Perfect Buttermilk Pancakes for Two (2024)

Homemade old-fashioned buttermilk pancakes, for two! This is my family’s favorite buttermilk pancake recipe, made with real buttermilk, eggs and a few other pantry staples. It’s an easy small batch recipe and makes perfect light & fluffy pancakes, the best you’ve ever had! So, grab your favorite griddle and get flipping!

Every summer as a kid, my brother and I traveled to Cleveland to stay with my grandparents. The joy of our time there was highlighted by extravagant breakfasts, served most often on their charming screened-in porch, complete with both orange juice and a glass of milk, as well as some kind of fresh fruit. How spoiled we were! Grandpa’s homemade pancakes were my favorite in the rotation of their special breakfasts, and one of the things I looked forward to most during our time in Ohio. As a kid, I didn’t quite understand what made them so unbelievably delicious. Now, I realize it was the taste of the real buttermilk, mixed into the homemade batter that made the pancakes unequivocally tastier than the ones I was accustomed to eating the rest of year. The fresh Ohio maple syrup didn’t hurt, either. At home, we used “syrup”. At Grandma and Grandpa’s, it was always a pitcher of the real deal good stuff.

Fast forward to my life now, and I get to spoil my family with Grandpa’s incredible old-fashioned pancakes. My girls know them as “Grandpa Norm’s pancakes”. I love sharing a special piece of my childhood with them. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

5 TIPS FOR THE BEST FLUFFY BUTTERMILK PANCAKES

1.DOMIX ALL THE DRY INGREDIENTS TOGETHER WITH A WHISK.

This will guarantee you don’t have any pockets of baking soda in your pancakes. If the baking soda is evenly dispersed in the batter, it will rise beautifully and you won’t end up with any bitter baking soda-y bites.

2.DON’TOVER-MIX THE BATTER.

If you mix til the point of a perfectly smooth batter, you’ll overwork the gluten in the flour and they’ll be tough and chewy. Mix just until most of the flour has been absorbed by the liquid ingredients and you see some lumps.

3.DON’TLET THE PANCAKE BATTER SIT.

You want to use the batter as soon as it’s combined and take advantage of all those glorious CO2 bubbles from the buttermilk andbaking sodareaction. If you’ve read the opposite before, it’s likely because the other pancake batter is made with baking powder, which takes more time to activate.

4.DOUSE A JUST RIGHTHOTPAN.

I can’t emphasize this one enough. Have you ever noticed the first few pancakes in your griddle are “flops” and just don’t look great? That’s because the pan isn’t hot enough! Don’t be afraid to fire up the heat to medium-high in the beginning. You will want to turn it back to medium after a few minutes. On my stove, I alternate betweenmedium-high heatandmedium-low heat, with the majority of the cooking time set to medium. When the pancakes are browning too quickly, turn it down. When they’re looking flat and pale in color, turn it up. You’ll get the hang of it!

5.DON’TFLIP MORE THAN ONCE.

Resist the temptation to flip more than once and please, oh please, don’t smoosh or pat your pancakes with your spatula while they’re cooking. You’ll know the pancakes are ready to flip when they’re covered in tiny bubbles and those bubbles begin to pop. Use a thin but sturdy spatula for flipping precision.

INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE OLD-FASHIONED BUTTERMILK PANCAKES

• Flour– All-purpose flour is great.
• Baking soda– Make sure your baking soda is fresh.
• Salt– Adds flavor
• Sugar– Adds sweetness
• Buttermilk– both low-fat and full fat buttermilk work for this recipe. The buttermilk makes these pancakes. It gives them both their delicate, classic buttermilk flavor and their fluffy texture.
• Oil– This adds richness and tenderness to the pancakes. I like to use avocado oil, but any neutral-flavored oil will do, or you can substitute melted butter.
• Large egg
• Butter– For cooking (or substitute more oil), and for serving. I like salted butter.
• Pure maple syrup– For serving. Warm it in the microwave for 30 seconds to take the chill off if it’s been stored in the refrigerator. You don’t want to pour cold syrup over your hot pancakes!

