A hit with adults and children alike, these light and fluffy one-bowl buttermilk pancakes have become a weekend staple. The batter comes together in no time, and the recipe yields a ton. What’s more, the pancakes freeze beautifully!  🥞🥞🥞🥞🥞

A stack of one-bowl buttermilk pancakes.

Confession: Pancakes have never been my forte. For about a year now, however, I’ve had success with The Kitchn’s lofty buttermilk pancakes, which call for a peculiar trick: you separate the egg yolks from the whites; then you incorporate the yolks into the batter before the whites. The whites are never beaten. It’s odd but it works.

The rub with this recipe is that it requires three bowls: one for the dry ingredients, one for the yolks, buttermilk, milk and butter, and one for the whites.

First thing in the morning, this is two too many bowls, and I’ve found that using one bowl works equally well: I whisk the eggs directly into the dry ingredients as though I am making pasta, then add the milk and buttermilk, and finally the melted butter (which I do in the microwave).

These pancakes have become a family fave and a weekend staple. The batter makes enough for a ton of pancakes and leftover pancakes freeze beautifully — pop them in the toaster oven to reheat and ta-da, pancakes in an instant!

How to Make One-Bowl Buttermilk Pancakes, Step by Step

First, crack the eggs directly into the whisked together dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and sugar):

eggs in dry ingredients

Incorporate the eggs into the dry ingredients as though you are making pasta dough:

whisking the egg

Then add the milk and buttermilk, and finally the melted butter:

adding the butter

Cook in an oiled skillet or stovetop griddle or an electric griddle util puffed and golden on each side:

one-bowl buttermilk pancakes on the Baking Steel Griddle

A pancake breakfast is a happy breakfast…

pancake breakfast
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buttermilk pancakes

The BEST One-Bowl Buttermilk Pancakes

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Description

A hit with adults and children alike, these light and fluffy one-bowl buttermilk pancakes have become a weekend staple. The batter comes together in no time, and the recipe yields a ton. What’s more, the pancakes freeze beautifully! 🥞🥞🥞🥞🥞

Recipe adapted from The Kitchn. 

Notes:

  • The best trick I’ve learned for cooking pancakes is to go small — I use my 2-tablespoon measuring cup to portion out batter. The pancakes cook quickly and evenly when I use this small scoop.
  • If you want to use sourdough discard in this recipe, simply cut back some of the flour and water, preferably by weight. So, for example, if you want to use 100 grams of  sourdough discard (at 100% hydration) in this recipe, cut back 50 grams of the flour and 50 grams of the buttermilk. That would call for using 270 grams of flour and 418 grams of buttermilk. 
  • If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can make it from scratch: Place 2 cups on buttermilk in a liquid measure or bowl and add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice or white vinegar. Let stand for 5 minutes; then stir until smooth. 

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups (320 g) flour
  • 2 tablespoons (25 g) sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons (8 g) salt
  • 1 teaspoon (4 g) baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon (5 g) baking soda
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 cups (468 grams) buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup (128 g) milk
  • 10 tablespoons (142 g) butter, salted or unsalted, melted and cooled
  • Canola or peanut oil for frying

Instructions

  1. Set a large shallow skillet or stovetop griddle over low heat. 
  2. Whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl. Add the eggs and beat with a fork till the eggs are whisked and incorporated into the surrounding flour, as if you were making pasta. Add the buttermilk and milk, and stir with a spatula to combine. Add the melted, cooled butter and stir until combined.
  3. Turn the heat under the skillet up to medium. When hot, film with a thin layer of oil. Using a two-tablespoon (1/8 cup) measure or a large spoon or a small ladle, drop the pancake batter into the skillet giving space between each pancake to allow for spreading — the batter will spread into a pancake about 3 inches wide. 
  4. Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes. (If the pancake scorches or the oil smokes, lower the heat.) When the bubbles that form on the edges of the pancakes look dry and airy, use a thin spatula to gently lift one side and peek underneath. If the pancake is golden brown, flip and cook on the other side for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes, or until the bottom of the pancake is golden brown.
  5. Transfer to a cooling rack briefly before serving. Scrape any stray crumbs or scraps out of the skillet, add a little more oil, and continue to cook the remaining batter.
  6. Store leftover pancakes at room temperature in an airtight bag or vessel for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. 
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American