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
Hi Amy, Nice recipe. Just wondering how you think of these as “Ultimate Healthy” buttermilk pancakes as opposed to just really good buttermilk pancakes. Seems like the same stuff of most pancakes. Anyway, loved your scientific explanation of ingredients. Cheers
I’m so glad you enjoyed the scientific explanation Lindy! I run all of my “ultimate healthy” recipes past 10+ taste testers, and if they’re unanimous, then I give that recipe an “ultimate healthy” title. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of them!
Loved the pancakes. I think the “healthy” comes in considering the pancakes being silver dollar
size.
Thanks for the recipe.
I’m so glad you enjoyed these pancakes Le! 🙂
This is a keeper, thanks Amy! As suggested I used lemon juice w/skim milk combo to sub for buttermilk, and added ~2 tbsp more milk to get a better consistency for the batter. I agree these are healthier as there’s much less butter (and no oil) like other pancake recipes. Hubby loved them and so did I. Cooked on medium heat and they turned out golden fluffy goodness.
I’m so glad you and your husband enjoyed these pancakes Bets! That means a lot to me that you’d call this recipe a keeper — thanks for sharing that with me! 🙂
Just made the pancake dough for a family breakfast tomorrow – and of course also tried a bit of it: BEST PANCAKES I’VE EVER HAD =)
WOW!! Thank you SO much Fabi — that means the world to me! I’m truly honored!! 🙂 I hope the rest of your family enjoys the pancakes too!
These look delicious! Can they be made gluten free by using an all purpose gf flour?
Thanks Jen! Yes, a store-bought all-purpose gluten-free flour should work just fine. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these pancakes!
Hello! I am horrible at making pancakes. I have been trying since I was a child and still just can’t figure it out. I’ve seen the option of sheet pan pancakes…would I be able to do that with this recipe? Thank you!
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Christina! If you go through my blog post above the recipe, I walk you through exactly how to make the best pancakes, with pictures and words. 🙂 If you still don’t want to use the traditional method, then I recommend my pancake bite recipes instead! You can find those here. I can’t wait to hear what you think of whatever recipe you try!
Thank you. I did actually read your tips and still had no success. Hence the sheet pan request, but I will give these bites a try instead.
I see! (Many people skip over the text of my blog posts before asking a question — that’s the main reason I mentioned it! 😉 ) What happened when you tried making these pancakes the traditional way? If you can describe the issues you saw in detail, we may be able to solve them so you can finally make good pancakes on the stove! 🙂
Wow! I was a little skeptical, every whole wheat pancake I have made turned out bland, flat… just not good. I just wanted to cut down on my sugar while enjoying pancakes, so I decided to try this. I used white whole wheat flour since I don’t have whole wheat pastry flour. Everything else was kept the same but… I was so shocked! it tasted just like box pancake mix that i used to love but have stopped eating. This recipe is AMAZING!!! Thank you so much for posting this… it is a keeper
I’m so glad you loved these pancakes Kayla! That means the world to me that you’d call this recipe a keeper — what a huge compliment! Thank you so much! 🙂
My mom is on the keto diet and I’m vegan (not by choice) so I thought I would wake up early and make her them! They look so fluffy!
You’re so sweet to make these for your mom, Jayda! I hope she enjoyed these pancakes! 🙂
I’m obsessed with these pancakes! Amy, I don’t know what I would do without you! I love pancakes, but like you I always feel too heavy after I eat them. These are so yummy and light!
Oh my goodness — you just made my entire day, Kandice!!! I’m so glad you’re loving these pancakes! That means the world to me! 🙂
Can these be made and then frozen for on the go?
Yes! These pancakes freeze really well once they’ve been cooked and cooled. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of them, Kelly!