These super fluffy pancakes are sure to be a showstopper at your next brunch party! This recipe is quick, easy, and doesn't require any buttermilk!
This post is all about teaching you how to make thick, airy pancakes without the need for special equipment or buttermilk. And while there is a recipe, I urge you to read through the entire post - the truth of it is, making wondrous pancakes is very do-able however, there is some knowledge and technique involved!
Don't worryβ¦it's not going to feel like you're stuck in chemistry class. It's just some basic tips and explanations that often get overlooked when it comes to making pancakes at home.
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The simple joy of fluffy pancakes
There’s something magical about a perfect stack of fluffy pancakes on a lazy weekend morning. That moment when golden maple syrup cascades down the sides like a sweet, amber waterfall - it’s one of life’s simple but profound pleasures.
For many of us, fluffy pancakes represent the ultimate comfort breakfast. Unfortunately, many recipes call for buttermilk, an ingredient that many home cooks don’t regularly stock in their refrigerators (especially outside of North America). Without it, pancakes can turn out disappointingly flat and dense, more reminiscent of crepes than the cloud-like breakfast we crave.
That’s where this recipe comes in. I’ve developed this fluffy pancake recipe using ingredients you likely already have in your pantry and fridge - no special trips to the store required. This approach gives you all the height and fluffiness of traditional buttermilk pancakes without the need for that elusive ingredient. Once you try these from-scratch pancakes, with their perfect texture and homemade flavor, you might never look at a box mix the same way again.
Can you make fluffy pancakes without buttermilk?
In short, yes. This pancake recipe uses no buttermilk at all (it does require regular milk and a little technique though). So, you may ask, what's the deal with buttermilk? Well, it's terribly in vogue when it comes to baking. And there's a reason for it. The acidity in buttermilk helps the pancakes rise.
On the flip side, I've never known anyone to regularly stock up on buttermilk. In fact, until I moved to Canada, I had never even seen buttermilk⦠not even at a supermarket!
If you're making a different pancake recipe that uses buttermilk, you can make a quick substitute by mixing 1 cup of milk with 1 tablespoon of white vinegar and letting it sit for 10 minutes. (You can also use fresh lemon juice.) You won't need to do that for this recipe, though-this recipe is specifically designed to make fluffy pancakes using regular milk.
Now, if you do happen to have buttermilk, you can give this simple blueberry pancake recipe recipe a shot!
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour, sifted
- Baking powder (no need for baking soda)
- Salt
- White sugar
- Milk (full fat or whole milk is best)
- Large egg, beaten
- Unsalted butter, melted
- Pure vanilla extract
- Canola oil (or any other vegetable oil), for cooking
Instructions
To make perfect homemade pancakes, start by combining sifted all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and white sugar in a large bowl, mixing them thoroughly to ensure even distribution of the leavening agents. In a separate bowl, prepare your wet ingredients by combining a beaten egg, milk, vanilla extract, and melted butter - let the butter cool ever so slightly first to prevent it from cooking the egg!
Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and gently mix until they’re mostly combined. Don’t worry about getting all the lumps out - a slightly lumpy batter is ideal for fluffy pancakes. Let the batter rest for five to ten minutes, which allows the flour to properly hydrate and the leavening agents to activate. (If you have a particularly warm kitchen, you can pop the batter into the fridge for thirty minutes.)
While the batter rests, prepare your cooking surface by heating a heavy-bottomed, non-stick pan (or griddle) over low-medium heat. Coat the pan with a thin layer of oil. Using a quarter-cup measure as your portioning tool, drop batter into the heated pan to create uniformly-sized pancakes. Watch for golden-brown coloring on the bottom and bubbles forming on the top surface - these are your cues to flip. Cook the second side until it matches the first in color, adjusting your heat as needed. Serve your pancakes immediately while they’re still hot and at their best. Enjoy!
Why are my pancakes flat? How can I make my pancakes fluffier?
There are a number of factors that can lead to your pancakes being flat. But here are the four (okay, five) horsemen of the pancake apocalypse (pancalypseβ¦panpocalypseβ¦pancakalypseβ¦help):
- Over-mixing your batter - overmixing your pancake batter will deflate a lot of the air bubbles in your batter, making it difficult for your pancakes to rise into the light and fluffy pancakes you want. Secondly, it'll develop the gluten. And too much gluten will result in a tough, chewy pancake. One way to avoid this is to fold your pancake batter using a spatula instead of a whisk or electric mixer.
