Pancakes are a very inexpensive food if they are made from scratch. And this recipe is so easy, I can’t really think of a reason NOT to make them from scratch!
While I’ve never made pancakes from a mix, I can’t imagine that this takes more than 2 minutes longer.
You should note that the buttermilk is an essential part of this recipe…mixing vinegar into milk really will not suffice. The buttermilk makes the batter nice and thick, which results in fluffy pancakes rather than flat pancakes.
Also, it’s very important to avoid overmixing the batter. If you do, you will develop the gluten in the flour, which is a lovely thing when you’re making yeast bread but is a not-so-lovely thing to do when you’re making breads/pancakes/muffins that are raised with baking powder or baking soda.
Developing the gluten will make your pancakes chewy (and I consider that to be an undesirable trait in a pancake!) so use a light hand when mixing.
By the way, I have a slightly different recipe for whole wheat pancakes, but you can also just substitute whole wheat flour for part of all of the white flour in this recipe.
Buttermilk Pancakes
Ingredients
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon oil
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Mix egg, buttermilk and oil in a measuring cup or bowl. I like to do this in a large measuring cup, and then I can use my egg beaters to mix it up.
Mix dry ingredients in large bowl, using a whisk.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, and mix gently by hand(a mixer will make you prone to overbeating). I use a combination of a spatula and a whisk. Don’t worry if there are still a few lumps…the pancakes will be fine.
Let the batter sit for 5 minutes(this will allow the flour to be fully hydrated), and while it’s sitting, heat the pan or griddle over medium high heat. To test the readiness of your pan, sprinkle a few drops of water onto it. If the water immediately bubbles up and sizzles, the pan is ready.
Drop 1/4-1/2 cup size dollops of batter into pan, depending on how large you like your pancakes. Cook until the tops are speckled with bubbles, then flip.
They should look like this once you flip them, and they’ll only need to be cooked for a few minutes more. They’ll be done when the underside is brown like the top.
Top with butter and syrup (or my favorite, whipped cream and fruit) and enjoy!
Stacey says
Hi there! We used to make pancakes all the time but then found that we could make homemade cinnamon buns very easily and they won out as a delicious breakfast treat. Yours look so good though, I may bring them back – yes, I think they would be perfect for a Mardi Gras supper!
Oh, and I want you to know that I “featured” your blog in the latest post of mine.
You can find it at http://myfriendoprah.blogspot.com/2009/02/living-cheerfully-on-less.html
Annie says
Pancakes are some of my favourite food…they’re my guilty pleasure and if I’m travelling, they’re what I have for breakfast. Thank you for this simple, very delicious looking recipe!!
vickie says
You’re so right about how fast it is to just make them your self. Another reason is that the boxed ones are horrible. I didn’t realize it until I had to go back to that when I was visiting at someone else’s house- they had the worst texture. Even plain homemade vegan pancakes are so much better
Battra92 says
This reminds me of one thing I am never frugal on, maple syrup. Sure you can use the fake stuff (really it’s just a simple syrup with maple flavoring) but I only put the real stuff on my pancakes.
On a side note, do you guys ever eat johnnycakes? They are also known as hoecakes, journeycakes and corn cakes. Basically think pancakes but made of cornmeal. They are all sorts of win if your
Here’s a video about them and it’s pretty close to how I make them. http://video.about.com/americanfood/How-to-Make-Johnnycakes.htm You can skip the bacon grease and use a different fat like butter if you’d like.
Kristen says
I do buy maple syrup sometimes, but that sort of thing does tend to blow out my grocery budget!
I make something very similar to johnnycakes…but it’s called Fried Mush(I know..sort of a gross name! lol). It’s basically sliced, fried polenta. I took pictures the last time I made it, and I’m going to post the recipe here at some point, since it’s such a cheap food.
Franci says
Kristen, I emailed you some breakfast recipes a while back, and was just wondering if you received them, or if it got lost in the spam filter or something?
Dana says
Have you ever made a huge batch of pancakes and frozen them for use on busy school mornings?? Just wondering the best way to package and warm them.
Thanks.
Kristen says
Franci, I was JUST cleaning out my email this afternoon, and I came across the email from you! lol I’m sorry that I didn’t write you back. Sometimes, I get sort of snowed under with emails, and I get behind. I do eventually get around to answering most of them, though!
Dana, we hardly EVER eat pancakes for breakfast(I know, that’s kind of weird! We usually have them for dinner on Sundays.), so I’ve never made a big batch and frozen them. However, if I were to do it, I’d let them cool thoroughly, package them up in Ziploc freezer bags, and then thaw/warm them in the microwave. I know people do this all the time, so I’d sure give it a try if your crew likes pancakes in the morning.
Cheryl says
I have never been able to make good pancakes from scratch. I use a boxed mix and add a little baking power and a touch of cinnamon, and they’re passable. But these look pretty darned good. Any other uses for buttermilk? I don’t really use it for anything and would hate to have it go bad.
p.s. Looking forward to the gluten post.
Kristen says
Cheryl, you should SO give these a try! Really, they are not hard. Just make very sure that you don’t overmix them.
Buttermilk can be used to make biscuits, and it can also be used in yeast breads. Plus, it can be frozen(although it is thinner once thawed, so it’s better for yeast breads at that point than pancakes. I make waffles with buttermilk too.
It does keep quite well in the fridge…much better than, say, milk.
Sorina says
What perfect timing! My husband and I were out to eat last week at a pancake house and as we were leaving he asked me if I could make pancakes like those sometime? (I rarely make pancakes – am more a waffle/French toast girl.) But, with your tempting photo and claim that these are easy to make (plus half a container of buttermilk sitting in my fridge from another recipe)…I’m going to give it shot!
Thanks for your blog. I’ve been a “lurker” for awhile now and enjoy your tips. Some I can’t quite apply (we live in Germany) but others are quite helpful!
Kristen says
I’m so glad you de-lurked, Sorina!
I hope your pancakes turn out delightfully.
donna says
I made these pancakes for company over Christmas time, family were so amazed at the taste and light and fluffy and texture. I don’t think we will be buying the boxed mix again. I have to make them again this weekend husband was upset he didn’t get any homemade pancakes. Really worth the effort. Next I am going to try one of your yeast bread recipes soon.
Jenny Achuthan says
How many pancakes do you think this makes? I only have 2 kids, but one is a teenage boy!!
Jennifer says
I prefer waffles to pancakes (easier to make). How would you alter this recipe for waffles?
Nancy Carlson says
A comment about mixing dry ingredients ahead of time for recipes – it is a huge time saver for me. I have celiac disease so use a huge number of gluten free ingredients. I make pancake mixes and cornbread mixes. I store them in the yellow and white containers that my corn starch and baking powder come in. I have the wet ingredients and directions written on the containers. My away-from-home children love my cornbread so return their containers to me for refills. They are easy to travel with and I’ve used the same containers for years.
Caitlin says
We had these for breakfast this morning, yum!!! I tossed in a little bit of whole wheat pastry flour for good measure. I also didn’t have buttermilk :/ so I soured my milk with vinegar and they were still yummy! Thanks!
Beth says
Your food photography is beautiful! And buttermilk most certainly makes the best pancakes ever! The first time I made pancakes with all buttermilk (instead of half milk or water and half buttermilk) I could not believe the difference. So delicious!
Kristen says
I know, right? Buttermilk is amazing in pancakes.
Sherrie says
I love pancakes, these look so good