Pancakes are not to-go type of breakfast as it needs to be smothered with butter and drowned in pools of maple syrup, and since X is not a fan of them, I seldom make them in the past. But now that I have a lot of time on hand, I can have pancakes whenever I want. Yippee!
This is a very basic and simple pancake recipe, with most ingredients to the ratio of 1:1 – 1 cup buttermilk, 1 egg, 1 cup flour, 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla, with other add-ons like salt, baking powder and baking soda (baking soda will react with buttermilk to give the pancakes a lift). Most recipes call for melted butter to be added but I skipped it because it’s an additional and troublesome step to me.
Cooking the Perfect Pancake
Frying pan: I always use a non-stick frying pan when cooking pancakes. The pancakes will never get stuck there and you’ll always have the glorious golden-brown colour on the top. My frying pan is from Ikea, nothing fancy!
To butter or not to butter: A good non-stick frying pan will ensure no food will get stuck on it, so nowadays I don’t butter the pan. Plus, butter burns, so if you are cooking a large batch of pancakes, you have to keep wiping the pan clean to get rid of the burnt butter – another reason not to butter the pan.
Heat: I use medium to medium-low heat to cook the pancakes. It also helps if the burner is large so that it heats up the frying pan evenly. A tip I’ve learned is to place the heated frying pan on a piece (or several) of damp cloth for a few seconds, return the pan onto the stove top then pour in the batter. This process will cool off any hot spots on the frying pan, helping your pancake to cook evenly.
Flipping: The key and sure sign that your pancake is ready to be flipped is when bubbles began to appear on top of the batter.
Keeping warm: Everyone loves warm pancakes, so place the pancakes on a baking sheet (you can overlap them slightly), cover and place in a 80 degrees Celsius oven to keep warm for up to 30 minutes. Don’t leave it for too long as the pancakes will dry out.
Let’s start cooking!
Step-by-step Photos | |
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| 1) Measure flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together. | 2) Whisk to mix well. |
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| 3) Make a well in the middle and set aside. | 4) Whisk buttermilk, vanilla and egg together. |
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| 5) Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. | 6) Fold until just combined. |
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| 7) Pour dollops of batter onto the heated frying pan. | 8) Flip the pancake and continue to cook until golden. |
Vanilla Buttermilk Pancakes
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 to 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
INSTRUCTIONS
- Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl. Make a hole in the middle and set aside.
- Whisk 3/4 cup buttermilk, egg and vanilla in a small bowl until well-mixed. Pour into the middle of the dry ingredients. Using a wooden spoon or a spatula, fold the mixture until just combined. It will be lumpy with tiny streaks of flour. If the batter is too thick, stir in the remaining 1/4 cup of buttermilk. Use immediately.
- Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat. Place a damp cloth on the table counter. When water sizzles when sprinkled into the pan, remove the frying pan and place on top of the damp cloth for 3 seconds and place it back on the stove - doing this will ensure the heat in the frying pan is even.
- Pour in 1/8-cup to 1/4-cup of the pancake mix into the frying pan. Cook until bubbles start to emerge on the surface of the batter, then slide a spatula below the pancake. Check that the bottom is golden brown (if not, let the pancake cook a while more) then flip it to cook a few minutes on the other side, until golden brown in colour.
- Repeat steps 3 and 4 until all the batter is used up.
- While the rest of the pancakes are cooking, place the cooked pancakes on a baking sheet (overlapping each other slightly), cover with aluminum foil and keep warm in an 80 degrees Celsius oven for up to 30 minutes - the pancakes will gradually dry out, so serve as soon as possible.
- Serve the pancakes with plenty of good-quality butter and maple syrup/honey.
Monica says
This is blowing my mind a little bit because I cannot believe there’s no butter in the pancakes themselves or the pan! And they turned out so beautifully golden. Wow – gotta try. Thanks!
Jasline N. says
Hi Monica! Yes there’s no butter, but I love a good slab of butter on top of these pancakes at the end 😉
Zoe (@bake4happykids) says
Hi Jasline,
Whether maple syrup or honey, I’m loving these fluffy pancakes!
Zoe
Jasline N. says
Hi Zoe, me too! I just bought maple syrup, more excuse to make these more often :p
Bam's Kitchen says
Jasline, your pancakes are so light and fluffy and look so good. I think I will try your recipe this weekend with my boys and make them a huge stack and at least that would hold them off for a couple of hours… Loving your photography! Just pinned!