HOW TO MAKE PERFECT BUTTERMILK PANCAKES FOR TWO

This recipe makes about 8 four-inch pancakes. The batter is easy to whip up and it’s mixed by hand. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees if you want to keep them warm while you cook.

1. STIR TOGETHERDRY INGREDIENTS

Mix flour, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl and whisk well to combine.

2. WHISK LIQUID INGREDIENTS

In a small bowl, whisk buttermilk vigorously with egg and oil.

3. MAKE PANCAKE BATTER

Pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients and stir gently with a rubber spatula, until almost fully mixed. You want to error on the side of undermining. Small lumps and a few streaks of flour equals more tender pancakes!

4. COOK PANCAKES

First, start by heating a large pancake nonstick griddle, cast-iron skillet or electric griddle over medium heat and wait until the griddle is nice and hot. You should feel the heat coming from the pan when you place your hand a few inches above.

Once hot, coat the bottom of the pan with a little more avocado oil or butter (about one teaspoon).

Using a 1/4-cup measuring cup and about a quarter cup of batter, scoop batter onto hot griddle, letting it fall into somewhat organized circles. They will begin to bubble quite quickly if the pan is sufficiently heated. Wait, 2-3 minutes, until the edges begin to set and little bubbles form and begin to pop on the surface of each pancake.

When you suspect they’re ready to flip, you can “peek” by lifting the corner of the pancake with your pancake spatula. If it’s golden brown, you’re ready to flip. If it’s still light and blonde looking, give it another minute or two (you may want to turn up your heat to medium-high, temporarily). Flip all pancakes and cook on the second side for another 1-2 minutes, until browned and cooked in the middle.

Remove pancakes in batches as you go, and repeat with remaining batter. I like to stack the cooked pancakes on an oven safe baking sheet and place in the oven (200 degrees Fahrenheit) as I go, to keep them hot and serve them all at once, but a plate works fine too.

5. ENJOY PANCAKES

Serve pancakes in two stacks, one for you and one for a loved one! Serve with butter and plenty of pure maple syrup. Bacon and fresh fruit are also nice additions!

MIXING THINGS UP

• Forblueberry pancakes, gently fold in 1/2 cup blueberries to the finished pancake batter.
• Forchocolate chip pancakes, gently fold in 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips into the batter.
• Forwhole wheat buttermilk pancakes, substitute whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour for the all-purpose flour.

BUTTERMILK SUBSTITUTEs & ALTERNATIVES

Nothing compares to the taste and texture of real buttermilk. If you can, make this recipe the first time with real buttermilk since it’s the gold standard. Sometimes buttermilk can be hard to find or you just don’t want to make the grocery store run. I admit, I turn to these easy alternatives in a pinch. Chances are you have everything you need to whip up a homemade buttermilk substitute.

HOW TO MAKE YOUROWN BUTTERMILK

• Do you have plain yogurt and milk? Whisk 1/2 cup of milk into 1/2 cup plain yogurt. Use in recipe as written. Or:

• Use milk and vinegar or lemon juice – Stir 1 cup milk with 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice. Let sit for 10-15 minutes. It will curdle slightly and thicken. Use in recipe as written.

CAN I PREPARE THE BUTTERMILK PANCAKE BATTER IN ADVANCE?

No, unfortunately not. Youcanpre-mix the dry ingredients and pre-mix the liquid ingredients and store them in airtight containers overnight. But, once you mix the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients, it’s go time!

When the baking soda and the buttermilk are combined in the batter, the leavening agent in the baking soda is activated by the buttermilk to create carbon dioxide. Bubbles of gas are caught in the batter as it cooks and this is what makes the pancake fluffy. Letting the batter sit will result in dense, flat pancakes. Try thishomemade buttermilkpancake mixfor a time-saving alternative or to make buttermilk pancakes ahead of time.

HOW TO FREEZE & STORELEFTOVER PANCAKES

Pancakes freeze and reheat well for future weekday breakfasts or snacks on the go.

To freeze, place in ziplock bag, separating each layer with parchment paper. These will keep up to 2 months.

To reheat, place frozen pancakes in toaster/toaster oven or microwave for 30 seconds on high heat.

USE UP THAT LEFTOVER BUTTERMILK IN THESE RECIPES!

Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake Sundaes

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