The BEST One-Bowl Buttermilk Pancakes
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A hit with adults and children alike, these light and fluffy one-bowl buttermilk pancakes have become a weekend staple. The batter comes together in no time, and the recipe yields a ton. What’s more, the pancakes freeze beautifully! 🥞🥞🥞🥞🥞
Confession: Pancakes have never been my forte. For about a year now, however, I’ve had success with The Kitchn’s lofty buttermilk pancakes, which call for a peculiar trick: you separate the egg yolks from the whites; then you incorporate the yolks into the batter before the whites. The whites are never beaten. It’s odd but it works.
The rub with this recipe is that it requires three bowls: one for the dry ingredients, one for the yolks, buttermilk, milk and butter, and one for the whites.
First thing in the morning, this is two too many bowls, and I’ve found that using one bowl works equally well: I whisk the eggs directly into the dry ingredients as though I am making pasta, then add the milk and buttermilk, and finally the melted butter (which I do in the microwave).
These pancakes have become a family fave and a weekend staple. The batter makes enough for a ton of pancakes and leftover pancakes freeze beautifully — pop them in the toaster oven to reheat and ta-da, pancakes in an instant!
How to Make One-Bowl Buttermilk Pancakes, Step by Step
First, crack the eggs directly into the whisked together dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and sugar):
Incorporate the eggs into the dry ingredients as though you are making pasta dough:
Then add the milk and buttermilk, and finally the melted butter:
Cook in an oiled skillet or stovetop griddle or an electric griddle util puffed and golden on each side:
A pancake breakfast is a happy breakfast…
The BEST One-Bowl Buttermilk Pancakes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 18-20 three-inch pancakes
Description
A hit with adults and children alike, these light and fluffy one-bowl buttermilk pancakes have become a weekend staple. The batter comes together in no time, and the recipe yields a ton. What’s more, the pancakes freeze beautifully! 🥞🥞🥞🥞🥞
Recipe adapted from The Kitchn.
Notes:
- The best trick I’ve learned for cooking pancakes is to go small — I use my 2-tablespoon measuring cup to portion out batter. The pancakes cook quickly and evenly when I use this small scoop.
- If you want to use sourdough discard in this recipe, simply cut back some of the flour and water, preferably by weight. So, for example, if you want to use 100 grams of sourdough discard (at 100% hydration) in this recipe, cut back 50 grams of the flour and 50 grams of the buttermilk. That would call for using 270 grams of flour and 418 grams of buttermilk.
- If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can make it from scratch: Place 2 cups on buttermilk in a liquid measure or bowl and add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice or white vinegar. Let stand for 5 minutes; then stir until smooth.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups (320 g) flour
- 2 tablespoons (25 g) sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (8 g) salt
- 1 teaspoon (4 g) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) baking soda
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups (468 grams) buttermilk
- 1/2 cup (128 g) milk
- 10 tablespoons (142 g) butter, salted or unsalted, melted and cooled
- Canola or peanut oil for frying
Instructions
- Set a large shallow skillet or stovetop griddle over low heat.
- Whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl. Add the eggs and beat with a fork till the eggs are whisked and incorporated into the surrounding flour, as if you were making pasta. Add the buttermilk and milk, and stir with a spatula to combine. Add the melted, cooled butter and stir until combined.
- Turn the heat under the skillet up to medium. When hot, film with a thin layer of oil. Using a two-tablespoon (1/8 cup) measure or a large spoon or a small ladle, drop the pancake batter into the skillet giving space between each pancake to allow for spreading — the batter will spread into a pancake about 3 inches wide.
- Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes. (If the pancake scorches or the oil smokes, lower the heat.) When the bubbles that form on the edges of the pancakes look dry and airy, use a thin spatula to gently lift one side and peek underneath. If the pancake is golden brown, flip and cook on the other side for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes, or until the bottom of the pancake is golden brown.
- Transfer to a cooling rack briefly before serving. Scrape any stray crumbs or scraps out of the skillet, add a little more oil, and continue to cook the remaining batter.
- Store leftover pancakes at room temperature in an airtight bag or vessel for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
430 Comments on “The BEST One-Bowl Buttermilk Pancakes”
My favorite one-bowl recipe is chocolate chip cookies—don’t bother mixing the wet and dry ingredients separately!
I had to toss my electric griddle and wanted to replace it with something else but haven’t known what. This might be the answer. The kids miss pancakes.
I love to make one bowl Brownies! The baking steel looks awesome and so do your pancakes by the way 🙂
My fiance will tell you that I cannot make anything with only one bowl. All of my recipes require all of the available bowls in the house. But, a dutch baby gets pretty close, so I will say that is my favorite one bowl meal.
chocolate chip cookies are a one-bowl dish, right? cause that would be my answer. 🙂
One-bowl dishes are just about all I’m willing to do anymore – I’ll adapt any recipe if I think I can get away with it. I think the Steel Griddle would be great for making tortillas!
Quesadillas are the easiest dish to make with little mess for a quick dinner. Not one bowl, but one plate at least. We also love one pot chicken alfredo.
This griddle looks pretty darn awesome.
I have been making your peach frangipani tart a ridiculous amount!!! I dream about it ALL the time it is SO good. The tart dough is amazing and comes out great!! Yay butter!! I have even made a savory tart using your dough recipe.
