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American

Buttermilk pancakes

Contains egg (no meat or fish)

Thick, fluffy griddle pancakes raised with baking powder and the tang of buttermilk. Stack them high with butter and maple syrup for a classic American breakfast.

Buttermilk pancakes is an American bread from United States, ready in about 35 minutes and made with all-purpose flour and buttermilk. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

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Honey poured on american pancakes. Walnuts are on top of the stack of pancakes
Representative photo. Mae Mu / Wikimedia Commons · CC0-1.0
Prep
10 min
Cook
20 min
Rest
5 min
Total
35 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
449

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Whisk (opens in a new tab) the flour, sugar (opens in a new tab), baking powder (opens in a new tab), baking soda (opens in a new tab) and salt together in a large bowl.

    Eggs being whisked in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Kampus Production on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    In a jug, whisk (opens in a new tab) the buttermilk (opens in a new tab) and eggs (opens in a new tab), then whisk in the melted butter (opens in a new tab). Pour into the dry ingredients and fold just until no dry flour remains — the batter should stay lumpy.

    • 3 min

  3. Step 3

    Let the batter rest while the griddle heats; it will thicken and turn bubbly.

    • 5 min
    A flatbread cooking on a hot griddle
    How it looks · Photo: Muhammad Khawar Nazir on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Lightly oil a griddle or large frying pan over medium heat. Pour about 60 ml batter per pancake. Add blueberries (opens in a new tab) now if using. Cook until bubbles break on the surface and the edges look dry, then flip and cook until golden and springy.

    If the first pancake browns before the middle sets, turn the heat down a notch.

  5. Step 5

    Keep cooked pancakes warm in a low oven (opens in a new tab) (about 100 °C) while you finish the batch. Serve with butter (opens in a new tab) and maple syrup (opens in a new tab).

    • 2 min
    • 100°C
    A finished dish being plated
    How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
United States · Commonly attributedGriddle cakes are eaten in many countries; this thick, buttermilk-leavened style is strongly associated with the United States.Also popular in CanadaMore food from United States
Dish
Breakfast · Brunch · Breads & flatbreads
Cooking method
Pan-fried
Taste
buttery, tangy, sweet, mild
Diet
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No nut ingredients
All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Child-friendly · Everyday · Budget-friendly
Cook more with
All-purpose flour · Buttermilk · Sugar · Baking powder · Baking soda · Egg
Techniques
Pan-frying

Allergens

  • Contains: Milkfrom buttermilk, butter
  • Contains: Eggsfrom egg
  • Contains: Wheatfrom all-purpose flour, baking powder
  • Contains: Glutenfrom all-purpose flour, baking powder

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

449 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 236 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 12%
  • Carbohydrate 54%
  • Fat 34%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy449 kcal191 kcal
Protein13.8 g5.9 g
Carbohydrate60.7 g25.8 g
Net carbohydrate59 g25 g
Sugars13.2 g5.6 g
Added sugars6.3 g2.7 g
Fibre1.7 g0.7 g
Fat16.8 g7.1 g
Saturated fat7.7 g3.3 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol122 mg52 mg
Sodium979 mg415 mg
Salt equivalent2.4 g1 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
291 mg
Calcium
300 mg
Iron
3.7 mg
Magnesium
31 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
134 µg
Vitamin C
1 mg
Vitamin D
0.5 µg
Vitamin B12
0.5 µg
Folate (DFE)
200 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: maple syrup, blueberries.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Lumps are fine — overmixing develops gluten and makes pancakes tough and flat.

Common mistakes

  • Pressing down on pancakes with the spatula squeezes out the air.
  • A pan that is too hot burns the outside before the centre cooks.

Serve with

  • Serve with crisp bacon or fresh berries.

Storage

  • Cool and refrigerate up to 2 days, or freeze interleaved with baking paper for 2 months.

Reheating

  • Toast from frozen or warm in a 160 °C oven for 8–10 minutes.

Variations

  • Chocolate chip pancakes: Scatter chocolate chips over each pancake before flipping.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Sauces, chutneys & dips for this dish

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2, 4

Baker’s notes

Customise in Bread & Bakery

Timeline and readiness cues

  1. Mix and knead · about 10 min

    Mix only until no dry flour remains — overmixing makes it tough and tunnelled.

  2. Rest · about 5 min

    Covered so it doesn't dry out; relaxed dough rolls and shapes without springing back.

  3. Bake · about 18 min

    Risen and golden; a skewer in the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs; the top springs back.

  4. Start to finish: about 33 min. Times are a guide — warmth changes everything; follow the cues.

If something goes wrong

  • Gummy or wet crumb

    Likely causes

    • Under-baked
    • Sliced while hot
    • Hydration too high for the flour

    What to do

    • Bake to 93–96 °C inside (cakes: clean skewer)
    • Cool completely on a rack before slicing
    • Reduce water by 3–5% or use a stronger flour
  • Collapsed or sunken middle

    Likely causes

    • Oven door opened too early
    • Too much leavening or sugar
    • Under-baked centre
    • Over-proofed yeast dough

    What to do

    • Don't open the oven for the first two-thirds of baking
    • Measure leaveners exactly with spoons, levelled
    • Test the centre before removing
    • Proof less
  • Pale crust

    Likely causes

    • Oven too cool
    • Too little sugar or no milk/egg for browning
    • Over-fermented (yeast ate the sugars)

    What to do

    • Check the oven with a thermometer
    • Brush with egg wash or milk
    • Shorten the fermentation
  • Burnt bottom

    Likely causes

    • Tray too close to the heat
    • Dark tray absorbs more heat
    • Too much sugar in the dough

    What to do

    • Bake on the middle shelf
    • Double up trays or use a light-coloured one
    • Lower the temperature 10–15 °C and bake a little longer
  • Cracked or domed top

    Likely causes

    • Oven too hot (crust sets before the centre rises)
    • Too much leavening
    • Overmixed batter

    What to do

    • Lower the oven 10–15 °C
    • Use the exact leavening amount
    • Fold just until combined
  • Big holes or tunnels

    Likely causes

    • Overmixed batter (cakes, muffins)
    • Air trapped while shaping bread
    • Uneven proof

    What to do

    • Mix quick breads only until no dry flour shows
    • Degas gently and shape tightly
    • Proof covered in an even, warm place
  • Dry or crumbly

    Likely causes

    • Too much flour (scooped, not weighed)
    • Over-baked
    • Too little fat or sugar

    What to do

    • Weigh flour, or spoon it into the cup and level
    • Check 5 minutes early
    • Don't cut fat or sugar by more than a quarter without another moisture source

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