Description
Thick, fluffy, golden-brown diner-style pancakes made with pantry staples in just 15 minutes. This budget-friendly recipe costs pennies per serving and delivers comfort food quality without the high price tag.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ½ cups (180g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cups (300ml) buttermilk (or 1 tbsp lemon juice/vinegar + milk)
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons (30g) melted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt to distribute the leavening evenly.
- In a separate bowl or measuring cup, whisk the buttermilk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla extract until the mixture is slightly frothy and the butter is emulsified.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix gently with a whisk or spoon until the flour just disappears; the batter should remain thick and lumpy. Do not overmix.
- Heat a non-stick skillet or griddle over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Test readiness by flicking water drops onto the surface; they should sizzle and evaporate.
- Lightly grease the skillet with butter or oil. Pour batter onto the skillet using a ladle or ¼ cup measure, cooking 2-3 pancakes at a time.
- Cook for 2-3 minutes until bubbles form on the surface and pop, leaving small holes that do not fill back in.
- Flip gently and cook for another 1-2 minutes on the other side until golden brown.
- Serve immediately with maple syrup, or keep warm in a low oven covered loosely with foil.
Notes
Do not press the pancakes with the spatula after flipping, as this squeezes out air bubbles and makes them dense. For a buttermilk substitute, add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to regular milk and let it sit for 5 minutes. If using self-rising flour, reduce baking powder to 1 teaspoon and skip the salt. Leftover pancakes freeze well for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 3 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 pancakes
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 6
- Sodium: 350
- Fat: 7
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Carbohydrates: 35
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 6
Keywords: pancakes, buttermilk pancakes, budget breakfast, diner style, quick breakfast, cheap meals, fluffy pancakes, easy recipe