My dad often made pancakes for our family when we were growing up. On lazy Saturday mornings, I remember that delightful sizzle of pancake batter hitting hot butter on the griddle. With a mug of coffee in one hand and a spatula in another, he’d stand by the stove, sipping and flipping, until the batter was gone. Still today, there’s nothing quite as cozy as the smell of hot pancakes and freshly made coffee filling the kitchen.
These pancakes are just like my dad used to make — fluffy and soft with slight tang from the buttermilk and a hint of sweetness from the sugar. Sometimes we spread blackberry jam and butter across the top and rolled them up for hand-held snacks. But usually, we enjoyed them the old fashioned way: dotted with butter and drenched with maple syrup.
This recipe uses buttermilk. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make your own! (Simply add 2 Tablespoons lemon juice to 2 cups milk and let that sit for about 10 minutes.) The acid in the buttermilk or lemon juice is the key to fluffy pancakes; when the acid reacts with baking soda, the combination forms bubbles, which create lighter, fluffier pancakes.
For other breakfast ideas, check out our Baked French Toast Casserole, Easy Baked Egg Cups, Sausage and Egg Casserole, or Our Favorite Coffee Cake.
12 Responses
Hello Marie:
Just made your “soft & fluffy pancakes” and so far, I am pleased with the results. My pancakes were not as fluffy as yours but, they were definitely soft. After halfing the recipe, I used Agave syrup as a sweetener instead of granulated sugar; it’s better for diminishing sugar spikes and I used grapeseed oil on the griddle, as well as butter. I thinned the batter after the initial pancake; I thought the first one was too thick, so maybe that’s why mine didn’t rise as much. But that’s ok, I will be enjoying these in the next few mornings, so thank you for sharing.
Annabelle
My new go-to pancakes recipe ! The whole family loves them ! Thank you for this great recipe !
I’ve used this recipe several times, and I can’t believe how incredible the pancakes turn out. I never thought I’d be able to make pancakes this good!
Unfortunately, I recently tried making them at my parents’ house on a griddle that doesn’t heat up as much as mine. I ended up cooking them on a relatively low heat for too long, and they turned out a bit tough. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve them (the leftovers) during the reheating process?
My new recipe for pancakes – the whole family loved it! I have passed on the recipe to others as well. Thank you for sharing.
Hi! Wonderful to hear! Thanks so much for taking time to leave a note — it’s helpful to me and other readers! Very best, Marie
Hi! I’m so happy to hear that your family enjoyed the pancakes! Also, thanks for taking time to leave a comment — I always love to hear from viewers, and your feedback is so helpful for other readers, too! Stay tuned, Marie
First time watching really enjoyed your show on making pie crust.
Hi Nancy! Thanks so much for watching! I’m happy to hear that you are enjoying the videos. Stay tuned, Marie
Great pancake recipe but we’re not as fluffy. I did follow your instructions.
Hi Nancy! Thanks for the feedback. I always love to hear from viewers. You might check the date on your leavening agents — for best results they needed to be replaced every 4-5 months. Thanks again, Marie
Hi Marie,
You are one of the best video instructors for cooking demos I have seen, and I have watched a lot! You mention all those important details that an make or break even a simple recipe like pancakes. My question: I do not eat eggs. Will your recipe work by adding a bit more buttermilk to compensate for the moisture? Also, I make pancakes with organic unsweetened kefir (cultured whole milk), but I do add lemon juice for acid. I hope to hear back from you, and I look forward to watching more of your wonderful videos! Many blessings! Martha
Hi Martha! Thanks so much for watching and for your note! I’m so glad to hear the videos have been helpful. I have not tried the pancake recipe without eggs, unfortunately, so I’m not sure I can help. I often substitute egg in my dinner rolls recipe with 1/4 cup sour cream per 1 egg. I’ve also heard a “flax egg” works well. That is 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 Tablespoons water, mix in a small bowl, let sit for 5-10 minutes, then use in place of egg. Hope that helps! I will keep you posted if I get a chance to try it in the pancakes! Hugs, Marie