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
Great little recipe. Our Itty Bitty Foodies love buttermilk pancakes!
I made these for breakfast this morning. They were awesome! My MIL introduced me to buttermilk syrup some time ago and I have been unsatisfied with maple ever since! This is definitely a great combo. I love bananas on top, too, but you should try raspberries. The tart raspberry/sweet syrup combo is incredible.
These pancakes are the best! When my in-laws come over we make these up with pecans, blue berries & chocolate chips… they are always a hit! Thanks for the recipe!!
Tracy- it's in there, just read it again carefully and you'll see it!
"While the skillet is heating, gently (but completely) fold beaten egg whites into the batter."
Perhaps it's the domestically challenged person in me coming out…..but you say to beat the egg whites….then you never say what to do WITH those egg whites!!! Help! I'm making these shortly, and I don't want to mess up!
Ok, this is my first time making pancakes from scratch and I must say that the pancakes came out GREAT!!! Soft and light, oh, I didn't have any baking soda or buttermilk (I know, I know, why bother with "buttermilk pancakes" if you're not using buttermilk – It was tasty regardless!) so I didn't add any. My oldest and I scarfed down the first 4 and the Mr. said "they're good", getting that type of response from him says a lot about it. I'm putting this in my recipe draw, thanks a million. I'll be using this recipe instead of pre made mixes =)
Ginnette–It's really hard to say. You could always double it and freeze the extras, or you could just make one batch and then if it looks like you're going to need more, you could make another. 10 girls would PROBABLY be okay with one batch (although it might be pushing it).
Hope that helps!
Hello, Im having a breakfast at home with my friends this saturday and we are making pancakes (of course with the caramel syrup)
we are 10 grils… do u think i should double the recipe? How many pancakes with 1/2 cup come out in this recipe?
Thank you! Im in love with this blog!
I make these pancakes ALL the time and they are so good! It is one of the few meals that everyone in my family will eat. Tonight I made them and decided to try making pumpkin pancakes as well. I used the pumpkin recipe from this site (love it), added cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, vanilla, and brown sugar into the buttermilk pancake mix, topped with maple syrup it was pure heaven! Mmmmm!
I have made these time and time again. Adored! adored! syrup was so good that i made a double batch and pretty much drank and ate it for a week.
John – you HAVE to seperate the egg whites as the whites get beaten til fluffy, so you can get some air in them