It’s okay to like flour tortillas. I also prefer a flour tortilla., even though ithey are * gasp* flour.The corn ones seem a bit rubbery and I haven’t learned the right tricks for cooking with them. My most recent quesadillas using Corn tortillas required a good amount of sawing on the finished product to get it into pieces!!! Yikes!! They weren’t burnt just really really chewy.
My very favorite one bowl recipe would have to be banana bread. Quick, easy and I have the ingredients already in the kitchen!
i have a one bowl sour cream lemon cookie recipe that’s just amazing!
We make ramen regularly, and it serves us well as a one-bowl meal. A quick, tasty dinner with very little cleanup.
There is seriously nothing better than fluffy buttermilk pancakes drenched in syrup! These look so simple and delicious. Thanks for sharing.
My closest to one bowl would be my granola recipe. I have a larger than life mixing bowl and it all goes in there both to mix the ingredients and to break it up and add fruit once it’s cooked and cooled. I am making this pancake recipe and that steel looks so awesome!
Homemade brownies! So easy to mix up in one bowl.
This griddle looks amazing. I’ve been wanting an electric one, because my mom’s pancakes on her griddle turn out so much better than the ones I make in a skillet, but, I love how many more uses this Baking Steel has. It’ll be on my Christmas list!
My favourite one bowl recipe is a fresh salsa, usually with tomato, white onion, jalapenos, cilantro, oil and lime juice. The bowl is for gently tossing it all together.
My favorite one bowl meal would have to be a quick cooking paella. The only requirement is spanish yellow rice, the rest is flexible to whatever proteins and veggies you have on hand! My favorite is shrimp and chicken with fire roasted tomatoes, onions, peppers and peas!
My favorite one bowl dish is my grandma’s famous butterscotch bars.
My favorite one bowl dish is something you mentioned in your post – fresh pasta! I guess technically just the dough because you need a pot of boiling water to cook it, but close enough.
I make a one-bowl banana bread that is amazing. Such a heartwarming treat with some coffee.
My favorite one bowl dish are homemade oatmeal raisin cookies made with soft bananas, oats, and cinnamon. A handful of butterscotch chips instead of raisins satisfy a sweet tooth 🙂 I would love to give these a shot on the baking griddle!
My favorite one bowl recipe is meatloaf. I just mix everything in the baking pan and place it in the oven.
OMG great timing! I just had to say goodbye to my cumbersome electric skillet as well!
My favorite one bowl dish is pumpkin bread – yum!
love one bowl cakes!!
I try to make many recipes ‘one bowl’—fewer dishes to do!
Would love to try the baking steel–I use my lefse griddle now:)
I’ve always preferred waffles to pancakes, but I’m always hunting for a great pancake recipe that will change my mind. I don’t know why I have such hope for pancakes when waffles do the job of loading me with carbs in the morning just as well, but there it is.
Adding this to my list – possibly bumping it to the top as it looks so easy. I do wish I had a great griddle for it though; I’ll have to check out this baking steel griddle you mention. Or just cross my fingers for the giveaway! 🙂 Would it work at all with electric stoves or is it more suited for the flame?
I do have a question about the pancakes, though. If you wanted to add mix-ins like blueberries or chocolate/peanut butter chips, when would you suggest doing so? After it’s all mixed together at the end, right before cooking them? Any other suggestions for mix-ins?
Hi Krystal,
The griddle is best suited for gas stoves, but my stove is electric with a flat top, and it works beautifully. Andris, the owner, says the strike zone is an electric-coil stove, so if you have that, I would be wary using the griddle on top of the coils.
And yes, at the very end, last step, add the mix-ins. Hope that helps!
@alexandra, what do you mean the strike zone is an electric coil?
Hi Joseph — I think the Baking Steel Griddle is too heavy for electric coils, and so it’s not advised to use it on this surface. I have an electric stovetop but it’s one of those flat surfaces so the coils are protected. If you want to find out for sure, however, just email Andris: Andris@bakingsteel.com He is so nice and will get back to you promptly.
Not sure if this even counts as “one bowl” but I’ve been making gazpacho all summer and I make the entire thing in the blender. The only other thing I have to wash is a cutting board and a knife.Winning!
One bowl brownies! Always a quick go to dessert.
I had a cast iron griddle for my gas cooktop long ago – left it for the new homeowner 🙁 Things haven’t been the same since.
I am INTRIGUED by the muffin recipe – where can I find it and the rounds?.
I like this recipe for English muffins: https://alexandracooks.com/2013/05/23/english-muffins-with-simple-strawberry-jam-%E2%80%A2-wren-%E2%80%A2-when-my-mother-comes-to-visit/
And here are some rings: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001VQIHW/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0001VQIHW&linkCode=as2&tag=alexandrask06-20
The pancakes look awesome! My favorite one bowl dish is brownies.
Thank you so much for the 1-bowl rethink of this recipe. I love shortcuts in recipes for both technique and clean-up and I’ve had a strong hankering for homemade pancakes. I use my baking steel religiously for Jim Lahey pizza. Would love to try the griddle.
One bowl scones! 🙂 Easy and satisfying-nothing makes the house smell better!