Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes
Tall, tender pancakes with a buttery crust and a soft, fluffy middle. The resting step is the small detail that changes everything.

Pancake recipes range widely, from boxed mixes to fussy restaurant versions that demand whipped egg whites before breakfast. This version sits comfortably in the middle: simple enough to throw together half-asleep, yet reliably impressive on the plate.
The technique that matters most isn't the ingredient list, it's the resting. Five minutes on the counter lets the flour hydrate and the leavening activate, producing pancakes that puff up tall instead of spreading flat. Once that difference is noticed, skipping the rest becomes hard to justify.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- 2 cups (480ml) buttermilk, well shaken
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the pan
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt until evenly combined.
- In a second bowl, whisk the buttermilk, eggs, melted butter and vanilla until smooth.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir gently with a spatula just until you no longer see dry flour. A few lumps are fine — overmixing leads to tough pancakes.
- Let the batter rest for 5 minutes while you heat a non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. The batter should look a little puffy on top.
- Lightly butter the pan, then scoop ⅓ cup of batter per pancake. Cook for about 2 minutes until bubbles form on the surface and the edges look set, then flip and cook 1–2 minutes more.
- Keep finished pancakes warm on a rack in a 90°C (200°F) oven while you finish the batch. Serve with butter, maple syrup, and whatever fruit you have around.
Cooking tips
- No buttermilk? Stir 2 tablespoons of lemon juice or white vinegar into 2 cups of whole milk and let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Medium-low is the right heat. If your first pancake is dark before the bubbles set, turn the burner down.
- Batter holds in the fridge for up to 24 hours — perfect for slow Sundays.
More like this
For more from this section, browse our breakfast recipes or the full collection.
You might also like

Overnight Oats, Three Ways
One reliable base recipe and three flavour combinations worth rotating through each week. Five minutes tonight, breakfast sorted tomorrow.

Lemon Blueberry Loaf Cake
Tender, zesty, packed with blueberries and finished with a tart lemon glaze. An easy loaf cake to have on hand for coffee.

Ten-Minute Shakshuka
Soft-set eggs nestled into a spiced tomato sauce. A genuinely ten-minute version of the dish, built around tinned tomatoes.

Roasted Sweet Potato Breakfast Bowl
Warm roasted sweet potato, crispy chickpeas, avocado, and a soft egg on top. A savoury breakfast bowl that eats like a proper meal.