commenting!
Listen here… These are absolutely THE BEST pancakes EVER!!! Like you, I’ve never been able to make tasty pancakes. It’s always a whole mess and I’ve thrown away so much batter it’s not even funny. I will never look for another recipe nor will I ever make any other recipe. THANK YOU!!
I’m so glad you’ve found your pancake recipe Tiffany! I’ve wasted a lot of pancakes too, but no more. Thank you so much for reviewing!
Ok this is the best pancake recipe ever!! and if you love Ihop pancakes like I do, these are literally them but at home! Thank you : ) definitely pinned for later
Hooray! So glad it was a hit Elise. Thanks for reviewing!
These pancakes are so good. I used to half the recipe but recently I forgot how to make them correctly because they don’t look like how they used to :(
Although I love to read the reviews and feel they are very helpful, I have “never” posted any myself until now. These pancakes came out so delicious! I was skeptical about the bacon grease but I gave it a try and now I’m a believer. This recipe is definitely a keeper! Thanks!
Hooray! I’m so glad you are a bacon grease believer now LeRae ;) Thank you so much for taking the time to comment!
I cant tell you how much my family and I appreciate this recipe. I have never ever left a review on a recipe or any kind of food before, but these are the best pancakes I have ever made in my life and it’s all thanks to you!
I made the buttermilk Pancakes and they came out flat I was so disappointed.
Followed the recipe to the exact instructions.
You know that you’re baking powder can lose it’s ability?
We make pancakes from scratch when the grandkids come over. Well, the 13 yr old grandson gave it a 5-star thumbs up. We thought they were equally as good and will definitely be making these again soon. They were so fluffy and yummy. Thanks!
5 star thumbs up, woohoo! So glad it was a hit with the grandkids, that’s the best when kids like the stuff you make! Thank you so much for taking the time to review, you are awesome.
Pancakes turned out amazing. Super light and fluffy. I added blueberries while the first side was cooking they were a great addition. We don’t like a sugary batter so this was perfect.
Ooh love the blueberries idea Lara, great tip!! So glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for the review!
Didn’t love these. Not enough flavor. Tried adding a little lemon juice and lemon zest and still really meh. Pancakes should be delicious without syrup or even butter – although of course add those in abundance ;) – but even with those condiments these just didn’t bring the pancake joy we were looking for. Also – YES – halve the recipe. This makes a TON of pancakes.
Hmm you sound like the only one
These pancakes were amazing! Thick and fluffy and oh so good! I added chocolate chips to some and some cinnamon to others. My husband ate 3 and he was full until dinner time haha.
Can this recipe be halved?
Hi Conner, absolutely! Just half all the ingredients! Enjoy!
Very good pancakes! This recipe is a keeper. Thanks for making my supper delicious!!
These pancakes almost got me a parade. Like many that hav commented, I like to find and stick with one tried and true recipe. Needless to say, this is it. Thank you Food Charlatan for doing all the work for me. Looking forward to trying your other recipes.
Hey a parade in exchange for pancakes sounds pretty good, haha! So glad the recipe was a hit Ruth! Thanks for the review!
Can the batter be made the night before? I want to make these for my husband’s birthday, but I’m not known for rolling out of bed early. He’s usually the pancake chef. I’m 63 and this will be my first go.
Hi Ruth! I wouldn’t mix the batter ahead of time, no. But you can mix up the dry ingredients and have it ready to go, add all the wet ingredients to a bowl and even have the egg whites whisked and ready to add in, stored in the fridge. I’ve done that before for birthdays! Enjoy the pancakes!!
My husband is absolutely crazy about these pancakes. They are delicious. Light and fluffy. I make them for him at least once to twice every 2 weeks.
I’m so glad he likes them Tammy! Come to my house and make these twice a week ;) Thanks for the review!
Heavenly. I made them this morning and I will never use another recipe again. Thank you💚
Yesss so happy to hear that Chelsea! Me neither :)
I decided to make this pancake recipe for my youngest daughter on her birthday last week.
Only thing is I had to use margarine instead of the butter. These were definitely THE BEST PANCAKES EVER! My family could not believe that I actually made them. Thank you so much, it made my little girl’s birthday extra special.
