Classic Buttermilk Pancakes (2024)

Tips and Tricks for the Best Pancakes

There’s more to the recipe than just the ingredients that make them so amazing! Here are my best tips and tricks for getting perfect pancakes every time:

• BUTTERMILK: Buttermilk is essential because the acid in it reacts with the leaveners to give the pancakes extra height and tenderness. It also adds such a great richness, tang and buttery flavor. These pancakes won’t be the same without the buttermilk, but if you don’t have buttermilk, you could substitute with 1/2 cup sour cream and 1/2 cup milk OR 2/3 cup yogurt and 1/3 cup milk for each 1 cup of buttermilk.
• LEAVENERS: Both baking powder and baking soda create the ideal lift and light, fluffy texture without overpowering the pancakes with taste. You can’t have one without the other in this recipe.
• SUGAR: Sugar is key to the golden brown texture on the outside as well as the slightly sweet taste throughout. We like our pancakes to be sweet enough to eat on their own while still being able to handle a generous drizzle of maple syrup, but the real reason I use 1/4 cup sugar is to give the pancakes those crisp, golden brown edges we all desire.
• GRIDDLE: A large griddle or cast iron skillet is best for cooking the pancakes because it distributes the heat evenly, but you could certainly use a nonstick skillet if you need to.
• WHISK: Use a whisk to mix the batter and don’t overmix it. The ingredients should be well combined yet still have lumps throughout. Overmixing will cause the gluten to harden resulting in tough pancakes.
• REST: Let the batter rest for 5 minutes while you heat the griddle as this will give the ingredients a chance to develop. You will see the consistency of the batter change in this 5 minutes from a thicker, lumpy texture to slightly puffed and more smooth.
• HEAT: The temperature of the griddle should be medium-low. This varies for each cooking range so play around with a little batter first to test the heat before starting to cook all of the pancakes. If the skillet is too hot, you’ll burn the outsides and the batter will still be raw in the center. If the temperature is too low, you won’t get that crisp exterior or edges that’s key to a perfect pancake. And you might need to adjust the heat a little up or down between batches as the griddle stays on to cook all of the batter.
• SPRAY: Do not use butter on the griddle as it will burn at the temperature you need to properly cook the pancakes which would give the pancakes a not so tasty burnt flavor. Instead, use a neutral canola oil spray or rub a little canola or vegetable oil evenly onto the griddle between each batch.
• SCOOP: I recommend using a large cookie dough or ice cream scoop(4 tablespoons) to scoop the batter onto the griddle. Fill the scoop with the batter and then drop it onto the griddle in one spot and let it spread on its own into a circle, using the back of the scoop to spread it slightly into the circle shape, if neccessary.
• SPACE: Don’t overcrowd the pancakes on the griddle as they need space to puff as they cook and you’ll need plenty of space to flip them properly.
• SPATULA: Use a large rubber spatula to flip the pancakes. A flexible spatula seems to control the pancakes better and makes them easier to flip.
• FLIP: When it comes to flipping the pancakes, just do it! Don’t think about it too much. Use the first few to practice and then just be confident with it. You want to flip each pancake whenthe top starts to form several bubbles and appears just set around the edges yet still raw in the center. Take a peak at the bottom of the pancake before flipping it by lifting up the edge with your spatula to make sure it’s golden brown. Gently place your spatula all the way under the pancake and give it a quick flip. If some of the batter splashes outside of the circle shape of the pancake, no worries, quickly push it back toward the pancake to reform the circle or just leave it be and cut it off once the pancake is finished cooking. The pancakes should take 2-3 minutes per side.
• KEEP WARM: To keep the cooked pancakes warm while you’re cooking the rest of the batter, heat the oven to 200°and place the cooked pancakes on a baking sheet in the warm oven until ready to serve.
• FREEZE: To freeze leftover pancakes, let them cool completely, stack them between sheets of parchment paper and place in a resealable plastic bag in the freezer. When ready to eat, just let them defrost and heat at the same time in a toaster or toaster oven for a few minutes each.

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