Fluffy American Pancakes

My delicious fluffy American pancakes are so simple to make and always deliver perfect results! Gloriously thick, fluffy and light pancakes, perfect serves warm with fresh berries and fruit, syrup, sauces or spreads. Yum!

What is an American style pancake?

American pancakes are those delightfully indulgent beauties most thought of when people mention pancakes for breakfast! Thick and fluffy, often pictured in a tall stack topped with whipped cream and lashings of syrup.

By contrast, English pancakes are the other sort of pancakes I will often make for breakfast. They are closer to soft thin and flexible pancakes that you can roll up, very much like crepes.

Why you will love these pancakes

• No fussy ingredients. This buttermilk pancakes recipe uses commonly found ingredients, so this delicious treat can easily be made anytime the craving hits!
• Simple and easy method to follow. Making these fluffy delights is so simple, I have often left my children to make it themselves! (With a little supervision when cooking, of course!)
• Fun to make with the kids. As I mentioned before, these are fabulous for a weekend cooking adventure with the kids! There is very little that can go wrong with these from scratch buttermilk pancakes, making them a perfect introduction to cooking with younger chefs!
• Perfect results time after time.

Ingredients you need to make these fluffy pancakes

• Flour: I use plain/all purpose flour to make these buttermilk pancakes. I prefer adding raising agents separately, as I do with salt, so I can control the amount of rise given to the finished creation.
• Sugar: uses only a small amount of sugar, but this is important as it helps achieve the beautiful golden colour we want. If you omit the sugar, the pancakes are likely to cook but end up looking rather anaemic and pale, and not as appetising!
• Baking powder/bicarbonate of soda: I use both raising agents to give a wonderful light texture to these beauties.
• Salt: just a little bit, to round off the flavour of the best buttermilk pancakes ever! You will not taste it, I promise.
• Yogurt: part of the wet ingredients used for the pancakes. Keeps each one light and tender.
• Milk: mixed with the yogurt, this is my preferred method to make buttermilk for this recipe. It results in perfect pancakes every time!
• Eggs: gives structure and stability to the buttermilk American pancakes.
• Vanilla: for delicious flavour. Can be omitted if desired, but is lovely to include!
• Unsalted butter: I like to use unsalted butter so I can control how much salt is in the recipe. This can be substituted with oil if you wish, but butter gives a much nicer flavour, in my opinion.

What equipment do I need to make these pancakes?

• Frying pan*: to cook the fluffy buttermilk pancakes in.
• Digital kitchen scales*: I always recommend using digital kitchen scales to weigh ingredients out over using a volume based measuring system, as cups. Weighing out the ingredients is much more accurate than measuring by volume, and will ensure better results every time. Hence I would definitely take the plunge if you have not already. 
• Measuring spoons*: for measuring smaller quantities such as tablespoons (tbsp) and teaspoons (tsp), a set of dedicated measuring spoons is a must! These are far more accurate than everyday eating spoons, and are really easy to get hold of too.
• Mixing bowl*: to mix all the ingredients together to make the American buttermilk pancakes.
• Handheld electric mixer*: investing in a good electric mixer is a brilliant help with all mixing, and will make creating these American pancakes easy a total breeze!
• Sieve*: to remove lumps from the dry ingredients, ensuring everything gets mixed together evenly.
• Spatula*: to help with mixing ingredients and scraping the mixing bowl down.
• Ice cream scoop*: helps to portion out the pancake mixture evenly into the frying pan so they cook up in equal sized pancakes. My scoop holds about 2 tbsp of mixture, so measuring using either of these methods work well!

How to make the best fluffy pancakes

This American style pancakes recipe could not be simpler to make! Simply mix together the dry and wet ingredients (except for the butter) separately, then combine together before whisking in the melted butter. And then time to get cooking!

Step 1: Heat the frying pan on medium-low whilst making the pancake mixture. No need to oil it, as long as it is a non stick frying pan, the pancakes will not stick!

Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Whisk to combine then set the bowl aside. Separately, in a large jug, whisk together the yogurt, milk, eggs and vanilla.

Step 3: Tip the wet mixture into the dry and beat together until just combined.