I’m so happy to hear that Dwight! We make these for birthday breakfasts too around here :) Thank you for reviewing!
O.M.G. I’m a pancake lover and I don’t think I’ve ever had better, including at a restaurant. These are amazing.
Hooray!! So happy to hear that Marc! I agree, these beat the restaurant for me :) Thanks for commenting!!
I’ve made this recipe a gazillion times. It’s epic! Tried and True! Thank you for this gift!
Hooray!! So glad you’ve enjoyed the recipe so many times Gabrielle! It’s one of my most-made recipes too! Thanks so much for reviewing!!
Is it ok to use the instant powdered buttermilk? I bought the Saco Pantry Cultured Buttermilk Blend because it’s all I could find at the grocery store.
Yeah that will totally work for this recipe Joan! Enjoy!
Everyone must be making your pancakes during quarantine because I can’t find buttermilk anywhere! I have tried the lemon juice:milk version in other recipes and didn’t care for it. Can sour cream be substituted?
I made your fabulous extra streusel coffee cake, my husband and I ate the whole thing in a day. Gotta dust off the elliptical!
Hi Laurie! You probably didn’t like the milk hack because it’s too thin. Buttermilk is thiiick. Use cream and lemon juice next time, or half and half. I often use sour cream in this recipe, half sour cream and half buttermilk OR milk. It makes the pancakes super fluffy and has a little chewier texture. It’s my favorite way to change up this original recipe. Hope this helps! So glad you enjoyed the coffee cake! And yes, we need to burn off some of these calories! ;)
I n made these with half heavy cream and half sour cream, because that’s what I had. They were delicious! Good substitute for. Butter milk. It does make a thicker batter, so I added a few sprinkles of water. I can’t wait to find buttermilk though, because nothing beats it!
Have you tried the hack with the white vinegar? That’s how I do it and it is good. Nice and creamy.
Plain yogurt is also an excellent sub for buttermilk. Use 1 cup of yogurt, and add enough milk to thin it to the desired consistency.
I enjoy your blog so much! I like people with a sense of humor. Good reciepes.
thank you so much Norma! You are so sweet. Enjoy the recipes! Thanks for commenting!
I usually have all the ingredients for this to make last minute EXCEPT buttermilk, so I replace that with 1 cup of plain yogurt (which I ALWAYS have) and increase the milk to desired consistency (depending on the thickness of your yogurt, especially if using greek yogurt). We do keep a mason jar of bacon fat in the fridge, but I also sometimes like to make these with coconut oil–both are good. My family (including my picky daughter) says these are the best pancakes.
That is awesome Wendy! Love the yogurt sub. Great idea! Thanks for the review!
Raising hand! (About breakfast time)
And yes, please for the sour cream pancakes. Should I do it? Yes, absolutely.
I will try this, thanks so much…take care.
I think you should try it Laura! I think I usually replace about 1 cup or less of the buttermilk with sour cream. let me know how it goes! Brunch erryday for quarantine!! lol!
I grew up where my dad cooked our pancakes in bacon grease and yes I keep a reserve in my refrigerator just for pancakes! If you’ve never tried it’s a game changer!
Bacon grease for the win Sue! I’m so glad to meet another believer!! :)
I have been making buttermilk pancakes for years and they have been a favorite of my family, but I am always looking for one just a bit better. So I tried this one and I have to say I think I have found it. Did the bacon grease too.. It is much like mine but with just a few little things that apparently make the difference.
Thanks. I’m going to try some more of your recipes.
So happy to hear the pancakes were a success Gwen! It’s nice when the search is over. Thanks for the review! Let me know what other recipes you try!
Normally I don’t comment on these blogs, but I have to say, omg! U must b from my family. Lol I thought we were the only family who are peanut butter on pancakes. More people should try it cause it’s delicious. Extra something that most in my family do also. Add over easy eggs to the top. They love the yellow yolk mixed in with the pancakes. Good luck and enjoy!
We must be related then Joanne! haha! Peanut butter forever. Also I’m SO excited to try this with a fried egg on top. Why do I never eat my pancakes savory??? Thanks for the idea!!
Do you use salted or unsalted butter in this recipe?