- Stale Baking Powder - baking powder typically has a shelf life of 9 months to a year. To check whether your baking powder is still fresh, simply stir half a teaspoon of baking powder into a cup of water. If you see an immediate reaction (it'll fizz up, bestie!), then it's still good to use. If not, you should consider replacing it.
- Humid Conditions - This is based on an observation made by many of my readers (you can see it mentioned in the comments section below). But a very humid kitchen results in a runnier batter, which means less fluffy pancakes. If you happen to be in a place that is very humid, try putting your batter in the fridge for 15-30 minutes to make sure it doesn't become too fluid/runny.
- Not Letting Your Batter Rest - Letting your batter rest before cooking allows the starch granules in the flour to expand resulting in an airier pancake.
- The Violent Flip - Turn the pancakes over gently. Flipping them high into the air results in the air literally being squished out of them.
Alsoβ¦make sure to relax, bestie. Making pancakes should be a pleasurable experience! And this fluffy pancake recipe is simple; it doesn't require any fancy steps (like whipping egg whites into a meringue). Be mindful of the tips above, and pay attention to your heat management, and you're sure to be fine.
Of course, if you do end up burning your first pancake, just remember what they say: "Le première crepe est pour les chiens!" (A French saying meaning, "The first crepe is for the dogs!").
How to make fluffy pancakes with pancake mix
While this post is really about homemade pancakes without buttermilk, a lot of readers have asked me if it's possible to make fluffy pancakes using pancake mix. The answer isβ¦yes! Absolutely.
Generally speaking, I find buttermilk pancake mixes are better for this. What you want to make sure is that you follow the recipe on the box exactly, and also keep the tips mentioned above in mind.
Getting fuller pancakes is just as much about technique as it is about components, and if you go rogue on either thing, it becomes just that much harder to get that perfect result.
Topping suggestions
While many pancake recipes involve mixing the toppings into the pancake batter, I don’t recommend that with this particular recipe – at least, I don’t recommend it presuming that your goal is super fluffy pancakes. Here are some simple suggestions for toppings to add over the pancakes (you can dot them onto the top of the pancakes in a single layer just before they finish cooking):
- Blueberries, raspberries, and/or strawberries with a generous dollop of whipped cream
- Chocolate chips
- Butter and maple syrup
Storage suggestions
Though they are best served fresh and warm, these pancakes can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Store your maple syrup separately (and not on top of the pancakes), so that it doesn't soak through.
For longer storage, place cooled pancakes in a freezer-safe bag with parchment paper between each pancake to prevent sticking. They’ll keep well for up to a month.
To reheat refrigerated pancakes, warm them in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. For frozen pancakes, either thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating, or reheat directly from frozen in a toaster oven until warmed through, about 1-2 minutes.
Substitutions
While I’ve only tested this recipe as written, many of our wonderful readers have provided feedback on how they’ve adapted the recipe for their diets. Here are the two most popular variations:
Gluten-free variation
Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend that contains xanthan gum, and let the prepared batter rest in the fridge for an extra 10-15 minutes. If needed, you can add an extra egg or increase the baking powder by a ΒΌ teaspoon.
Dairy-free variation
Many readers have found that the recipe works very well with a simple substitution swapping out the milk for oat milk (generally agreed to have the best texture) as well as almond milk. I’d add swapping out the butter with coconut oil to make the recipe truly dairy free.
Other no-buttermilk pancake recipes
Here are three more amazing pancake recipes that don't require any buttermilk at all. Each one is unique, and delicious!
- Fluffy Japanese Pancakes - taking a bite out of these meringue-based babies is like eating a delicious cloud! (Yes, they spark joy.)
- Lemon Mascarpone Pancakes - perfect for days when you're looking to impress with an elegant pancake recipe.
- Strawberry Cheesecake Pancakes - this is the pancake you serve when you want everyone to spend the first 5 minutes of the meal taking photos of the food.
Fluffy Pancakes, Updated: What's Changed?
