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 dish is caesar salad!!
Brownies!
I tend to use more bowls and utensils than I should, so I am working on reducing the mess when I cook. I may have to try your pancake making method.
My favorite one bowl dish (right now) is banana breakfast cookies – basically just overripe bananas, oatmeal, and almond butter with some maple syrup or honey to sweeten and nuts/dried fruit/chocolate mixed in.
I would love to win one of these! I’ve also been hating my electric griddle of late, but can’t bring myself to throw it away, also because of pancakes. We love pancakes for brunch at our house!
Ooooh. We could really use a griddle AND a pizza steel. Seriously coveting this, hope I’m not too late for the giveaway.
Looks amazing! I love pancakes and pizza, so this is right up my alley!
I love simple cinnamon oatmeal topped with blueberries.
Pesto pasta salad! I’ve been making it all summer with loads of varied toppings. I am so curious about the baking steel! What a cool idea. Thanks!
I would love to try this griddle! Baking Steel sounds great!
I recall making a one-bowl ‘Cowboy Caviar’ recipe sometime back…it was essentially a cold salad side dish. Corn off the cobb was the main ingredient, and it went over very well. A lot of ingredients went into it, so despite the fact that it was ‘one-bowl,’ it took a lot of time to prepare because of all the chopping and slicing and adding multitudinous ingredients! I love waffles just as much (if not more) than pancakes, but I would GLADLY receive this give-away Baking Steel Griddle sos (yes, ‘sos’!!) I can cook pancakes on a griddle that will house more than one type of pancake. I have made pancakes for a 7-year old, a 9-year old, and myself…all of us wanted something different! The 9-year old wanted double chocolate peppermint pancakes; The 7-year old wanted regular pancakes; I wanted gluten-free pancakes. Will the Baking Steel Griddle be able to accommodate all those kinds of pancakes quickly and expeditiously??!! Surely hope so, lol!
I do not have one.
Would love to win this……the possibilities are endless !
I hope it’s not too late. My One bowl recipe is Dutch baby pancakes. Have been hearing really nice things about the griddle, thanks for a great give away.
I too hope it’s not too late! I have a both a one-bowl blueberry cake recipe and a one-bowl spice cake recipe that have serious rotation in our house. They are requested often!
My favorite one bowl meal is scrambled eggs with cheese
My oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, I don’t bother mixing the dry and wet separately, I just dump and mix.
It may be too late for this, but in any case, I actually have two:
“wacky cake” which is a great easy chocolate cake that doesn’t require the mixer and only has a few ingredients, and a banana bread that is just as easy, if messier.
zucchini fritters – would love to cook some on a Baking Steel griddle!
Gotta try the One Bowl Pancake Batter recipe. It looks delicious!
I have a baking steel but, am seriously going to need the griddle
I can’t imagine making pizza without my steel–it is the best christmas gift that I ever received.
my favorite one bowl dish is bibimbap–usually made from my asian inspired (or purchased) leftovers–now I think maybe I could use my b.steel and make it dolsot bibimbap
My husband LOVES pancakes, so I tried your recipe. They are absolutely wonderful! I’m thinking this is my favorite one bowl recipe. Would love to try them on the griddle!!!
We love making ‘Wacky’ Chocolate Cake in one bowl. Would love to try this baking steel in my oven!!
My favorite is Oatmeal and Quinoa Breakfast Bowl.
A tuna nicoise I make with fresh yellowfin tuna. In a large bowl while the pasta is still warm, add some tuna, basil, tomatoes, olives, along with any good olive oil. Just about anything fresh from the garden can be added. Oh so tasty!!!
More like one jar…. Bircher muesli soaked overnight in a Mason jar.
Texas chocolate sheet cake. So great!
I try to make as much as I can in 1 bowl, but I usually end up making a mess of more bowl, or cups than I expect.
My brownie recipe is probably my most satisfyingly delicious truly one-bowl (or rather, one-pot) dish. All I dirty is the pot and a spatula, and since I’ve started lining the pan with parchment, I don’t even need to wash that afterwards!
My pick is for banana bread. Can’t wait to try this pancake recipe. Thanks!