Somewhere, at some point early in the days of the blog, I mentioned that I had a killer buttermilk pancake recipe. And I am dead serious when I say that we get more requests for that recipe than just about anything else and I can’t figure out where people are reading this!  I’ve been hesitant to post this recipe, not because these aren’t mouth-wateringly awesome pancakes, but because there is no way of getting around using at least three large or inconveniently shaped containers, plus a skillet or griddle, PLUS an electric mixer of some sort (unless you’re way more motivated than I am and have interest in whipping egg whites), plus, if you make Buttermilk Syrup (and you really, really, really need to), that’s another large pot. These are not your Bisquik pancakes, but you’re paying for them with one cupboard-ful of dishes. And there is nothing in the world I hate more than doing dishes.  What I’m saying is, these are worth it.
My children love them. And the older they get, the pancake requests become more frequent. What was once a few-times-a-year treat has become a staple for breakfast AND dinner at least two days a month. I’ve experimented and tried to streamline, but there are no two ways around it–these pancakes are going to make a mess. However…your family might just be so excited that you’re making something so amazing for breakfast that they’ll do the dishes for you when all is said and done!
One of the secrets to this recipe, that makes these pancakes SO light and fluffy, is that you whip the egg whites separately.  You’ll mix some wet ingredients, including melted butter, together,
And then after you combine that with the dry ingredients you’ll fold in the egg whites.
Then all you need is a hot skillet to make all your pancake dreams come true.
It takes a little adjusting to figure out where the temperature setting should be. If it’s too hot, the bottoms will cook too fast and the insides will be raw, but if it’s not hot enough, the outsides will get hard and dry and you’ll be spending all Saturday morning in front of your stove instead of buying bras in bulk at Costco. So the first round or two of pancakes might not be perfect, but just keep adjusting the temperature until you find the setting on your stove that works best for you.
Now…after you’ve poured the batter onto the skillet, keep an eye on the pancakes. When you start seeing bubbles, you’re almost there. When the bubbles pop and leave a hole, it’s time to flip. Gently slide a spatula/pancake turner/flipper (whatever you call it) under the pancake and quickly flip it to the other side. The other side won’t take quite as long as the first side–just check here and there and when the pancakes are golden brown on both sides, you’re good to go.
Wanna know my favorite thing to do with these? Add some banana slices and drizzle with Buttermilk Syrup. You could throw some chopped pecans on there, too, and I’m sure it would be de–lish.
Feel free to toss in some blueberries or chocolate chips right before you fold in the egg whites. For some reason, though, I just like mine plain
and then I can top ’em off however I want. Mmmm…light…delicately crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside. Perfect kitchen-trashing pancakes…
Promise me you will try these at least once paired with this Buttermilk Syrup.
Trust me when I say these are well worth the dirty kitchen.
Buttermilk Pancakes
Ingredients
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups buttermilk
- 1/2 cup milk
- 3 eggs separated
- 1/3 cup 5 1/3 tablespoons butter, melted
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together buttermilk, milk, and the egg yolks. In yet a separate bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
- Whisking constantly, add melted butter to the milk mixture. Pour the liquid ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined (do not overmix; a few lumps are okay.)
- When the flour has been combined but the batter is still a little lumpy, heat a non-stick skillet or griddle to medium-low heat. While the skillet is heating, gently (but completely) fold beaten egg whites into the batter. When the skillet is hot, rub a stick of butter over the pan, or spray it with a little non-stick cooking spray and then ladle pancakes onto hot skillet. You can also put your batter in a pitcher to make pouring easier.
- It takes a little adjusting to figure out where the temperature setting should be. When you start seeing bubbles, you're almost there. When the bubbles pop and leave a hole, it's time to flip. Gently slide a spatula under the pancake and quickly flip it to the other side. The other side won't take quite as long as the first side--just check here and there and when the pancakes are golden brown on both sides, you're good to go.
Notes
- Feel free to add in extras before you fold in the egg whites. Blueberries, bananas, and chocolate chips are all popular at our house.
- Freezer instructions: Cook pancakes and allow to cool. Place pancakes in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze. When frozen, transfer to a gallon-sized Ziploc bag. Pancakes can be reheated in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds each or in a toaster.
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Questions & Reviews
I found this recipe on allrecipes today and noticed that they don't separate the eggs. Have you ever just thrown all the eggs in without beating the whites? Does it make that much of a difference?
Ahh, these look/sound like the pancakes that I grew up on and are the reason that I can't eat Bisquick type pancakes because I was spoiled! DELICIOUS!! 🙂 My kids love pancakes like I do but my husband just seems to put up with them–weirdo! What else would make a Saturday morning better?!!! YUM! 🙂
Amazing pancakes!
Thank you so much for sharing 🙂
oh. my. goodness. I have died (from drinking the buttermilk syrup probably) and gone to heaven. Talk about the best comfort food. I love the banana combo w/the mouth savoring syrup.
You guys are soley responsible for how much I love to cook. I have learned so much about cooking and have LOVED every recipe I have tried from your blog. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!
I made these for Pancake Day and I almost died and went to heaven on the first bite. The second bite was just as delicious. Thanks for the amazing recipe!
I just discovered your site, and you're killing me. I'm going to gain so much weight! Thanks for the awesome recipes
We LOVED these pancakes. Thank you so much for the post. Totally worth the effort as I am mostly a "just add water" kind of cook. My husband dug a whole on the top of each pancake after they were poured on the griddle and plopped a in a dollop of butter before they were turned over. He called them "Butter hole pancakes". Everything tastes better with more butter. 🙂
p.s. you can let me know at [email protected]
Can you make the batter up the night before and get all your dishes done and just fry them up in the morning???? Sounds like that would be the plan for me. 🙂
these were not nearly as labor intensive as I thought they would be, even with my husband and 3 year old "helping" me. They were so worth the effort it took, AMAZING!! And, of course, the buttermilk syrup was the icing on the (pan)cake. If you are considering trying thses, just do it, you will not regret it! Thanks so much for the fabulous recipe, keep them coming!