Hi Melissa! I always use salted, but either one will work just fine!
You are so right! I’m not a good pancake maker, either…but these are the bestest ever!
Thank you for sharing!
I’m so glad you like them Janice! Thanks for reviewing!
I saved the bacon grease from the Kirkland (Costco) Maple Bacon and oh my, does that ever kick up the flavour of the pancakes. You can almost eat them without the syrup, and sometimes I just sprinkle a little sugar on top and then a little lemon juice. Very delicious.
Okay I didn’t think you could one-up bacon grease, but maple bacon grease might just take the cake :) That sounds amazing! I need to try it. Thanks for the idea!
Perfect recipe. No changes. Delicious, fluffy, with crispy edges. Makes a large batch. So several went into freezer. We added blueberries to some of them. Deleing my other pancake recipes.
I’ve deleted them all too Tootie! So glad you’ve found “the one” :) Blueberries sounds delicious! genius.
definitely recommend REAL buttermilk – use it all the time and it’s still good for at least a week after expiration date
Freeze any leftovers in ice cube trays for later use.
What!!! Does that really work Lloyd? Genius!! I’m trying it!
Yes! It was fantastic!! This is a keeper recipe. I added a little vanilla but not necessary. Thank you!!!
Yes vanilla is so good in these pancakes! Thanks for the reminder Monica!
These are the best pancakes I have ever made!!! I love a fluffy pancake with crispy edges and these pancakes do just that!!! These have been a permanent fixture at our house. Now I am going to try your waffle recipe tonight!!
Woohoo! Another believer! ;) We just made these (dyed green) for St. Patrick’s Day. They never fail! I hope you love the waffle recipe too!
I am so excited to find the perfect pancake recipe!! I’ve tried so many but none compared to these.
Woohoo! They really are the best. I’m glad the search is over!
These really are the best. Haven’t tried the soured milk trick. Like the real buttermilk too much!
Agreed Aaron! Stick with the real stuff! :)
These really were the BEST pancakes I’ve ever made!! I wasn’t able to make with true butter milk but used milk/fresh squeezed lemon juice mix. Delicious!! Thanks for posting this recipe!
Ah yay another believer!! :) And the fake buttermilk trick is so handy, right?
OMG! This is the first time ever that I am posting….and I am not that young. I have tried every recipe that I have come across. I have even changed flour for some of the recipes. But this one is a keeper. My search is over!! I love the thickness and finally a pancake that is actually thick and doesn’t look like a potato pancake.
Thank You
HOORAY! I’m so glad you finally found a pancake recipe worth repeating Marlene. It’s truly a thing to celebrate ;)
I actually have used soured milk (w/vinegar) and they turned out great!!
I’ve tried it too Barb! Such a good hack! Thanks for the tip :)
Wow… These pancakes are everything described and even more! I added 2 teaspoonfuls of vanilla and this is now my “go to recipe” for pancakes!! Many thanks!
How could vanilla be a bad thing?? Great idea Bill! I’m so glad you have found a new go-to!
I GREW. UP ON PANCAKES THOSE LOOK. ABSOLUTELY. DELISH. I WILL TRY THEM MY SON LOVES PANCAKES
Thanks Kim, I hope you and your son love them! Can’t go wrong with super fluffy buttery pancakes!
These are truly the best pancakes I have ever made! I added blueberries and oh my goodness! Yummy deliciousness! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Oooh why have I not added blueberries to these pancakes before??? Mm with a little lemon zest…I need to make this! Thanks for commenting Annette!
Agreed! These are the BEST pancakes I have ever made! Not too dense, not too thin, not too thick, not rubbery…just great! I have stored the batter in the fridge for a couple of days, and they still turn out delicious even though the texture might slightly different. This will be the only pancake recipe I will use from now on. Thank you!
Hooray! Great tip, I actually just tried this yesterday. I’d never saved the batter before, but I accidentally made too much for breakfast, so we refrigerated the batter until the evening and then made dessert pancakes :) It turned out great! Thank you so much for leaving a review Kim!
These are definitely the best pancakes I’ve ever made….they rival restaurant recipes.
Agreed Candace!! Thank you!!