Step 4: With the beaters on low, slowly drizzle in the melted butter, mixing only until completely combined and smooth. The batter will be quite thick.

Step 5: Place a couple of spoonfuls of the mixture on the hot pan (no need for oil) and cook until the edges look dry and a few bubbles start to appear on top. The bottom of the pancake should no longer stick to the pan. This should take a minute or two. Carefully flip the pancake and allow the other side to cook until golden brown, another minute or so. Enjoy!

How do you make pancakes fluffy and not rubbery?

Rubbery pancakes are the result of over beating the batter. Over mixing the batter leads to development of the gluten in the flour. This is what leads to a rubbery texture. Instead, beat only until the mixture is combined, both when combining the wet with the dry ingredients, but also when adding in the melted butter.

What to serve with pancakes

These homemade buttermilk pancakes are perfect with any topping you like! Here are some suggestions for you, if you are looking for inspiration:

Sweet ideas:

• blueberries and maple syrup
• strawberries and chocolate spread
• banana and peanut butter

Savoury ideas:

• bacon and maple syrup
• cheese and ham
• goat’s cheese and caramelised red onion chutney

How to reheat pancakes

The easiest way to reheat pancakes is in the microwave, using 10-15 second bursts of power. Alternatively, they can also be reheated in a toaster, but keep an eye on them so they do not over heat and toast!

Can you freeze pancakes

These buttermilk pancakes from scratch freeze beautifully! Simply freeze them with a piece of parchment in between each pancake, placing in an airtight container. When you want to enjoy a pancake or three, simply take out what you want and defrost using one of the methods mentioned above. Simples!

Tips for the best fluffy American pancakes

• Use ingredients at room temperature. This includes the milk, yogurt and eggs (if you store them in the fridge). Room temperature ingredients will blend together more easily and cook up better when making this fluffy American pancake recipe.
• Mix the batter as little as possible when combining the wet ingredients in with the dry. The more the batter is mixed, the tougher the pancakes will turn out, as the gluten is developed leading to rubbery pancakes.
• When melting the butter, you can either do it on the stovetop in a small saucepan, or in short bursts in the microwave. Make sure to allow it to cool slightly before using, so that it is not too hot when combined with the pancake batter.
• Always cook pancakes using a preheated pan. The heat of the pan is part of what causes the pancakes to develop the texture and fluffiness, so this is really important.
• I use absolutely no oil or butter on my non stick ceramic frying pan. However, if you feel it might stick, lightly brush some melted butter over the pan before cooking the pancakes.
• Cook each pancake until it is easy to slip a spatula under it to flip. Look for a handful of bubbles appearing on top of the pancake before you flip it. It will still look wet on top, but the sides should be at least partly dulled as they have cooked. Once flipped, the remainder of the pancake will cook through too.

Troubleshooting

If you have any questions about this fluffy buttermilk pancake recipe, please comment below and I will do my best to help. And do remember: if you enjoy this recipe for fluffy American pancakes, please leave a rating and review below. You could even post a picture on Instagram and tag me when you share it with the world. You already know I would love to see!

More recipes from my blog for you to enjoy

If you enjoyed this fluffy American pancakes recipe, please do have a look at these recipes I think you will love too!

Apple cinnamon muffins with crumble topping: Making the most delicious apples with some irresistible muffins! These apple cinnamon muffins are PERFECT for breakfasts, lunchboxes or just a tea time snack. They are beautifully moist, perfectly spiced with a delightful crumble topping for a fabulous yummy texture!

Easy buttermilk fruit scones: My easy buttermilk fruit scones are the only fool-proof recipe you will ever need for the most beautiful scones! Perfect fresh out of the oven and still warm, split and topped with clotted cream and jam. Or any other way you fancy!

Blueberry banana oatmeal muffins: These muffins are gorgeously chunky and deliciously satisfying, not to mention a brilliant way to use up overripe bananas! They are easy to make, wonderfully spiced, and always go down a treat!

Thanks for joining me today, my friends. Hope you enjoy these amazing fluffy American pancakes, and happy cooking! x

Recommended equipment I used *

Frying pan	Digital kitchen scales
Measuring spoons	Mixing bowl
Handheld electric mixer	Sieve
Spatula	Ice cream scoop