Old Fashioned Buttermilk Pancakes

Old Fashioned Buttermilk Pancakes are deliciously fluffy pancakes with whipped egg whites and melted butter for a light texture and buttery flavor! This is the best buttermilk pancakes recipe and is the perfect heartwarming breakfast! 

You can’t go wrong with homemade pancakes for breakfast! It’s a favorite meal of my family’s so of course we have plenty of pancake recipes to choose from like Almond Milk Pancakes, English Pancakes, German Pancakes, and Banana Oatmeal Pancakes! 

Why This Recipe Works

• Incredibly fluffy buttermilk pancakes. I’ve found that separating the eggs and making the pancakes with whipped egg whites — in addition to the rising agents in the batter — give pancakes an additional light and airy texture. You want to be able to look at the pancakes from the side and see some of those air bubbles. One commenter, Mirabel, said, “I just made a batch of these for my family of 9 … I must say By far the most AMAZING fluffiest pancakes I have had … these are perfection!!”
• Fool-proof buttermilk pancake recipe. I’ve had many people comment about these pancakes! Cindy said, “I have tried many buttermilk pancake recipes and this by far is the best ever.” Lauren said, “Wish I could give 10 stars!” Renee said, “Alright, these are the best pancakes I’ve ever had the honor of making and eating.” Join the ranks by making this easy and delicious old fashioned buttermilk pancakes recipe! 
• Delicious buttery flavor. These homemade buttermilk pancakes have melted butter in the batter which permeates through and gives a nice buttery flavor in each bite! 
• Pancakes bring people together. Whenever we’d visit my grandpa, he’d always make amazing pancakes in the morning. He was a tall, Dutch man who would always say, “Eet smakelijk!” (“eat heartily” in Dutch) before a meal. There is something so nostalgic and heartwarming about a plate of old fashioned buttermilk pancakes! I hope this favorite pancake recipe will bring your family together to create those delicious breakfast memories, too!

Ingredient Notes

• Baking Powder: Our rising agents in this pancake recipe are baking powder, baking soda and whipped egg whites. This will give us perfectly fluffy buttermilk pancakes. Baking powder is double acting, meaning it will react first when it gets wet and second when it gets heated.
• Granulated Sugar: Just enough to give us a sweetened flavor.
• Eggs: Separated. We’ll beat the egg whites to fold into the batter. Pancakes with whipped egg whites are by far the fluffiest! The egg whites provide a fluffy texture you just can’t beat! 
• Buttermilk: You’ll get better results and flavor in homemade pancakes with buttermilk when using real buttermilk instead of a buttermilk substitute. 
• Vanilla Extract: I love the flavor combination of vanilla and butter! The vanilla paired with the melted butter in the homemade buttermilk pancakes really brings out a delicious buttery pancake flavor. 
• Unsalted Butter: The melted butter will mix beautifully into the batter, creating some buttery flavor pockets in these pancakes.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Whisk the dry ingredients. Add the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda to a large bowl and whisk to combine. 
2. Combine the wet ingredients. Add the egg yolks, buttermilk, vanilla, and melted butter to a medium bowl. Mix to combine. 

3. Beat the egg whites. In a small bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. 

4. Combine wet and dry ingredients. Combine the wet and dry ingredients until partially combined. Fold in the egg whites. Don’t over mix. There will be small pieces of egg whites and flour here and there. That’s fine! Let the batter sit for 10 minutes. 
5. Cook the old fashioned buttermilk pancakes. Using a 1/3 cup, scoop the batter onto a buttered/sprayed hot griddle preheated to 300°F. Cook each side for about 2-3 minutes until each side is golden. Serve the fluffy stacks of delicious buttermilk pancakes with buttermilk syrup, fresh berries and whipped cream! 

Recipe Tips

Use real buttermilk! If you don’t have any on hand, you can make your own buttermilk by using regular milk and lemon juice or white vinegar. For every 1 cup of milk add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Stir. The acid will curdle the milk slightly.

Room temperature buttermilk will help the wet ingredients mix together more smoothly. If the buttermilk is cold and the unsalted butter is freshly melted and still very warm, the cold buttermilk will make the melted butter slowly get hard and develop chunks. 

Cooking times will vary depending on the griddle or pan you use.

The special ingredient in these delicious pancakes is the eggs whites beaten into peaks! That fluffy egg mixture makes this homemade buttermilk pancakes light and super fluffy!

A trick I use with my Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins is to let the batter sit before baking them. This same tip applies for these homemade pancakes with buttermilk. Let the pancake batter sit for at least 10 minutes before cooking the pancakes. This resting time lets the baking powder work its magic for some perfect pancakes!

Do not over mix the batter. The key to pancake (and waffle batter) is to mix the batter until combined but lumpy. This allows the gluten proteins in the batter to link together in a relaxed and weblike way. When cooked, large air bubbles are formed between the loosely combined gluten proteins resulting in light and fluffy buttermilk pancakes.

Over mixed batter has over-developed gluten. Meaning, the gluten has linked tightly. This strong gluten connection means there is less space for air pockets to develop between the tightly wound gluten proteins, resulting in thin and flat pancakes. 

Don’t press down on your pancakes with your pancake spatula you are using. I see this all the time! After pouring the batter, let it cook for 2-3 minutes on each side and then flip it. If you press down, you’re forcing the pancake to be flat.

Don’t be afraid to add mix-ins to the batter too! Toss in a handful of chocolate chips, nuts, or blueberries. 

Make Ahead, Storing, and Freezing

Leftover pancakes can be stored in an airtight container or ziplock bag in the fridge for up to 5 days. When ready to eat remove from container, place on a plate, and microwave until warm or pop in the toaster. 

To freeze, wrap each pancakes individually in plastic wrap to avoid sticking to each other. Then store in an airtight container or Ziplock bag in the freezer for 2-3 months. Remove and toast in the toaster or thaw in the microwave. 

Recipe FAQs

More Breakfast Recipes

• Easy Breakfast Casserole
• Breakfast Burrito with Black Beans
• Breakfast Baked Oatmeal Cake
• Pineapple Spinach Smoothie
• Oat Milk Chia Pudding