Throughout my childhood, many of our weekends began with Mom’s pancakes. With the recipe basically memorized, she mixed up the batter while my brother and I watched an episode of cartoons on TV and Dad quietly turned the pages of the local newspaper.
Because our favorite brunch restaurant served Mickey Mouse pancakes, my brother and I always requested those shapes. Mom would cook in two pans so we were fed at the same time, and she set out the faux maple syrup for us to pour all over the pancakes.
After adding blueberries to the bowl for her and Dad (no fruit in ours, thanks!), she poured out the rest of the batter into regular circles for the two of them and served theirs hot with a pat of butter and real maple syrup. We almost never ended up with leftovers!
In her recipe, Mom always used regular milk since that’s all we kept in the fridge. It wasn’t until I reached high school that I realized “buttermilk” pancakes were the most iconic kind.
And recently, with my guy and I going out for breakfast every so often, we started sampling the buttermilk pancakes offered by various restaurants in town. Upon feeling sluggish after one too many of those heavier recipes, I decided to create my own back at home.
After lots of flipping and mixing and flipping some more, I finally came up with a recipe for The Ultimate Healthy Buttermilk Pancakes! They’re light and fluffy and full of buttermilk flavor, and we both think that they’re better than any restaurant’s that we’ve eaten.
Nerd alert!
Because I was an organic chemist before a baking blogger, I wanted to share a little bit of the food science behind what makes these the best lightened-up buttermilk pancakes you’ll ever try. Each of the ingredients plays a key role in creating their taste and texture, so let’s go over that briefly!
Buttermilk. In addition to its iconic flavor, buttermilk is more acidic than regular milk. This acidity reacts with the leavener (hang tight, that’s coming next!) to make the pancakes light and fluffy on the inside.
If you don’t keep buttermilk in the fridge very often, I recommend these two options. (a) Powdered buttermilk. It’s a pale yellow powder that’s shelf-stable and keeps for ages. Mix it with water and you’re all set! (b) Vinegar and milk. This won’t produce the same classic buttermilk taste, but it’ll add the acidity you need.
Leavener. In this recipe, we use more baking soda than baking powder. Baking soda is stronger and reacts better with the buttermilk. When you mix those two together, they release air bubbles, which makes the pancakes fluffy.
Egg. The yolk of the egg provides tenderness, while the white acts as the binder that holds the pancakes together and gives them structure.
Butter and Greek yogurt. The butter provides both flavor and a more tender texture. (We just use a tiny bit, so don’t skip it!) The Greek yogurt adds more moisture to the batter, and it also adds a little extra tangy taste to enhance that of the buttermilk.
Vanilla. This is my secret weapon! Extra vanilla enhances the flavor of butter, so these pancakes taste much more indulgent than they really are. I know 1 ½ teaspoons looks like a lot for pancakes, but trust me. You won’t want to use any less!
Now with the batter mixed up, let’s talk about how to cook your pancakes! For the best results, use a nonstick pan or electric griddle. The griddle will yield the most even golden coloring, but with my tiny kitchen, I don’t have the space to store one. So pans it is for me! However, do not use stainless steel cookware because it will burn your pancakes. (Lesson learned the hard way!)
To make each pancake, pour a dollop of 2 tablespoons of batter onto your cooking surface lightly coated with nonstick spray. Wait until the edges near the bottom look as if they’re forming a slight skin and the tops start showing bubbles that pop; then take a peek underneath. The bottom should be golden brown!
To flip the pancakes, slide a spatula underneath, lift your hand, and just turn your wrist. Do not use your elbow or your entire arm! If you do, the pancake will skid a little in the pan as it lands and form that lacey-looking “pancake skirt.” (They’ll still taste the same; they just don’t look as pretty!)
Now all that’s left is to serve yourself a big stack with real maple syrup, fresh fruit, and anything else your heart desires! And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! 🙂 ) I’d love to see your healthy buttermilk pancakes!
| The Ultimate Healthy Buttermilk Pancakes | | Print |
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp (135g) whole wheat pastry flour, all-purpose flour, or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 1 tsp (3g) baking soda
- ½ tsp (2g) baking powder
- ¼ tsp (2g) salt
- ½ tbsp (7g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ tsp (8mL) vanilla extract
- ½ cup (120mL) low-fat buttermilk, room temperature (see Notes!)
- 1 tsp (5mL) pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup (60g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, egg, and vanilla. Whisk in the buttermilk and maple syrup. Stir in the yogurt until no large lumps remain. Add in the flour mixture, and stir until just incorporated.
- Lightly coat a large pan or griddle with nonstick cooking spray, and preheat over low heat.
- Using 2 tablespoons of batter for each pancake, dollop onto the hot pan, and spread into a circular shape if desired. Let the pancakes cook for 2-3 minutes, or until a slight skin starts to form around the edges and the bottom is light golden brown. Slide a spatula underneath, and flip. Continue to cook for another 1-2 minutes or until light golden brown on both sides. Serve hot.
White whole wheat flour may be substituted for the whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour, as well as regular whole wheat flour. However, regular whole wheat flour's heartier taste may overpower the delicate flavor of the buttermilk, so the pancakes can sometimes taste like plain whole wheat pancakes instead.
IMPORTANT BUTTERMILK NOTES: You must use buttermilk in this recipe. It’s more acidic than regular milk, which is required to react with the baking soda and baking powder.