Jasline N. says
Hi Bobbi! I think you will probably need to double or triple the recipe to fend off your hungry teenagers! :p Thank you so much for the love as always, hope you are having an awesome week!
Cecilia says
Hi Jasline, no question, your recipe makes the perfect pankcake. Wow, the pictures are just awesome. Thanks for sharing.
Jasline N. says
Hi Cecilia, thank you so much for the sweet compliments, thanks for dropping by!
Robyn says
Oh my gosh, Jasline, I was just telling someone how much I love pancakes but haven’t had them in so long! These are so fluffy and perfect looking. But being Canadian, I have to have my maple syrup on them 🙂 Thanks so much for a great recipe!!
Jasline N. says
Hi Robyn! I guess it’s time to make some pancakes! I just bought a bottle of pure maple syrup (costs a bomb here but I know it’ll be worth it) and I can’t wait for my next pancake treat. Thank you for dropping by!
kitchenriffs says
Who doesn’t love pancakes? One of my favorite foods. Particularly for dinner — I’m usually not that hungry at breakfast, but at dinner I can eat a huge stack of these! 😉 Good stuff — thanks.
Jasline N. says
I never had pancakes for dinner, but that sounds like an absolutely wonderful idea, thanks for dropping by John!
Sammie says
That first image totally got my tummy screaming for pancakes! Such a gorgeous photograph! Absolutely adore your fluffy pancake recipe! 🙂
Jasline N. says
Thanks Sammie! I’m yearning for some pancakes too, maybe I’ll make them again this weekend!
All That I'm Eating says
I love using buttermilk in cooking, it gives such a delicious flavour. These look amazing.
Jasline N. says
Thanks Caroline! I grabbed the buttermilk by accident the other day I went grocery shopping, so it’s a blessing in disguise!
sangeetha menon says
looks yummy. Nice photos. Step by step photos makes it even good for a newbie cook.
Jasline N. says
Thank you Sangeetha, I’m hoping to encourage more people to cook at home than eat out, which is expensive and may not be worth all the calories 😉
Sharon D. says
These look gorgeous, Jasline! I love that the recipe calls only for 1 of this and that. Easy to remember! ^.^
Jasline N. says
Thanks Sharon! Yes I’m a lazy person sometimes and I want my pancakes quick, so this recipe is great to help me make them fast!
What's baking?? says
Oh wow. Yr pancakes are so fluffy and thick just the way my family and I like it. So yummy
Jasline N. says
Thanks Jenn! I’m glad you like it!
Hannah (BitterSweet) says
Talk about a drool-worthy action shot! That syrup pour is the stuff of dreams. Very hungry dreams… Ha! If only we could all be so lucky to wake up to this sort of treat. 😉
Jasline N. says
Thanks Hannah! Yes, having breakfast in bed will be such an awesome treat but usually it doesn’t happen… but my husband will never be willing to wake up early to make it for me xD
Barbara Bamber | justasmidgen says
I haven’t had pancakes in forever! I love how you use a lot of 1’s, it’s a recipe I could easily remember.. esp tomorrow morning:) Love how these look!! xx
Jasline N. says
Thank you Barbara! Time to have some pancakes 😉
Juliana says
These pancakes look awesome…and I absolutely love the idea of the ratio being 1:1…no need to memorize the recipe…I like how fluffy they are…beautiful pictures Jasline.
Have a great week 🙂 Oh! Thanks for stopping by…
Jasline N. says
Thank you for the sweet compliments Juliana! I love how it’s a very simple recipe too! Have a great week ahead as well!
Mimi Bakery House says
I was looking at the Buttermilk Pancakes from Williams-Sonoma..but I guess I still have my pancake mix.. Meantime, let me enjoy yours 1st 😉
Jasline N. says
Awww… thank you! Once you make this, I think you will not go back to pancake mix anymore 😉
Mimi Bakery House says
ok, I will try them once my pancake mix is used up… bt must buy buttermilk 😛
Jasline N. says
Okay! Can’t wait to see your attempt on these pancakes! Invite me over when you make them k? :p
bentodays says
Looks so yummy! Something I enjoy once in a while too. My kids love pancakes too but yes they must be warm, otherwise they wouldn’t finish it!
Jasline N. says
I hope my kids in the future will love pancakes as much as I do! 😉