If you've been visiting my blog for a while, you may realise that this is a republished version of one of my very early blog posts (also titled, "Fluffy, Fluffy Pancakes", originally published: February 17th 2015). I've updated the post quite significantly.
While the recipe is the same thoroughly tested pancake recipe it's always been, I've rewritten the post with the aims of addressing some of the major questions I've received from commenters over the last few years. If there's anything you feel is still missing, please do let me know with a comment below.
I've also done my best to create a clearer, more readable post, while maintaining the gist and the feel of the original. (The original post was written quite some time back, it was mostly me rambling about how much I love pancakes!)
Helpful tools
The link below is an affiliate link. This means that if you choose to purchase using it, I will receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you). These small commissions help keep Chocolates & Chai going. Thank you.
Luckily, it doesn't take much equipment to make perfect pancakes. It is however a lovely feeling to have all the right equipment. Here are a few little things that might make your pancake-making experience just that much sweeter.
- Silver Dollar Pancake Pan - if you want your pancakes to all look exactly the same.
- Zwilling J.A. Henckels Marquina Non-Stick Frying Pan - a good pan is crucial to properly cooking pancakes, and this one is sure to please.
Final thoughts
Making the perfect fluffy pancake is part science and part art. While this recipe provides a foolproof foundation, don’t be afraid to experiment with different techniques and ingredients. Practice makes perfect and while your first few batches may not be Instagram-worthy, they’ll still be delicious!
The key to becoming a pancake expert is understanding how your ingredients work together and paying attention to the little details: the sound of the sizzle when the batter hits the pan, the timing of the bubbles forming, and the golden-brown color development. Each kitchen and stove is different, so take notes on what works best in yours.
Most importantly, pancakes are about bringing joy to your morning. Whether you’re making them for yourself, your family, or friends, this fluffy pancake recipe is sure to start the day on a sweet note. Don’t forget to share your pancake-making adventures with us in the comments below!
π Recipe
Fluffy, Fluffy Pancakes
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 4–6 pancakes 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
A surefire recipe to make fat and fluffy pancakes, without any buttermilk or special ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
- 2 tsp baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 2 tbsp white sugar
- ΒΎ cup milk (if your batter is too dry, you can add up to 2 tablespoon milk)
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- Canola oil (or any other neutral vegetable oil), for cooking
Instructions
- Combine flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder into a bowl and mix well.
- In a separate bowl, mix the egg, milk, vanilla, and melted butter together. Be careful not to use hot, melted butter, as that may end up cooking your eggs!
- Pour the wet ingredient mixture into the dry ingredients and stir till mostly incorporated. The batter should be thick and a little lumpy, but without any visible streaks of flour. (If it is too thick to work with, you can add a little milk.) Set the batter aside for 10 minutes.
- Heat a heavy-bottomed, nonstick skillet over a low-medium heat and coat it with oil. Use a ΒΌ cup measure to scoop and drop the batter into the pan so that you get evenly-sized pancakes.
- Cook until the first side is golden brown, or until the top surface forms bubbles. Flip and repeat on the other side. Adjust heat accordingly. Serve while still hot. Enjoy!
Notes
Remember the key points for fluffy pancakes:
- Don’t over-mix your batter.
- Make sure your baking powder isn’t stale.
- Avoid overly humid kitchens (or counteract them by refrigerating your batter).
- Make sure to let your batter rest for 10-20 minutes before cooking.
- Turn your pancakes over gently when cooking them.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Category: Breakfast & Brunch
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Mackenzie
Super yummy! Added blueberries to make them extra yum. Werenβt as fluffy as the picture but still super fluffy and super good.
Riz
Woohoo! Happy to hear it, Mackenzie! Thank you for commenting!
Jennie
I have a flaw when it comes to cooking, and about which my family teases me on a regular basis: I can never 100% follow a recipe, and this one was no exception! It looked amazing, I loved the photos of those fluffy pancakes and was drooling over the prospect of making them; however, I also try to make things a touch healthier or whole grain so consequently I made a few changes. First off, I doubled the recipe (I freeze pancakes to have for breakfast or a snack). Then, I soaked 1 cup of whole oats in milk overnight and just used one cup of flour (instead of two, since I doubled the recipe). Then, actually, I used a scant cup of flour because I also put in about three heaping tablespoons of ground flax (plus a little extra milk) and finally, added in some home dried blueberries. Oh my word – amazing! I realize these changes may not be for everyone, but for me – fabulous. Thanks for a great “base” recipe!!!