Truely this is the BEST pancake recipe ever! I’ve tried sooo many recipes before but this one is definitely a keeper. My husband and his brother loves them and so do I. 👍
YESSSS another believer :) It really is the best! Thanks so much for coming back to comment Ame!
I made these pancakes today. Absolutely delicious! Perfect!
I would like to make them again tomorrow morning, but I don’t have enough time in the morning. Can I make the batter tonight & it still come out the same?
Hey Raquel! I’m so glad you liked the pancakes! I wouldn’t recommend making the batter ahead of time. What you can do is prep the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients in different bowls and then combine in the morning. I do that all the time. Hope that helps!
I too was looking for a pancake that was perfect. I kept testing recipes and never really found one that checked all of my boxes (crispy edges, fluffy not dense, good flavor, easy to make, real ingredients). I would make various concoctions for my picky eater son who would provide the verdict by asking if he could have something else instead. Then… I made these and the search is over. He exclaimed, out loud with both hands in the air… “these are the best pancakes I have ever eaten!!!”
I have doubled the recipe and stored a couple days in fridge or frozen long term, either way they heat up perfectly int he toaster oven. My search is over, they are THE BEST pancakes ever. Thank you, I will never make anything else again!
haha Cole I love this story!! They really are the best pancakes I’ve ever made and I’m glad your son thinks so too! I will definitely be throwing my hands in the air every time I say this from now on. haha!! Thanks for the comment and review, it means so much to me!
Oh my goodness, these were the best pancakes I’ve ever made! I am usually quite sceptical about these kind of “miracle” recipes but I decided to give these a try because I love the rich, thick taste of buttermilk. I surprised my whole family this morning, they were amazing and so fluffy! We loved them :)
Thanks Barbara!! Every time I make these I still get so happy that I finally found a pancake recipe I love through and through. Glad you like it too! Thanks for commenting!!
Holy Smokes these pancakes are good!!!
Agreed!!! :)
Delicious! I’m always looking for ways to use left over buttermilk. I decided to use some fruit that was on its last legs. In one pan I added diced strawberries, butter, sugar and a little water and sautéed until tender and saucy. In the next pass I sliced ripe bananas, butter and a little sugar and sautéed until soft and saucy. Topped pancakes with fruit and whipped cream. Yum!
Oh man, this sounds like an amazing combination Julie!! I definitely need to up my game and do strawberries next time! Fruit and whipped cream improve most breakfast items, right? :) Thanks for the comment!
This was a delicious recipe! I did used my Kefir with Madagascar vanilla flavor for the buttermilk. My son asked , “why are these pancakes so good?” ❤️ Thanks for sharing!
Why ARE they so good?? haha! That’s cute. Good idea using Kefir! Thanks for coming back to comment!
fantastic! I’m not sure what makes them so much better than the other recipes I’ve tried- separating the eggs is unusual but the fact that you use whole milk
Love these!!
Have you made these the night before? I’m wondering how they’d hold up in the fridge overnight.
Hey Claire! These are good as leftovers but not as mind-blowing as they are when fresh. I like to pop them in the toaster to get a bit more crisp!
I made these pancakes today and they were honestly the best I’ve ever had no joke!! Kind of crisp on outside, thick and fluffy inside. I realized at last minute my buttermilk was sour so I had to make my own. I used heavy cream and milk and soured it with vinegar. Same volume as recipient called for. Came out fabulous!
I made these today on a whim so I didn’t have buttermilk but the lemon-soured milk and butter-for-bacon-grease still turned out the best pancakes I ever made! Great texture and taste :)
That’s awesome Jual! I’ve used soured milk before too, works like a charm. Thanks for coming back to comment! You rock!
I’ve been looking for a pancake recipe that was similar to the ones my family used to get at a now defunct local restaurant decades ago but have had no luck until now.
These pancakes are fantastic! I’m not sure what makes them so much better than the other recipes I’ve tried- separating the eggs is unusual but the fact that you use whole milk and buttermilk also stands out, at least with the recipes I’ve tried.
Whatever the case I am very happy to have found this recipe and can confirm that it has been added to my repertoire! Many thanks to Courtney and of course to you for passing on this precious information.
