These fluffy Amish pancakes are soft, thick, and full of homemade flavor. They cook up golden on the outside with a light, fluffy center.
I love serving buttermilk pancakes with fresh berries and whipped cream, which is my favorite way to eat them. They're also delicious with butter and maple syrup and make a wonderful breakfast for a weekend morning or any time you're craving a stack of good old homemade pancakes.
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Why You'll Love These Amish Pancakes
- Thick, fluffy, and full of delicious homemade flavor
- Simple ingredients you probably already have
- Light and tender inside, golden on the outside
- Easy to mix up and cook
- Comforting, filling, and always a hit at the breakfast table
Ingredients & Why They Matter
If you've never made homemade pancakes from scratch before, don't worry. They're quick to mix together and use simple ingredients.
- Buttermilk: I recommend using real buttermilk for the best flavor and texture.
- Eggs: Room-temperature eggs blend into the batter a little easier, but cold eggs are fine too.
- Oil: A mild-flavored oil such as canola, avocado, or light olive oil works well. Oil keeps the pancakes moist and tender. You can also use melted butter if you prefer.
- Baking powder and baking soda: Using both gives the pancakes plenty of lift and helps make them thick and fluffy. (I highly recommend using aluminum-free baking powder.)
- Flour: Use regular all-purpose flour for the best texture.
Tips to Make Perfect Pancakes
A few simple tips will help you get thick, fluffy pancakes every time:
- Use real buttermilk. Real buttermilk is thicker and creamier than a homemade substitute and gives these pancakes better flavor and texture.
- Don't overmix the batter. A few small lumps are fine. Mixing too much can develop the gluten in the flour and make the pancakes chewy instead of fluffy.
- Don't let the batter sit too long. Let it rest briefly while your pan or griddle preheats, but don't leave it sitting for a long time. The batter can lose some of its lift and result in thinner pancakes.
- Don't press down on the pancakes. Pressing them with your spatula can flatten the air pockets that help give them their fluffy texture.
- Flip only once. Wait until bubbles form on the surface and the edges look set. Gently lift an edge with a spatula to check that the bottom is golden brown, then flip and finish cooking the other side.
Blueberry, Chocolate Chip, and Other Pancake Variations
This is a basic buttermilk pancake recipe, but it's easy to change up with your favorite mix-ins. For chocolate chip buttermilk pancakes, add mini chocolate chips to the batter. You can also try blueberries, chopped pecans, a teaspoon of cinnamon, or other additions you enjoy.
You can add up to about a cup of mix-ins. To avoid over-mixing the batter, fold them into the flour mixture before combining the wet and dry ingredients.
Or you can always make plain pancakes, then top them with fresh fruit, whipped cream, blueberry syrup, or your favorite toppings. My husband loves peanut butter and maple syrup on his, and peanut butter with sliced bananas is another good combination. Chocolate and bananas are also delicious together.
My very favorite pancakes are made with mini chocolate chips in the batter. Then I top them with Nutella, fresh berries, whipped cream, and a drizzle of maple syrup. Seriously, I could eat these every day. They are so good!
What Can I Do with Leftover Pancakes?
Don't let leftover pancakes go to waste! Here's how to enjoy them later:
- Refrigerate: Store in an airtight container or zip-top bag for up to 5 days. Reheat in the toaster.
- Freeze: Layer cooled pancakes between parchment paper and store in a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Toast to reheat.
- Fun ideas: Use leftover pancakes for breakfast sandwiches, mini pancake stacks with syrup, or even a quick dessert with ice cream or whipped cream and fruit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Amish pancakes aren't necessarily different from other buttermilk pancakes. Recipes vary from one Amish family to another, just as they do anywhere else. This particular recipe came from an Amish home, and it's simply a good old-fashioned buttermilk pancake recipe.
I grew up Amish and always ate homemade pancakes like these. Maybe that's why I refuse to eat store-bought frozen pancakes. I've bought them before, but my husband says they taste like cardboard, and I have to agree. A fresh stack made from scratch is hard to beat.
Yes. If you don't have buttermilk, you can make a substitute by adding 3 tablespoons of lemon juice or vinegar to a 2-cup measuring cup, then filling it with whole milk. Let it sit for about 5 minutes before using. Real buttermilk will give you the best flavor and texture, but the substitute works in a pinch.
Cook pancakes over medium heat, around 300°F. Preheat your pan or griddle before adding the batter so it cooks evenly. If the heat is too high, the outside can brown before the center is cooked. If it's too low, the pancakes may take too long to cook.