Riz
Jennie! I totally get you. I am actually very much the same! (I even talk about it in my How to Read a Recipe post) I’m so glad to hear you made it work for you! Your adaptation sounds delicious.
Nina Chatman
The directive to add 2 tablespoons of milk to the 3/4 cup of milk might be a result of converting the unit of measurement. Iβve noticed this happen when a recipe from the UK or Australia is converted from measurements in volume in milliliters to volume in cups or ounces for American readers.
Riz
Hey Nina! The reason I say to add 2 tbsp of milk to the 3/4 cup is because 7/8th cups don’t readily exist! So adding 2tbsp (which is 1/8th of a cup of milk) to 3/4cups is the simplest way to go π Hope that helps!
Olivia Hong
I woke up this morning really craving pancakes. But I never have any buttermilk. So I made this recipe and it was amazing. I’ve been looking for a good pancake recipe. I will use this recipe everytime i crave pancakes. Thank you!
Riz
Hi Olivia! That’s fantastic! I’m so glad you found me. Wishing you many happy pancakes in the future! π
Lena
Amazing. Pancakes have always been my Achilles heel in the kitchen. I’m telling you, I could even ruin bisquick pancakes! This recipe changes all that. Perfect, fluffy, sweet, and easy to whip up. My four year old is obsessed!
Riz
Hey Lena! I’m so glad to hear it!! (Fun fact: I’ve never made Bisquick pancakes, but I’m very curious to try). Glad you and the little one enjoyed it!!
Owen G
These are AMAZING! Super fluffy. And the instructions are PERFECT. Seriously, anyone having trouble should just read through all the tips and tricks in the post!
Riz
Hey Owen! Thank you for commenting!!! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe AND that you found the instructions to be so helpful! This is one of those recipes where following the tips/tricks are just about as important as getting all the measurements right!
Riz
Sally
I tried them and they turned out perfectly. My family can’t get enough of them. Thanks for this.
Riz
Hi Sally! I’m so happy to hear this!! Wishing you and your family many a lovely pancake breakfasts!!
Riz
Raanya
Hi! I loved this recipe! Yet, my pancakes turned out pretty chewy and thick, not very fluffy. What am I doing wrong? When is the egg beaten right and not over beaten? and are you supposed to mix the ingredients with force (handmixer) after combining them? Or just gently scoop them together until it becomes a mix?
thank you!
Riz
Hi there! If you’re using a handmixer, you’re almost definitely going to overmix the batter. The mixing is a very delicate process, it’s really just a small number of folds with your spatula (thick, lumpy, with a few streaks of flour is perfect). Overmixing is very likely the reason your pancakes turn out chewy and thick (basically its a matter of overworking the gluten, and beating out the air)
As for the egg, it doesn’t need to be mixed to the point of fluffing up into a meringue like thing. But you don’t want any big gooey bits of the whites left intact (similar to how you would beat eggs for an omelette). Hope that helps, Raanya!
Victoria
Oh my gosh! It’s amazing! The best pancake receipt ever! Thank you so much! I had been searching the perfect receipt for a while, and now I found π
Riz
I’m so glad you found it Victoria!!
Sydney
SO GOOD. My boyfriend and I made them this morning and added a smashed banana into it. Oh my god… the perfect crust to fluff ratio. Best damn pancakes I’ve ever made. (We topped them with nutella, blueberries, whipped cream, and maple syrup… it was a ‘treat yoself’ kinda morning.)
Riz
Hi there Sydney! I’m SO HAPPY to hear you and your boyfriend enjoyed it! Nutella, blueberries, whipped cream, and maple syrup…wow! Those are a bunch of my favourite toppings!! Hope you two make a few more of my recipes!
Laurie
These were so good! I used almond milk instead of regular milk and they turned out great! Topped with banana, walnuts, and maple syrup- so yum!
Riz
Hi Laurie! So glad to hear it worked out well with almond milk! Bananas, walnuts, and maple syrup…YUM!
