The super simple and easy answer to the question: How to make fluffy buttermilk pancakes (for two).
So, something to know about me is that I love life hacks. I’m a sucker for an article about the perfect way to untangle ear buds, how to use a Raspberry Pi to operate everything in your house, how to never lose a sock again in the dryer (remember when I learned how to shred chicken in a stand mixer?).
But I’m fully aware that mileage will vary, and most life hacks don’t actually end up being all that life changing. So when an article on how to make the fluffiest pancakes came through my feed reader, I didn’t think much of it. But it was a slow Saturday morning, and I had some buttermilk to use up, so it was the perfect excuse for a pancake science project!
The article posited that you could vastly improve the texture of your pancakes by changing the way and order in which you added eggs to your pancake batter (spoiler alert for that article, their recipe is quite different, so their end results actually differed from mine!).
To test this out, I made three batches of pancakes with my favorite buttermilk pancake recipe as a base. The first batch was made following the original recipe, where an entire egg is added to the liquid ingredients all at once. It’s a great recipe, very fluffy on its own and is my go-to pancake recipe.
For the second batch, I saved the white of the egg until the very end and stirred it in until smooth. I was worried it would overwork the pancake batter, but the resulting pancakes were fantastic. They weren’t visibly any noticeably fluffier, but the texture was lighter.
For the final batch, I mixed up everything but the egg white, and then in a small bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the white until stiff peaks formed (it only takes about a minute with one white) and then right before the pancakes went on the griddle, I folded that in. The result: GUYS, THIS IS THE WAY I WILL ALWAYS MAKE MY PANCAKES FROM NOW ON.
The texture of these pancakes is amazing. They are light and fluffy and perfect, like the pancake a waitress with a heart of gold serves you in some charming Midwest diner in heaven.
The extra step of beating the egg white takes hardly any extra time and is totally worth it, but if you don’t have an electric mixer, simply separating the egg and adding the white at the end still makes an amazingly fluffy pancake!
And this is a buttermilk pancake recipe, so you know the pancakes are going to be fabulous and a little tangy, but if you don’t have buttermilk, no worries. I’ve included instructions in the recipe for making you own. Buttermilk is best if you have it, but a little milk and lemon juice makes a perfectly acceptable substitute.
Please read the recipe notes on flour measurement!
Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes for Two
Ingredients
Special Equipment
Pancakes
- 1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour measured by weight or using the spoon and sweep method*
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt *
- 3/4 cup buttermilk *
- 1 large egg separated
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Cooking spray or a little butter for pan greasing
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, egg yolk, butter, and vanilla. Add flour mixture and stir until just combined--batter will look a little thick.
- Heat griddle to 350°F or skillet to medium heat.
- While your griddle heats, in a small bowl, with a handheld electric mixer, beat egg white on high until stiff peaks form--the egg should be bright white, and when beaters are lifted out, peaks should stand straight up.
- Fold egg white into the batter with a baking spatula, being careful not to overmix and deflate the egg.
- Once your cooking surface is hot, lightly grease, and drop on slightly heaping 1/3 cups full of batter (if making in a skillet, you will have to cook in two batches) and cook until bubbles begin to form on the surface of your pancakes. Flip and cook until done.
- Add your favorite toppings and enjoy!
Notes
Adapted from Lovin the Oven
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission if you make a purchase using them. There is absolutely no additional cost to you.
Jodi says
Great go-to recipe. I used salted butter so I cut back on the salt. Don’t. These needed salt. I don’t think there is as much salt in salted butter these days.
Tracy says
Glad you enjoyed them, Jodi!
Angela D. says
Simply Delicious
Added cinnamon
Tracy says
So glad you enjoyed them, Angela!! Love the cinnamon idea!!
Elle says
I just made these as instructed and they’re very good. Thanks for sharing. Cooks, heed her advice of taking extra care to not have too much flour in there. I barely got away with having a bit too much flour, I think.
Tracy says
So glad you enjoyed them, Elle!!
