Famous NYT Buttermilk Pancakes

Pancakes are the best way to start the day and these NYT buttermilk pancakes are the ABSOLUTE BEST!  Made with minimal ingredients and ready in less than 15 minutes makes these perfect for a weekday breakfast or an elaborate weekend brunch.

These pancakes are easy to whip up and are incredibly delicious.  Soft and pillowy with a tender crumb, once you make these you will never go back to a box mix. Trust me.

Our family's favorite way to have these pancakes are with homemade buttermilk syrup.  The combo goes perfect together and is hard to beat!  My mouth is watering just thinking about it!

The secret to perfectly fluffy pancakes

The secret ingredient to pancakes is buttermilk! I have had lots of pancakes in my life and the very best of those were made with buttermilk!

If at all possible use real buttermilk for this recipe! It’s thicker, creamier, inexpensive, and will taste so much better. Quick tip: Be sure to shake the container before measuring the buttermilk and adding it to the batter.

What can I use if I don't have buttermilk?

If you are in a pinch and don't have the real deal, there is the trick of adding vinegar to milk to make your own buttermilk that works just fine.  These are the 2 most popular methods for making your own substitute for buttermilk;

• 1 cup buttermilk = 1 Tablespoon white vinegar + enough milk to measure 1 cup
• 1 cup buttermilk = 1 Tablespoon lemon juice + enough milk to measure 1 cup

Simply pour 1 Tbs. of vinegar or lemon juice into a 1 cup measurer and then fill the rest of the measuring cup with milk.  Then gently stir the mixture and let it sit for about 5 minutes.

Can I make a dairy free buttermilk substitution?

If you have a dairy allergy you can also use this buttermilk substitute recipe with a small change.  Instead of using 1 cup of regular milk, use coconut milk!  Add vinegar or lemon juice to a 1 cup measurer and then fill the rest of the measuring cup with coconut milk.

Ingredients

These pancakes are made with simple ingredients, the majority of which you probably already have on hand.  so you will be able to whip them up anytime you want.

• Flour: All purpose flour works best for a tender crumb.
• Sugar: Use white granulated sugar.
• Baking Powder: This is the rising agent.
• Baking Soda: Another rising agent and along with the buttermilk is what creates extra fluffiness
• Salt: Balances out and enhances flavor.  Use kosher salt for best flavor, but if using table salt reduce the amount.
• Eggs: Use large eggs and slightly beat them before adding them in to the batter.
• Buttermilk: Must have ingredient, it creates the perfect tender texture and fluffiness, as well as delicious flavor.
• Vanilla:  Adds a great boost in flavor and sweetness.

How to make buttermilk pancakes

These perfectly fluffy buttermilk pancakes come together quickly and easily, the only thing to remember is to not over mix the batter so they stay nice and fluffy.  The batter will be thick and lumpy and you might see small streaks of flour which is okay that is what it should look like.

• Combine dry ingredients.  In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and kosher salt.  Using a whisk or spoon mix together and incorporate.
• Combine wet ingredients.  In a separate medium bowl crack both eggs and slightly beat together.  Then add buttermilk and pure vanilla extract.

• Incorporate all together.  Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and using a spatula or wooden spoon mix together slowly. Be careful not to over mix.

• Cook pancakes.  Preheat non stick electric griddle, pan, or cast iron skillet to a medium heat or medium/low heat, around 300- 350.  Make sure pan is greased with cooking spray or even better melted butter. Then using a measuring cup, ladle ⅓ cup batter onto cooking surface.  Cook pancakes until bubbles rise to surface and bottom is beginning to brown, this should take under 2 minutes.  Flip and finish cooking for another 1 to 2 minutes until pancakes are golden brown.

Tips for Perfect Pancakes:

• Don’t over-mix the batter.  I know I have said it a couple times now but it is important for perfect buttermilk pancakes.  Over mixing knocks out all the air bubbles and creates more of a chewier texture than a light and fluffy texture. The end result batter should be slightly lumpy with streaks of flour.
• Room temperature ingredients. If you want to go the extra mile, let your eggs and buttermilk come to room temperature before incorporating.  This step is not necessary but will result in the fluffiest pancakes.
• Allow the batter to rest.  Wait to heat up electric griddle or large skillet until after the pancake mix has been made.  Letting the batter rest for 5 to 10 minutes will give the ingredients a jump start to react to one another.
• Don’t flip pancakes more than once. Wait until you see small bubbles rise to the surface of your pancakes, and then it’s ready to flip. Just flip it once and cook it on the other side until it’s done. It should only take 2 minutes or less.
• Don’t pat down the pancakes. If you pat down the pancakes with the spatula after they are flipped you are compressing all the air bubbles that are created and altering the end texture. Flip and let them grow into fluffy stacks.

• Keep the pancakes warm until ready to serve.  If you're cooking various batches and wanting to wait to serve everything at the same time, you can keep them warm in the oven. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. This temperature will keep the pancakes warm without continuing to cook them too much.  Place the pancakes on a large baking sheet, in a single layer, and place them in the warm oven until you’re ready to serve them.

Storing leftover pancakes

I often will make the whole batch even if I know they all wont be eaten.  Leftovers make for a delicious and easy breakfast another day of the week.

• Once cooled, simply store in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 or 3 days.
• Reheat pancakes in the toaster, microwave, or oven.

How to freeze pancakes

• Place cooled pancakes in an even layer on a large baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Freeze for about 3o minutes. Once solid stack the frozen pancakes between parchment paper and place in a freezer bag or container and freeze for up to 2 months.
• Reheat frozen pancakes in the toaster, microwave, or oven.

Variations

If you make this pear and pecan salad it would mean  the world to me if you would take a minute and leave a star rating and or a comment.  Reading through them really brightens my day!

Alli