Luke
Turned out great and fluffy. I used cooking oil instead, but they still turned out great. I’ve also successfully halved the recipe a few times. I do have the problem sometimes of the second side turning out a bit undercooked (but not doughy).
I’m ready for experimenting! I’ve replaced the flour with corn flour, but the resulting batter/pancake was rather soupy/dense. I still enjoyed it though. Any suggestions for using corn flour?
I’ve used yogurt mixed with some water. The pancake was pleasingly sweeter, but the batter and resulting pancake were much thicker than normal, though still fluffy and yummy.
Finally, are there any good ideas for adding banana to the pancakes? I assume adding sliced banana into the pancake while it’s cooking? What about adding banana (or even mango/whatever fruit) puree into the mix? How would I need to adjust the ratios?
Thank you for the great recipe and advice, bestie!
Riz
Hey Luke! Thanks so much for the awesome comment! Getting that heat to cook both sides perfectly can be a bit tricky, it’s something I’ve had to experience myself. But once you get it, there’s a lot of satisfaction to it! I’ve never tried it using corn flour so I’m afraid I don’t have much I can contribute on that.
I’ve not tried mixing in a puree, I would assume it would hurt the fluffiness due to the extra mixing required to combine it all. Another commenter mentioned adding a smashed banana and everything turning out fine. I’d personally go the route of caramelising the bananas separately, and using them as a topping. Let me know what you find out! Hope to hear back from you, bestie!
Luke
I tried caramelising the bananas for my pancakes today and they turned out great! Definitely better than putting mashed/sliced banana in the batter. It was quite easy caramelising them, just slice the bananas, cover them in sugar, and fry them in a bit of oil.
I checked out another pancake recipe (no worries, yours is still my fave) that uses black tea and it was a neat twist on the recipe. I recommend trying it out if you like tea. No need to look it up; it just replaces the milk in the recipe with a strong cup of Earl Grey (I used a Chinese black tea). It also calls for putting the leaves themselves in the batter, but I only did it for one of the pancakes and the leaves were a bit too chewy. Chai tea could also work.
Riz
I like the caramelised banana idea, Luke! I’ve actually received quite a few requests for banana pancakes, and I agree – caramelising your bananas is the BEST way to do it. Everything else just ruins the texture of the pancakes.
And oooooh, yes…Earl Grey Pancakes. That’s something I’ve actually been working on myself. I’ve not tried it with Chinese black tea but I’ve definitely tried a few different variations (some sweet, some savoury…). I’m not *quite* happy with them just yet. But once I finalise the recipes, you can definitely expect to see them here!
Mary
You can also use self rising flour and omit the baking powder. π
Riz
Hey Mary! Yes…though I don’t know how ratios would change by using self rising flour and removing the baking powder. But I presume you’d still get fluffy pancakes!
Lauren Hilton
I used self raising flour and 1 tsp baking powder and most amazing fluffy pancakes!
Riz
AMAZING!
Ashley
I love this recipe. I make pancakes all of the time, and this have been my favorite recipe.
Riz
I’m so happy to hear that!! Thanks for commenting Ashley!
Fahad
Very Nice pancake, I do mini pankcake and my family loved it.
Why milk 3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp , 2 tbsp every time Γ2 Γ3.
Thanks
Riz
Hey Fahad! Thanks for commenting, I’m glad you enjoyed it!
I think that’s actually an error from the recipe multiplication plugin/software that I’m using. I’ll drop the support team a note to let them know that happens, and hopefully they’ll fix it super quick. Thanks for letting me know!
Tracy
Wait, so how much milk are we using? 3/4 cup plus 2 tblspns?
Riz
Hi Tracy,
Yes, that’s what I use for this recipe (though some other commenters have mentioned that they feel 3/4 cups is enough – some have speculated that kitchen humidity plays a part in this).
If you’re feeling super confident, you can add 3/4 cups, and see how that looks (but don’t start mixing otherwise you’ll almost definitely overmix if you need to add more), and add the additional 2 tbsp if necessary.
Hope you enjoy it!
Daiva Anderson
I found your recipe a while ago and have been using it ever since. Love it! My family and friends think I’m a master pancake maker ππ₯ Thank you for sharing ππ
Riz
Haha, that’s amazing Daiva!! You ARE a pancake master! I hope you check out a few other recipes, and then you can impress everyone all over again!