As a buttermilk substitute, I highly recommend this powdered buttermilk. It’s shelf-stable and keeps for ages. Simply mix 2 tablespoons with ½ cup of water to yield the buttermilk required by this recipe.
Alternatively, measure out 1 ½ teaspoons of vinegar into a measuring cup, and pour in regular milk (just about any should work — nonfat, 1%, 2%, or your preferred dairy-free milk!) until you reach the ½-cup mark. However, this second method will not yield the same iconic buttermilk flavor.
IF YOUR BATTER IS TOO THICK: If the batter is too thick to pour and spread easily in the pan, stir in up to 4 additional tablespoons of buttermilk (or regular milk or water), 1 tablespoon at a time, until it reaches a normal pancake batter consistency.
PANCAKE COOKING TIPS: For tips on the type of pan to use and how to properly flip pancakes, see the text in the blog post above.
This recipe is easily doubled to make more. If you have any leftovers, they freeze really well too!
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat}
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
Thanks for the recipe… Tried it once, tasted not bad but just a little sense.. I read your other comments and it looks like I’ve gotta add more buttermilk or reduce the flour..
Can I use regular Greek yoghurt and if I were to keep this batter in the freezer, I long can it last? Thanks!
Yes, regular Greek yogurt would work just fine. The pancakes should last for at least 3 months in the freezer. I hope you enjoy them! 🙂
Hey, Amy! I found your recipe for the Ultimate Healthy Buttermilk Pancakes on Pintrest. My sister is currently trying to lose 65 pounds, so she wants to start eating right. Since I promised my support on her weight loss, I’m thrilled to find a blog that has some tasty, but healthy recipes. Hopefully, I can’t make these pancakes for breakfast. Thank you!!
Your sister is so lucky to have you LaTrice! I really hope you both enjoy the pancakes, and best of luck to her in her weight loss journey! 🙂
I made these for our Sunday night dinner tonight and thought they were great, they worked out perfectly. It was indeed a thick mixture but thats why they are so fluffy. I served with fresh figs, blueberries, maple syrup, walnuts and a small dollop of thick cream. I’ve printed recipe out for next time. Thanks 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed the pancakes Ann! Your topping sound delicious, especially the fresh figs. I’ve never eaten those with pancakes before, but now I want to try!
Hi Amy and thank you very much for the tasty recipe. I love the idea of using honey instead of maple syrup and use skimmed milk instead. Came just perfect :). Have to check your other recipes as well. Great effort
I’m so glad you enjoyed the pancakes Julija! 🙂
I was wondering if I could use Dannon vanilla light and fit yogurt instead of the Greek yogurt?
Yes! That should work just fine. I hope you enjoy the pancakes Kelsey!
Hey Amy! I made these in the morning. They turned out looking like yours, but unfortunately we found them very dry. It tasted more like a dry cake or a bread even…The batter definitely needs to be liquefied! I am guessing a wee bit more buttermilk will do the trick. Nevertheless good recipe, will try it again with a few changes. Cheers, Emilie! 🙂
Thanks for your feedback Emilie! If the pancakes were dry, there was probably too much flour in the batter. Did you measure it like I explained in the link in the Ingredients list? You’re right that extra buttermilk will help counteract that issue, and I hope your next batch turns out better! 🙂
THese are AMAZING. I used half all-purpose and half white whole wheat, and there was still plenty of tang from the buttermilk!! LOVE it 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed the pancakes Angie! 🙂
Hi Amy! How do you flip pancakes? I LOVE pancakes but I’ve never (gasps) cooked a batch like yours! It always ends up not looking pretty. I substituted 1/3 cup yogurt+2/3 cup milk for the buttermilk because I couldn’t find any at the grocery store, and the pancakes came out tasting great! But they weren’t sweet at all, which pleased me but not my sister. Should pancakes taste sweet or not?
I’m usually too impatient to make my pancakes look this pretty Sally! 😉 But I shared my tips on how to make the best and prettiest pancakes in the blog post above. 🙂 These pancakes aren’t meant to taste sweet because most people top them with maple syrup or fresh fruit. You can always add in additional sweetener to please your sister’s tastes, but I’m glad you enjoyed them!
This recipe is terrible. The dough comes out like biscuits, even when properly measured. Definitely need more liquid in these than a 1/2 cup of buttermilk.
Oh goodness, that isn’t how they’re meant to turn out! If the dough had the texture of biscuit dough, then there was definitely too much flour in the batter. Did you measure as directed in the link in the Ingredients list, using a light hand with the spoon-and-level method or a kitchen scale?
Tried making these pancakes yesterday morning and this is literally the only pancake recipe that has made me throw my hands in the air and walk away. The pancakes were sticking horribly. After talking with some friends of mine who are in the culinary
*last comment submitted early for some reason*
…..career field, they said it was probably because I was cooking them on low heat as suggested. I would have liked to give these pancakes a better review because they smelled amazing! The pancake batter was the perfect consistency as well. I just didn’t get to try them. Maybe I will return later and give a better review if I decide to try to make these again. 🙂
Oh no! That’s not what’s supposed to happen when cooking the pancakes at all. Did you read the cooking tips in the text of the blog post, and did you coat the pan with cooking spray before cooking each set of batter?