Anne says
Absolutely delicious! Since I decided to embark on this pancake adventure at 11:00 PM, I did not whip the egg whites separately, I just threw the whole egg in. It was STILL the best buttermilk pancake I’ve had. My husband commented as well on how good the pancakes were. This will be my only pancake recipe from now on!
Andrea says
I had a cup of buttermilk leftover from some other baking, decided on pancakes. So glad I found this recipe! This was the perfect small-batch amount. I did add a little bit of regular milk, as I found the batter quite thick. They turned out so fluffy and delicious! Definitely one I will be making in the future.
Tracy says
Thanks, Andrea! I’m so glad they worked out for you!
Shannon says
Just add a little more buttermilk to the batter so it’s not so thick and sticky.
If you don’t separate the egg, it is actually perfect for buttermilk biscuits too.
YUM!!
Tracy says
Love the tip about the biscuits!!
Hannah says
Hands down the best pancake recipe! I make it about once a month for my family.
The only thing I cannot figure out is how to make beautifully round shaped ones. Mine are always a bit misshapen.
Sal says
Made these pancakes this morning for me and the husband. They were. Ah-Ma-Zinggggggg!!!
Just whisked the separated egg white until foamy, and used sour milk instead of buttermilk. Husband also said they came out soft and tasty, far far better than the boxed version ( better then the American chain, lol). Thank you!!!
Tracy says
Thrilled to hear it! Thanks, Sal!!
Sitshengy says
These were a hit today! Absolutely loved them. They were fluffy and delicious
Thanks a lot for the recipe..
Maryb says
OMGosh these were delicious. Think this will finally get my hubby away from the box mix.
Becca Ashley says
You were right! These are hands-down the BEST pancakes EVER! Light, but not spongy, and cakey, but not dense. And with a really good flavor even without a topping! {of course I did top them, though–I mean, if you’re going to do it, do it right!} Have you ever tried the batter in a waffle iron? I’m just wondering if it would crisp up and make that perfect waffle exterior. Aren’t waffles usually made with oil instead of butter? Maybe if those ingredients were swapped out. . .well anyway! I am just thrilled to have found the perfect pancake recipe! You are a Pancake Genius!
Tracy says
Thanks, Becca!! I’ve never used this recipe to make waffles before, but you’re right, my favorite waffle recipe uses oil. I think I’d switch them out. I kind of want to try it now!
Eileen says
With my waffle recipe…I separate the eggs, fold in beaten egg whites at the end. The result is they are light, fluffy and crisp. Try it!
etah says
These were amazing – flavorful and fluffy! I made them with 3/4 cup Lactaid milk and a scant tablespoon of white vinegar following all other directions exactly. I agree with the other poster that they were delicious enough to eat without syrup! Thanks for sharing this great recipe and thanks for making it a small batch that can be doubled rather than a big batch I have to calculate into fewer portions!
Tracy says
So glad you enjoyed them, Etah!!
Stephanie says
Tried them, loved them. Saved recipe!
Thank you!
Tracy says
Thanks, Stephanie!! So glad you liked them!
Bethany says
My recipe for buttermilk pancakes is almost identical to this – but makes enough to feed an army. My “army” is all grown and I’m a single empty-Nester. Is craving pancakes and decided to search for a small-batch version. When I came upon your recipe, I knew I had to fix it. The whipped egg whites are the secret to my pancakes so I was sure your recipe would be good, too.
It’s delicious!! Thank you so much for sharing – saved me the trouble of scaling and testing my regular recipe. The little extra effort these require is most definitely worth it. Yum!
Tracy says
Thanks, Bethany! So glad this recipe was able to save you a bit of trouble. 🙂
Sue says
These were great this morning. I used local milled self rising flour, beat the egg whites with a wire whip until foamy and used canola oil. They were still light and fluffy. Very good and pancakes are not on my favorites list!
Mary says
These pancakes are hands down the best I have ever made!! They were a perfect serving size for my husband. This recipe is getting written down for the official recipe box!
Tracy says
Thanks, Mary! Going in the recipe box is just about the best compliment a recipe can receive! 🙂