The Best Buttermilk Pancakes You'll Ever Have

How do you like your pancakes? Plain with syrup? Mixed with blueberries or chocolate chips? Sprinkled with lemon juice and sugar? However you take them, a stack of warm pancakes is always delicious and comforting, and they're the best way to kick off a weekend. Happily, Adrianna from A Cozy Kitchen agreed to share her favorite recipe (and genius tips)...

The Best Buttermilk Pancakes You'll Ever Have
By Adrianna of A Cozy Kitchen

On a hazy Saturday morning, the only thing I want is a fluffy stack of buttermilk pancakes. Making them from scratch is just as easy as the mixes. The recipe below is incredibly simple. Instead of using a whisk—which ends up with batter stuck in the center—I recommend using a fork. When it comes to mixing the wet ingredients into the dry, be sure not to overmix the batter. Over-mixing will overdevelop the gluten, which will result in rubbery, tough pancakes. Instead simply combine until you no longer see any flour bits.

Recipe: The Best Buttermilk Pancakes

You'll need:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons white granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 ¼ cup buttermilk, shaken
1 large egg
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a small bowl, measure out the buttermilk. Add the egg, melted butter and vanilla extract; beat until thoroughly combined.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined, being sure to not overmix. The batter should have small to medium lumps.

Heat up your griddle (or cast iron skillet) over medium heat and brush with 1/2 tablespoon of butter. Scoop the batter, using a 1/4 cup measure (or tablespoon measure), onto the warm skillet. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until small bubbles form on the surface of the pancake, and then flip. Turn heat down to medium-low and cook on opposite side for about 1 minute, or until golden brown.

Transfer cooked pancakes to a baking sheet and place in oven to keep warm. Proceed with the rest of the batter until you're done. Serve with warm maple syrup.

Pancakes are easily modified, too. For heartier pancakes, consider adding ¼ cup whole-wheat, buckwheat, rye or barley flour, and decreasing the all-purpose amount to ¾ cup. If you'd like them a bit sweeter, simply add one to two more tablespoons of sugar. If you'd like to brighten them up, fold in fresh lemon or orange zest. If you're in the mood for fruit, add blueberries, raspberries or strawberries; instead of adding them to the batter—which will result in them sinking to the bottom—add them to the pancakes on the griddle.
Delicious. Thank you so much, Adrianna!

P.S. More mouthwatering recipes, including chocolate-chunk cookies and cheesy pasta...

(Photos by A Cozy Kitchen. Thanks to Shoko for her help with this series)