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 worry…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 (pancalypse…panpocalypse…pancakalypse…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.
Also…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 is…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 ¼ 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!
📖 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
- ¾ 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 ¼ 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
Keren Ibebunjo
Great recipe. I add cashew pieces and my son requests these every week!!!!!
Riz
Ohhh I’ve never tried it with cashews. Thank you for sharing the idea, Keren!
Keren Ibebunjo
I made a mistake in my comment. I do NOT use cashews. I use pecan pieces. That is what my son loves in these delicious pancakes!
Riz
Oooh! I see! I love pecan pieces too! Thank you for letting me know. Happy Holidays to you and yours, Keren!
Your blog is bad
This is hands down, the absolute worst recipe blog over ever had the misfortune of reading. The amount of ads is just comical.
Awful. Absolutely awful. You ought to be ashamed of yourself.
Decent pancakes though
Tizzy
Good recipe. Tastes great. Made a few times now. Not terribly fluffy, but not flat either. Definitely not as fluffy as in the photos.
Caleb
I have been wanting a restaurant pancake recipe for a while. These definitely do it and are even better (fluffier). Restaurant pancakes to me are the kind that are spongy on top, that let the syrup soak in. All the pancakes we ever made at home were denser (good, but not the same).
Some notes on how I made mine:
* safflower oil instead of butter
* half and half instead of milk
* clear mexican vanilla
* sifted flour into cup and leveled off, no packing
Riz
So glad you enjoyed it, Caleb! Thanks for sharing your notes! 🙂
RPifer
OMGosh!!!! Best pancakes EVER!!! And your tips are great! I used the recipe and tips you said and they turned out AWESOME! Thank you!
Riz
Ah! So glad to hear you enjoyed it!! Wishing you many delicious pancake breakfasts!
Redawna
This has become my go to recipe for pancakes!
Beautiful and fluffy every time.
My family thanks you!
Riz
Hi Redawna! I’m so happy to hear you’ve been enjoying them!! Thank you to you and your lovely family!
Since you’ve enjoyed these pancakes so much, please do try out any of my other recipes. There might be more you like! 🙂
Riz
Yas
Best pancakes recipe ever! Thank you so much
Greetings from Paris xx
Riz
Thank you so much, Yas!! I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe.
And hello from Toronto! 🙂
Donna
Copied recipe for 1x exactly came out not fluffy but flat
Riz
Sorry to hear you had trouble with the recipe, Donna. Good luck for next time!
Lujain 🇲🇻
Tried it this morning with my two toddlers. We all loved it. Fluffiest pancakes I’ve ever had. Followed the recipe throughout but added chocolate chips at the very end and briefly stirred through. Thank you so much.
Riz
So glad you enjoyed it, Lujain!
Nora
I tried this recipe today and it turned out perfect! Thank you!!
Riz
Woohoo!!! So happy to hear it!
Riz
Ahh!! I’m so happy you enjoyed it! And yes! Please do try out some more recipes, I hope you enjoy those too! 🙂
Unfortunately, I don’t have a crumpets recipe yet…but it is something I have planned. Watch this space (but it’ll be in 2021 at some point)!
Elizabeth Anne Klun
I have an awesome crumpet recipe! We make them weekly! I invested in crumpet rings for cooking because we make them so often.
Riz
Oooh! Please do share, I’ve been working on crumpet recipes for a bit, but haven’t found one that’s perfect for me to share just yet.
fluffsome pancake
amazing recipe! we before found a different fluffy pancake recipe, but forgot what it was… this is even better anyway! very fluffy,
we hope to use some of your other recipes in future (:
do you know how to make crumpets? if so maybe you can put up the recipe (: (: (:
karen
Yummy !! very fluffy and light!
Thank you for the recipe.
Riz
So happy you enjoyed it, Karen! Thank you for trying out these pancakes!
Syd
I’ve been trying to convert the cups to grams and mls but I’m getting different conversion values from different websites! Can anyone help and tell me how much flour and how much milk is needed in metrics units please! Thanks x
Riz
Hi Syd, I’m not 100% sure on this…but I believe this would be about 210g of milk, and 120g of flour. Making sure you get the technique and tips/tricks section info correct will probably impact your results more than the exact gram amounts in this case. Good luck!
Ilaria
Hi, I tried your version but the conversion is wrong. I’ll re-try with these:
120 gr flour
180 ml milk
Riz
Thanks for letting me know, Ilaria…good luck!!! (As I mentioned earlier though, I think the difference will really be more about the technique)
Nat
Hey Ilaria,
I’ve been using these measurements and they came out perfectly:
130 g All-Purpose Flour, sifted
2 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Salt
28 g White Sugar
180 ml Milk
1 Large Egg, beaten
28 g Unsalted Butter, melted
1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
Riz
Thank you for sharing, Nat!
Amy
I’m not sure how you did it, your batter must have been very liquid and not thick, because it should definitely be more flour than milk. I used 240 g flour and 180 g milk and they were perfect.
Riz
Thanks for sharing, Amy!
Amy
Sorry, I was wrong about the measurements, I did in fact use 130 g flour and 180 g milk like Nat. Of course flour weighs less than milk even if its volume is bigger. I made the mistake to write the volume measurements (ml) as an equivalent to grams which is of course completely wrong. So again, the correct measurements would be 130 g flour and 180 g milk.
Btw this is the best pancake recipe ever and I have tried a lot!! Sooo fluffy! Thank you so much for sharing!
Riz
Thanks so much, Amy!! I hope you come back and try out some of my other recipes too!
Ruth Tony
Hi Riz, Im Doing really Great With Your Recipe they All Turned Out Fine tasty And Fluffy I enjoyed Every Bite It Was Delicious The Best Recipe Ever. Thankyou For Not Being Selfish With Your Recipe As Some do. Stay Great, Stay Fine.
Riz
Hi Ruth! Thanks so much for your lovely comment. I’m very happy to share the recipes with you, and I’m very glad to hear you’re enjoying them! 🙂
Christy Godsey
Great recipe. I’m going to add blueberries, chocolate and maybe some cinnamon to the few batches I make!
Riz
Woo! Sounds delicious, Christy!