Fluffiest Buttermilk Pancakes
E
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Light and airy pancakes made by pulsing buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla in a blender; dry ingredients layered in to avoid overmixing; melted butter folded in last. Cooked on medium-low griddle until bubbles form and edges set. Uses baking powder and soda for lift. Recommends whole milk as substitute for buttermilk with added vinegar. Avoid overmixing to keep fluffy texture. Visual cues, not strict times, determine flipping and doneness. Serves eight, around 251 calories each. Great for weekend brunch when patience is limited. Helps avoid common dense pancake pitfalls.
Prep:
12 min
Cook:
5 min
Total:
17 min
Servings:
8 servings
#breakfast
#American cuisine
#brunch
#easy cooking
#fluffy pancakes
Ever tried pancakes that deflate half a second after stacking? Happens to me all the time. Learned over years to keep batter lumpy and light. No hand whisking hours, just pulsing in blender — saves time but keeps bubbles alive. The split dry ingredients trick? Stops overmixing, keeps gluten from forming too much — a rookie mistake that yields rubber bricks. Butter folded in last, warm but not hot, coats flour clusters and keeps crumbs tender. And the griddle temp—medium-low. Hotter means burnt outside, raw inside. I watch the bubbles. Not all surface bubbles; the edges and the way bubbles form tell me when to flip. Those little sensory hints changed my pancake game forever. Skip exact timings and trust what you see. If stuck without buttermilk, vinegar and milk combo works. Experience says these tweaks matter more than fancy ingredients or gadgetry.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted plus extra for cooking
About the ingredients
Found buttermilk substitutes handy: whole milk with 1 tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice, left to sit 5 minutes, thickens slightly and adds tang needed for acidity reaction with baking soda. Baking powder and baking soda combo essential for rise—too much baking soda causes metallic taste, so keep it balanced. Melt butter, make sure it’s just cool enough before adding; hot butter will scramble eggs in blender, ruining texture. Sugar balances acidity and browns surface, sweetness can be tweaked slightly based on taste. Vanilla adds aroma but feel free to swap with almond extract for nutty twist. Salt vital to bring out flavors. Dry ingredients sifted or whisked well prevent lumps but don’t obsess; lumpy batter is key here. Flour measured by spooning and leveling avoids dense mix. Butter to grease pan preferable over spray—better sear and more flavor.
Method
- Start by cracking eggs, pour buttermilk and vanilla into blender. Pulse mix 2-3 times just to combine — nothing smooth. Gritty texture is fine.
- In separate bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Makes sure no lumps.
- Add half the dry mix to blender, pulse 2-3 times — lumps are good here. Then add remaining dry mix, repeat pulsing.
- Pour melted butter in last. Pulse just until incorporated. Stop. Overmixing kills fluff.
- Preheat griddle medium-low. Butter it generously.
- Scoop 1/3 cup batter per pancake onto hot surface - thick batter visible. Keep space between pancakes.
- Watch edges; tiny bubbles form and pop on top — that’s when it’s ready to flip. Look for browned edges firming up.
- Flip carefully, hear sizzle, cook another 1-2 minutes until golden and set. Touch gently to test doneness, springs back lightly.
- Serve immediately or keep warm in low oven.
Cooking tips
Pulse blender just enough to combine, overmixing denatures air bubbles essential for fluff. Adding dry ingredients in halves prevents clumping and too much gluten development. Melted butter last avoids cooking eggs and allows coating of flour clusters. Medium-low griddle lets batter cook through evenly; too hot and pancakes burn while staying raw inside. Watch for bubbles—wait until most bubbles burst and edges firm before flipping. Flip gently, not a slap. Cook short time second side until color deepens slightly and surface springs back to gentle poke. If pancakes stick, pan is too cool or butter insufficient. Don’t press down pancake; kills lift. Batch cooking: keep pancakes warm in oven at 200°F on wire rack to avoid sogginess. If batter thickens on standing, add splash buttermilk and stir briefly. Always taste batter in process for balance: slightly tangy, mildly sweet, buttery aroma. Adjust vanilla or sugar for preferred notes. This method saves whisking time, yields consistent fluff every time.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Pulse blender in short bursts only. Don’t aim for smooth batter; bits of grit or lumps stay. Keeps air bubbles intact, fluff comes from trapped air so don’t overwork. Dry ingredients in halves stops gluten forming too much. Butter last keeps batter tender. If butter goes in hot, eggs scramble — nasty texture. Cool melted butter essential for right consistency.
- 💡 Watch the griddle. Medium-low heat is key — too hot scorches outside, raw inside. Butter generous amount to get slight sear and medium browning. Look for edges firming and top bubbles popping; that’s your flipsign. Not all bubbles pop at once — trust more on edge color and feel to know doneness than timer.
- 💡 If no buttermilk, mix whole milk with 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice. Let rest 5 minutes til thick. Adds acidity that reacts with baking soda. Helps rise and flavor. Baking soda too high means metallic taste, so balance with baking powder to get good lift. If overmixed, pancakes get rubbery — observe batter texture closely.
- 💡 Avoid pressing pancakes down on griddle. Stops lift, makes pancakes dense. Let batter rest briefly before cooking if possible, helps dry ingredients hydrate. If batter thickens too much while waiting, a splash of buttermilk to loosen. Small batches keep griddle temp steady. Stack pancakes on wire rack in warm oven at 200°F if needed. Keeps edges crispy, no sog.
- 💡 Sugar balances acidity and browns crust. Adjust to taste but don’t skip. Vanilla or almond extract add aroma; swap but keep small amount. Salt critical to bring out all flavors — don’t reduce too much. Dry ingredients sifted or whisked well but lumps okay. Lumpy batter avoids tough gluten pockets. Butter to grease pan better than spray; better flavor and sear.
Common questions
Why is batter lumpy?
Lumps good. Means less gluten development. Overmixing kills fluff. Lumpy batter traps air better. Pulse just a few times, don’t go for smooth. Texture affects rise and softness.
Can I use regular milk instead of buttermilk?
Yes. Add 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice per cup milk. Let sit 5 minutes until thickened slightly. Acidity reacts with baking soda. Works well but flavor slightly different. Keeps rise but less tang.
Pancakes turn out dense, what’s wrong?
Usually overmixing or batter too thick. Mix dry ingredients well before adding, add in halves to avoid clumps but no overpulsing. Batter should be thick but pourable. Heat too high can also burn outsides too fast. Check griddle temp.
How to store pancakes?
Cool completely. Wrap tightly or freeze flat in zip bags. Reheat in toaster or oven 300°F 5-10 mins. Avoid microwave if you want to keep edges crisp. Leftovers keep well but best within 2 days refrigerated. Wire rack on warm oven prevents sogginess if keeping warm.