I sometimes sprinkle a few drops of water on the pan to test the heat. If the water sizzles and evaporates quickly, it's ready for the batter.
The most common culprit is overmixing the batter. A few lumps are fine. Also, make sure your baking powder and baking soda are fresh.
More Amish Breakfast Recipes
Looking for some hearty, filling breakfast recipes? Here are a few more breakfast favorites to add to your morning rotation.
- Sausage Gravy with Biscuits
- Potato Pancakes
- Breakfast Casserole
- Fluffy Waffles
- Baked Oatmeal with Apples
- Butter Braid Breakfast Pastry
- Cinnamon Rolls with Caramel Frosting
- Cinnamon Streusel Coffeecake
- Homemade Oats & Honey Granola Cereal
- I also have a post about Amish breakfast with more ideas and a look at what a traditional Amish breakfast might include.
I hope you enjoy these Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes. They're simple, comforting, and always a favorite at the breakfast table.
If you try this recipe, I would love it if you left me a comment and star rating below. Thank you!
Also, if you just bought a jug of buttermilk and have some left that you're wondering what to do with, I can help you out. 🙂 Make some Amish buttermilk cookies, buttermilk blueberry muffins, or homemade biscuits. 🙂
📖 Recipe Card
Amish Buttermilk Pancakes Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 c. all-purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp. sugar
- 1 Tbsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 large eggs
- 2 Tbsp. oil or melted butter
- 2 c. buttermilk
- 1 tsp. vanilla
Instructions
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.2 c. all-purpose flour, 2 Tbsp. sugar, 1 Tbsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp. salt
- In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and oil (or melted butter), then add the buttermilk and vanilla.2 large eggs, 2 Tbsp. oil or melted butter, 2 c. buttermilk, 1 tsp. vanilla
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Don't overmix the batter, as this can lead to tough and flat pancakes. (It's ok if the batter is still a bit lumpy.)
- Heat a non-stick pan or griddle over medium heat. (Let the batter rest while the griddle is preheating, but don't let it sit too long. Sometimes when the batter sits for a while it deflates, resulting in thinner pancakes.)
- Pour or ladle circles of batter onto the pan. Cook until bubbles form on the surface of the pancake and the edges begin to look set, then gently flip the pancake over and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, or until the other side is golden brown.
- Repeat with the remaining batter, adding oil or cooking spray to the pan as needed.
- Serve hot with your choice of toppings, such as maple syrup, butter, Nutella, peanut butter, fruit, or whipped cream.
- Store leftover pancakes in a bag or airtight container and reheat in the toaster to enjoy.
Notes
- Real buttermilk gives the best flavor and texture. If needed, make a substitute by adding 3-4 Tbsp. lemon juice or vinegar to a 2-cup measuring cup, then filling it with whole milk. Let it rest for several minutes. You can also use 1 cup plain Greek yogurt mixed with 1 cup milk.
- For chocolate chip or blueberry pancakes, stir the mix-ins into the flour mixture before combining the wet and dry ingredients to avoid overmixing.
- My favorite way to eat these is with mini chocolate chips in the batter, then topped with Nutella, berries, whipped cream, and a drizzle of maple syrup.
KEITH ISRAEL
You always do a great job! I love this Recipe! Also do you have a amish homemade pancake sryup recipe?
Anna
Thank you! I don't have any on my website, and I always use maple syrup. But I have made this before: 1 c. white sugar, 1 c. brown sugar, 1 c. water - boil this for 2 minutes. Then add 1 c. Karo corn syrup, and vanilla and maple flavoring as desired.
Anna
My favorite pancakes!!
~Chrissie O.
This is 100% my go-to pancake recipe, taught to me by my grandmother! I never have fresh buttermilk, more's the pity, but I've used the lemon-juice-in-whole-milk trick for many years successfully! I'm not partial to using half whole wheat flour, but I have a multigrain oat mix (rye berries, wheat berries, millet, oats, etc.) and I've ground that into flour and subbed half very successfully - the pancakes get a little different texture (almost more "crumbly") but the flavor is out of this world. I've also pulsed oats, alone, into flour - I use them a lot in baking just for additional grain. They make a nice flour! Thanks for another nice post - and for the fascinating history lesson! I remember reading that every culture has a "flatbread" - now, it seems, they have a pancake, as well!! Blessings!!
Anna
Thank you for your comment!