The Ultimate Healthy Buttermilk Pancakes
Yields: 16 silver dollar pancakes
 
These light & fluffy pancakes are the best I’ve ever had! They have a slight tang from the iconic buttermilk and lots of rich butter flavor. Serve them warm with real maple syrup, a bit of butter, fresh fruit, or anything your heart desires!
  • 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
  • 1 tsp (5mL) pure maple syrup
  • ¼ cup (60g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
  1. 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.
  2. Lightly coat a large pan or griddle with nonstick cooking spray, and preheat over low heat.
  3. 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.
Notes: For the gluten-free flour, I recommend the following blend: ½ cup (60g) millet flour, ½ cup (60g) tapioca flour, 2 tbsp (15g) brown rice flour, and ½ teaspoon xanthan gum. Many store-bought gluten-free flour blends (like this one!) will work as well, if measured like this.

White whole wheat flour may be substituted, 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 whole wheat pancakes instead.

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 (skim, 1%, or 2%) until you reach the ½-cup mark. However, this second method will not yield the same iconic buttermilk flavor.

For tips on the type of pan to use and how to properly flip pancakes, see the text in the blog post above.

If the batter is too thick to pour and spread easily in the pan, stir in up to 4 additional tablespoons of buttermilk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it reaches a normal pancake batter consistency.

This recipe is easily doubled to make more. If you have any leftovers, they freeze really well too!

{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat}
Recipe by Amy's Healthy Baking at https://amyshealthybaking.com/blog/2015/01/18/the-ultimate-healthy-buttermilk-pancakes/