I’m so glad you love the pancakes Paul! And I’m seriously mystified about this recipe as well. Separating the egg really does make the difference though! So weird. That’s awesome they taste like the restaurant ones you remember!
WOW!!!! Make feel hungry… Maybe its not easy to make up huhu :( But I LOVE it :)
I really like pancakes, this recipe makes me want to eat right now .. lol .. I had to try it at home, thank you for the recipe
Me too Susu, wish I had some right now! Hope you enjoy them :)
This makes me feel hungry…. lol
tomorrow I’ll try to make it. thanks for share
Makes me feel hungry too! Hope you enjoy them!
I made these today on a whim so I didn’t have buttermilk but the lemon-soured milk and butter-for-bacon-grease still turned out the best pancakes I ever made! Great texture and taste :)
Definitely the BEST pancakes! I think what I love most about them (besides the buttermilk) is the butter in the batter. Butter makes everything better! These pancakes are fluffy every time and have an awesome flavor! I can’t stop at one, I stop when they’re all gone 😁 Thanks for posting!
Amen to that. Butter for President. Butter for Mayor. Glad you enjoyed them Kayla!
Enjoyed these for dinner after a rough day! I soured my own milk and it worked out just fine! I’m fairly confident these would be fantastic cooked in butter…but bacon grease definitely gave them a special something!
Pancakes after a rough day is basically the best thing ever. i’m glad you had some bacon grease :) And good to know that soured milk works just as well! Thanks for the review Katie!
Just have to add my two cents, made this yesterday & my life will never be the same. SO GOOD!!! I froze the remainder of them & even though you lose the crispy factor when reheating them in the microwave, they still tasted fantastic. Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe & for guiding other chronic over-mixers like me :D
Hey Cindy! I’m so glad you also consider things like perfect pancakes to be life-altering :) These are perfect for the freezer! My husband and I always toast them out of the freezer so they get a little more crispy instead of mushy. Thanks for your review!!
Sounds yummy…can’t wait to try them…and yes I keep bacon drippings. I make potato soup by flying my potatoes in it then add the remaining soup ingredients. I’ts a sin to throw out bacon grease…..or at least it should be.
I agree! Throwing out bacon grease is unforgivable! :) Good idea with the potato soup, I’ll try that next!
I was kind of.. Underwhelmed. They were okay, but not the best pancakes ever. Maybe I did something wrong, but they were very inconsistent throughout the batch. One pancake was thin and tasted good, and the next was fluffy but tasted eggy.
Oh sad Aly! I’m sorry these weren’t the best pancakes for you! Sounds like they didn’t get mixed up all the way. Or maybe this just isn’t the recipe for you!
Yummy! This looks amazing. My mom used to make something similar
Awesome Tally! Let me know if you try them out, and if they taste like your mom’s :)
YAY! This makes me so happy. There is nothing better than a perfect pancake–for breakfast, lunch, or dinner! Thanks for all your kind words and for linking back, friend! I’m just happy to spread the pancake love. And I’m TOTALLY doing it up with bacon grease next time!
Thank you for letting me post the recipe Courtney!!!! I will literally owe you for the rest of my life for introducing me to this recipe :) And YES totally try the bacon grease!! I’m all about moderation.
Need to try this soon!! Thank you for sharing :)
The milk-vinegar trick really does work, and it thickens up, you just have to let it sit for a few minutes. I learned that years ago from watching Ree Drummond (Pioneer Woman) =)
True, it does thicken some, but not to the consistency of buttermilk (at least mine never does!). After I posted this last week I read another recipe that suggests 3 parts Greek yogurt and 1 part milk as a sub for buttermilk! Which would be a lot truer to the consistency. Totally trying it next time. Thanks for the feedback Terri! Love the good ol Pioneer Woman!
Woah. These pancakes look seriously outrageously good! I’m usually not an all-about-pancakes person, but those crispy edges are getting me. And the bacon grease is just sheer genius.
WHAT. I’m going to have to try this egg separating trick! And of course bacon grease. Because then I get to eat some bacon too :) These truly look like the best pancakes ever!
These seriously do look like the best pancakes EVER!! Thanks for sharing the tip about beating the egg yolks and whites in separately. And bacon grease makes everything taste so much better! I love everything about these pancakes!!
It’s hard to believe you were terrible at making pancakes. My mouth is watering looking at those pictures. Such delicious pancakes. I’m so excited to try out this recipe!!
ohmygoshhh these pancakes are stunning!!! def perfection!
When you said, “The best pancakes ever,” I thought…”hmm, can’t be better than the ones I make!” Then I saw the bacon grease!! I am definitely making these!!! Thanks!
Haha Daphne!! This made me laugh out loud!! Now you have to send me your recipe! Are they much different? Try your recipe in bacon grease, I bet it will just make them even better :)
Okay, drooling over here, they look so good! Do you think this recipe would work for waffles too? I work the night shift and am thinking about bringing my waffle maker in for fresh waffles to feed the nurses.
Hey Annie! I’ve never tried pancakes in the waffle iron, not sure how it would turn out. I do have a favorite waffle recipe though! The recipe is here, try it out! That’s so nice of you to bring food for the nurses!
Annie, Did you try waffles with this recipe?
Yes, these are delish! Of course I had to try them today for dinner because I wouldn’t wait for the weekend. Yum!
Yaaay! So glad you tried them out Neira! We have been having LOTS of pancakes for dinner lately from recipe testing. Not a problem in my book :) Breakfast for dinner is the best! Thanks for coming to comment!
Fluffy pancakes are worth all sorts of trouble! These look amazing! Buttermilk is an absolute must in my opinion :)
YES! I’m never going back to soured milk. It is just not the same. Thanks Trish!!
strawberry will be a refresher between sweet and savory flavors of this delicious … uhhh yummy..perpect…
I would make it in Indonesia
Yes, strawberries always make pancakes taste even better! Thanks for commenting Susu!
These look heavenly – must. try. Hey, have you ever tried sour cream pancakes? They’re not everyday pancakes, but talk about a melt in your mouth experience… :)
The cook’s illustrated classic pancakes recipe calls for sour cream I think! I have yet to try. Do you have a recipe Lexi?
The recipe we love the most comes from Country Living. If you do a search it should be the first one that pulls up – it’s the one that calls for 3(!!) cups of sour cream. :) If you ever make them, I recommend halving the recipe as it yields a lot of pancakes… wait, is that bad??
There needs to be a way to rate this recipe!! I’m a review natzi and usually do not make any recipes without a high rating and lots of review. I’m just now seeing the comments, whereas I didn’t when I made these pancakes. Oh my effing lorrrrrd!!! I could not stop eating them right off the griddle!! I’m so glad I went out of my recipe comfort zone and made these. I’ve been thinking about them all day since devouring them. This is bad, extremely bad. Yet oh so delicious!! 😋😋
One change I made, 1tsp baking soda instead of 2. They were still super, duper thick! I may thin out the recipe just a wee bit next time. Simply because I had a difficult time spreading the batter in the pan. Then again… They were so good, so do I dare mess with it!? Probably not 😁
P.S. !!! I found this recipe by searching “cripsy pancakes”. Without that there were a gaziion x2 pancake recipes to sort through! Oh and I used imperial margarine for the batter and the grease and it was still fab!
I’m so glad I came up on a search for crispy pancakes, that is awesome. I’m all about that bacon grease ;) I’m so glad you love the recipe Sara! I’m always eating them off the griddle too! Thanks for reviewing!
Holy moly!! I would’ve never thought of separation the eggs. Duh Jess – fluffy! These look incredible!!
Thanks Jessica! I never would have thought of it either! Courtney is so smart :)
Holy Moly, pancake heaven up in here! Thank you for searching high, low and making a dozen plus pancake recipes to find this one, because these truly look like the best pancakes! SO fluffy and seriously delish! LOVE the tip about bacon grease – GENIUS! Can’t wait to try these this weekend! Pinned! Cheers!
Pancake heaven is right! It was a trial making all those pancakes, but somebody had to do it. You have GOT to try the bacon grease tip. Thanks Cheyanne!
Wow, that’s quite a statement! When you say they are THAT good, I have to try it. Weekend breakfast – can’t wait. I love seeing your photo set up too.
Thanks Karen! When you are as bad at making pancakes as I am, finding a recipe like this is kind of a big deal! :) I hope you love them!